America 250 Archives - Genealogy Literacy

Huzzah! Welcome to 2026 – the year that ushers in the highly anticipated 250th anniversary of America’s founding. More specifically, this July 4th, marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In looking back at the Revolutionary War period, and the ancestors who lived through this conflict, I am delighted to announce my upcoming virtual GRIP course to help genealogists and family historians better understand the historical context and resources available to tell their complex stories.

Navigating Independence: Researching the Lives of Revolutionary War Ancestors

Joining me in this amazing course are seven genealogy rock star instructors who will share their topical expertise to round out all 18 sessions (click on the title above to see the full course session list and itinerary): J. Mark Lowe, FUGA; Kathryn Lake Hogan, BA, PCLGS, UE; Shelly Viola Murphy, DM; Michael L. Strauss, MA, AG®, AGL™; Deborah Maddox; Linda Colston, MA; and William Burchfield II, MSLS

Note: GRIP registration opens on February 5th at 1pm! Seating is limited – so don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

In this course, students will:

Gain an understanding of the complex groups, communities, governments, and cultures that contributed to the colonial conditions that led to a war for independence from British rule.
Learn about the structures and inner workings of the military forces involved: Continental, British/Loyalist, Indigenous, Spanish, Hessians, French, etc.
Learn about the complications of life on the home front, and the shifting nature of governmental powers.
Explore the religious groups that influenced the trajectory of the fighting, and become inspired by some of the philosophical writings of the time, such as Phillis Wheatley, and Joseph Warren, among others.
Gain an understanding of the Indigenous groups and governments that supported war efforts on both sides.
Learn about the precarious years of the early republic and how the war experience continued to shape our ancestors lives for several decades – including infrastructure, settlement, pensions, construction of American identities, and legal developments.

All sessions will provide information regarding access and use of resources not commonly known and which are specific to the timeframe and regions being covered.

Student Prerequisites:

Students must have 1) mastered foundational genealogical research skills and be comfortable conducting research in physical locations beyond web-based resources; and 2) reliable internet access. This course is for intermediate researchers.

Getting a GRIP on Those Revolutionary Ancestors:

As an accompaniment to the America 250th celebrations, we feel that this timely topic is perfect for any genealogist who needs to trace their ancestors into late 18th and early 19th century American records. With a conflict that involved so many people from Europe and the Americas, it is vitally important to understand the context of each group involved as well as seek out the stories of every ancestor from this time. A strong educational foundation is the first step in navigating the methodology necessary to locate and understand the records that reveal those amazing stories from this era of American history.

RootsTech sneak peek: Meet and greet several of the course instructors in-person at the NGS booth during RootsTech 2026 in SLC!

For now – here’s the NGS announcement for the full 2026 GRIP course lineup!

Hope to see y’all real soon!

It’s hard to believe that another RootsTech is almost here – March 5-7, 2026! Over the past weeks and months, some amazing details have trickled in from the conference organizers, and, like previous years, this post will grow as more information is received. That way, you won’t need to search all around for the myriad of details that have become the hallmark of attending RootsTech – both virtually and in-person.

Just a reminder that once again – it is FREE to attend RootsTech virtually – but you are still required to register. With hundreds of free sessions to choose from, run, don’t walk, to register and begin building your personalized session schedule!

Keynote Speakers:

Obviously, for either attendance type, the biggest news to hit RootsTech 2026 is the amazing keynote line-up for each day! Headlining this stellar roster is Academy Award Winning Actress, Marlee Matlin! Joining her throughout the conference are: Tara Roberts, Steve Young, José Hernández, the Gardiner Brothers, Jessica Soho, and Zico! Tune in live to catch these inspirational stories – either in-person or virtually.

2026 and America 250:

A recent announcement released earlier this week was the FamilySearch and America 250th celebration partnership. From the official press release: “FamilySearch International today announced its collaboration with America250, the national, nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. FamilySearch will support America250’s mission to celebrate unity, heritage, and progress by inviting individuals, families, and communities across the nation to remember, discover, and add their own stories to expand America’s collective narrative and connect us all. FamilySearch’s theme for America’s 250th Anniversary—“Together, We Build America’s Story”—encourages people everywhere to “add what you know” to the free, collaborative FamilySearch Family Tree….”

With this collaboration, be watching for some thematic sessions, ways to get involved, and inspirational segments during the opening events. This news also segues into our 2026 RootsTech theme: Together. A timely and important theme to remember across our country – and throughout our genealogy community.

ARC Symposium:

Another feature of this conference that I’m looking forward to is the ARC (Archives and Records Custodians) Symposium – which technically kicks off the conference a day early every year. You can also register for this bonus content and watch live on March 4th. As a professional archivist, this pre-conference event has evolved into some of my favorite yearly content. But, it’s not just for professionals! Anyone interested in records access and preservation should attend to learn about how they can help efforts around the globe to safeguard our heritage content.

If you head out to Salt Lake City this year, you can look for me in-person – as a RootsTech Media Representative – and as a GRIP Course Coordinator – promoting our upcoming course on America’s 250th celebration (look for additional details in the next post)! And as always, check back into this post as we get closer to the main event as we hear more announcements from RootsTech/FamilySearch!