How many records are enough to prove your family history? One of the most misunderstood concepts in genealogy is Reasonably Exhaustive Research—the first standard of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). In this lesson, I explain what it really means, why it matters, and how it helps you build stronger, evidence-based conclusions. ?? JOIN the GENEALOGY […]
Use Revolutionary War records to verify disputed service history. Follow along as I research a soldier at the NC State Archives. Genealogy research often hits a wall when service records conflict with family stories. This video demonstrates how to navigate official archives to find the truth about an ancestor’s military service. If you are struggling […]
Ashley and I walk through how I use DNA matches to work out where an unknown match fits in a family tree. We map Ashley’s case in Lucidchart, keep generations aligned, compare shared matches, and use DNA Painter’s shared centimorgan tool to narrow the possible relationships. You’ll see how a visual chart can make half-sibling […]
If you have North Carolina ancestors, this is an interview you won’t want to miss. While attending the National Genealogical Society Conference, I sat down with David McCorkle, President of the North Carolina Genealogical Society, to talk about the upcoming NCGS Fall Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as some of the best resources […]
Academy Folks – Replay of the Q&A Session from June 17, 2026, is now available with chapter markers. Use this link to watch the video now: https://genealogytv.org/courses/2026-academy-exclusive-lessons/lessons/q-a-session-june-17-2026/
If you’ve ever tried to piece together a family member’s military service from World War II, you’ve probably hit a wall at some point. In this episode, Ashley Moore joins me to talk through what records are actually out there, what to realistically expect, and how to keep going when things run dry.
Have you ever found a genealogy book packed with information about your ancestors… but no index? That was my problem with an 1890 history of Randolph County, North Carolina. The book contains dozens of references to my ancestors and their neighbors, but finding those names over and over again was becoming a challenge. So I […]
Academy Members – Use this link below to watch this YouTube video on the Academy dashboard. The handout is included in the lesson. https://genealogytv.org/courses/2026-youtube-videos/lessons/creating-an-index-from-a-pdf-ancestry-networks/
What was it like to attend the 2026 National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana? In this video, I take you behind the scenes at one of the premier genealogy conferences in the United States. Join me as I share the sights and sounds from the expo hall, highlight some of the major […]
What does it really take to solve a family history mystery? In this video, we walk through the complete genealogy research process used by professional genealogists—from crafting a focused research question to building a research plan, analyzing evidence, resolving conflicts, and writing sound conclusions. This foundational lesson follows the principles behind the Genealogical Proof Standard […]
