Here’s how to approach an unrecognized or illegible notation, as well as missing information, in a record.

Inspired by a shocking revelation on Professor Henry Louis Gates’ show, a woman wonders how to research her own heritage.

For this week’s column, we decided to address a topic that comes up frequently in your questions:

A mystery illustrates how an 18th-century family became caught up in Virginia’s laws around race, sex and freedom.

Museums can impart a vast amount of information to visitors, sharing with them history, culture, science, art. But what if a museum could personalize your own story, your own background and your own history? That is exactly what the International African American Museum is hoping to do with the launch Tuesday of its…

Use these pro tips for handling poorly reproduced images from microfilm or microfiche.

Untangling the origins of Virginian ancestors whose lives crossed boundaries of race, freedom and the law.

A woman seeks to know the risks of dating—and the risk of having offspring with—a relative.

An upcoming family reunion motivates a young woman to prepare an accurate presentation about the storied family matriarch.

A record search uncovers clues to why a Georgia family fractured eight decades ago, leaving painful memories.

A book claims that a man’s great-grandfather was abducted as a boy and sold into bondage. Official records back up at least part of the heartbreaking story.