How far back do you go?

[Dill]

No idea. Never thought about and don't even know how I would trace back my family if i wanted to.

 

[geoaware]

I traced mine back to when the space ship landed in 1823. Hard to get records beyond that.....

 

[Dill]

Actually I just remembered that we're related to some queen or england or ireland or something. I don't know what century but it was hundreds of years ago.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I have some aunts that do our family genealogy. They have traced our family back to fur traders in Canada; although we are from Michigan, most of our family was French Canadian about 200 years ago. My husband's dad has their family traced back to Europe.

 

[rubyv67]

Once you start you'd be surprised what skeletons you've got hanging in there.

The place you start is with yourself your SO your children. Then work back one generation at a time. Parents, grandparents and on. Don't forget to obtain any stories, pictures and documents you can from family. I have a cousin in his 70's or 80's in Arkansas who contacted me in the summer. So sad about a month after we started talking about family(his father was turning 100 in a few months, my mom's b-day too) his father passed away. I was just as devestated for him as I would have been a closer family member. His dad had valuable stories and he documented them. His mom is my gg aunt so we're distant cousins, but we're family. Don't expect people to be very nice if your tree starts to include famous relatives. That's why you start out documenting everything you can. Wonderful luck to you all.

 

[Chicabee19]

Once you start you'd be surprised what skeletons you've got hanging in there.

So true! I found out that a lot of my ancestors were considered "free people of color". Some are buried in a "colored" cemetery, and identified as "mulatto" in the census records.

It was after I began exploring this dimension of my family tree that I discovered the Melungeon connection. The Melungeon history is fascinating! I have almost all of the Melungeon physical traits, but my daughter and granddaughter do not.

One of the most famous Melungeons was George Sizemore, called "Old George of all" because he was so popular with the women. 3 of my direct line are "George Sizemore (my surname) I, II and III"

Here is an interesting new website about him. I don't think he was as "Native" as the picture indicates:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sizemoregenealogy/george/ofall.htm

I am the only person in my family who will acknowledge 'color' in our blood. Some family members are extremely racist (good thing I did not grow up with them), but it is THEIR line that introduced the color, LOL!

I am proud of the four different races in me!! Nothing could make me happier, considering my religious beliefs.​

 

[rubyv67]

My older sons' dad is Creole from LA. The babies' dad is 1/2 Mexican Apache and mexican(found a Englishman in their closet

). All my babies came out alot fairer than people thought they would. I have a bunch of racists in the fam too. My 1/2 Cherokee grandmother told me when I was little "for all you know your father was a #$%^& " because I have real curly hair. Turns out dad's mom was born in the French Quarter. Probably where I got it, my mom says I resemble her. Never got to know any of them Blair from SE Texas. My dad and DH were born in San Benito. How weird. You have a cool All-American mix going on.

 

[Chicabee19]

I traced mine back to when the space ship landed in 1823.

You have a cool All-American mix going on.

I always felt like I did not know who I was. I had almost no connection to extended family when I was growing up. It's taken me a very long time to figure things out, but every time I find a connection I am sooo thrilled.

I have some very old photos (see my avatar). Sometimes I am shocked at how much a current family member resembles someone born more than 100 years ago!​

 

[rubyv67]

It's hard when you feel like you don't quite fit anywhere. That's why connections to others like you are so important. I really love these two threads we have going. It's nice to have such a variety of interests all in one place. I tell everyone about BYC.

 

[MissPrissy]

Native American stops around 1640 - no written histories.

Some branches pre-1500's.

My kid's english line to 1324.