One of the nice things about watching shows such as Who Do You Think You Are? Is that they are able to travel to the towns {and sometimes actual homes} where their ancestors lived.
There is nothing like traveling to where your ancestors lived and walking in their shoes.
I’ve been blessed to have been able to do this on more than one occasion and usually felt a real connection with the past.
When I visited one home country, I felt as if I had come home, in a way I’ve never experienced otherwise.
But, what happens when you aren’t able to travel?
There are many reasons, but often finances and/or health are the two greatest factors.
When our ancestors left 100, 200, 400 years ago to come to the new world they did not know if they would ever see or hear from their families again.
However, modern technology has made it much easier to stay in touch and visit areas we may never have a chance to physically visit.
So, how can we learn more about our ancestor’s homeland? These are also great tips if you are planning to visit the area where your ancestor lived.
- Read the history of the area on the city’s website, Wikipedia or another web page
- Visit Google Earth and tour the town
- Search videos on YouTube for the area
- Visit the online home of museums in the area
- Find a documentary on ancestors who are historical figures
- Visit online national archives or museums {ex. The Smithsonian has information on the Alamo}
- Visit the church, monastery, courtyard, etc. where well known historical figures are buried {ex. Robert the Bruce at Dunfermline Abbey}
- FindAGrave to view an ancestor’s final resting place
Have you taken a virtual journey to where your ancestors used to live?
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