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PA Ancestors

The authoritative resource for Pennsylvania genealogy research. Guides to vital records, courthouses, archives, probate, land, military, and immigration across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.

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Where Was Your Pennsylvania Ancestor in 1976? Researching the Bicentennial Year

Researching a Pennsylvania ancestor in 1976? Use the Social Security Death Index, vital records, directories, and living memory to document the Bicentennial era.

Where Was Your Pennsylvania Ancestor in 1926? Researching the Sesquicentennial Year

Researching a Pennsylvania ancestor in 1926? WWI draft cards, the 1920/1930 census, SS-5 applications, and passenger lists make this a records-rich year. (153)

Where Was Your Pennsylvania Ancestor in 1876? Researching the Centennial Year

Find your Pennsylvania ancestor in 1876, the Centennial year. Use the 1870/1880 census, city directories, naturalization, and newspapers to trace them.

Where Was Your Pennsylvania Ancestor in 1826? Researching the Jubilee Year

Researching a Pennsylvania ancestor in 1826? The 1820s left thin records — here's how tax lists, church registers, and deeds fill the gap before 1850

Pennsylvania Research Is Community-Based, Not Name-Based

Pennsylvania genealogy records are community-based, not name-based. Identify your ancestor's ethnic and religious community to find the records others miss.

Philadelphia Is Digitizing 20 Million Historical Records with Ancestry: What It Means for Your Research

Philadelphia signed a deal with Ancestry.com to digitize approximately 20 million vital records from the City Archives — birth, death, marriage, and property records dating from the late 1600s through 1950. Here's what researchers need to know.

How to Research at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.: A Genealogist's Guide

The DAR Library closes in July 2026 for a multi-year renovation. Plan your research trip now. Insider tips on getting there, using the collections, accessing lineage applications, and what to bring.

Live Book Walkthrough: Colonial Pennsylvania Genealogy Research

Watch the live walkthrough of Colonial Pennsylvania Genealogy Research by Denyse Allen. Learn how to find the right records for your ancestor's ethnic or religious community in colonial and Revolutionary Era Pennsylvania.

Colonial Pennsylvania Genealogy Research Is Here!

The third PA Ancestors Genealogy Guide maps surviving records for 20 colonial communities, the Revolutionary War, and the Pennsylvania Archives series. Available now on Amazon.

Loyalist Records in Pennsylvania: The Other Side of the Revolution

How to trace colonial Pennsylvania citizens who were loyal to the British during the Revolutionary War, step-by-step.

Revolutionary War Pension Records for Pennsylvania Soldiers

Step-by-step on how to find military pension files of Pennsylvania citizens for service during the Revolutionary War.

Pennsylvania Militia and Associator Records: What Survives

Learn what's different about Pennsylvania militia records vs. Associator records and where to find each. Includes a step-by-step research strategy.

How to Find Revolutionary War Service Records for Pennsylvania Ancestors

The three types of military service records for Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War - what they are and where to find them.

Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary Era: A Researcher's Overview

Get started in Pennsylvania Revolutionary Era research, 1765-1790. Learn what records exist and where to find them, plus how the war affected individuals and families.

Stuck on a Pennsylvania Brick Wall? AI + Research Strategy Can Break Through

Stuck on Pennsylvania genealogy? AI + focused research breaks through brick walls. Free tools, PA-specific prompts, and research community inside.