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A landmark study opens a new possible way for Black Americans to trace their ancestry

The remains of Catoctin Furnace in Maryland as seen in 2020. Researchers have now analyzed the DNA of enslaved and free Black workers there, connecting them to nearly 42,000 living relatives. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Research News

A landmark study opens a new possible way for Black Americans to trace their ancestry

Researchers have compared the DNA of 27 Black people who lived at the Catoctin furnace between 1774 and 1850, finding a link between these enslaved Americans and nearly 42,000 living relatives.

A landmark study opens a new possible way for Black Americans to trace their ancestry

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Tracing Your Family's Roots May Soon Get A Lot More Expensive

An image of Ow Luen from his file, originally held at the USCIS, now available at the National Archives. Grant Din/National Archives hide caption

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Grant Din/National Archives

Shots - Health News

Tracing Your Family's Roots May Soon Get A Lot More Expensive

Access to some genealogical records kept by the U.S. government may get a lot more expensive, especially for those seeking family records for immigrants from the late 1800s to mid-1900s.

Tracing Your Family's Roots May Soon Get A Lot More Expensive

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Suspect In Decade-Old Serial Rapes Arrested, With Help Of Genealogy Database

Darold Bowden, 43, of Linden, N.C., was arrested on Tuesday in connection with six cold-case rape investigations. Fayetteville Police Department hide caption

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Fayetteville Police Department

National

Suspect In Decade-Old Serial Rapes Arrested, With Help Of Genealogy Database

A suspect in the "Ramsey Street Rapist" case in Fayetteville, N.C., was located after a search through a public genealogy database. It's the same process used in the case of the Golden State Killer.

After Slavery, Searching For Loved Ones In Wanted Ads

Jane Givens searches for her father, Phil, and sister, Biddy, through an ad placed in Cincinnati's The Colored Citizen in 1866. Courtesy of Last Seen hide caption

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Courtesy of Last Seen

Code Switch

After Slavery, Searching For Loved Ones In Wanted Ads

In the Civil War's waning years, African-Americans trying to find lost loved ones used classified ads in newspapers. More than 900 of these notices are now accessible via an online database.

After Slavery, Searching For Loved Ones In Wanted Ads

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More African-Americans Are Learning Their Roots With Genetic Testing
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National

More African-Americans Are Learning Their Roots With Genetic Testing

The Social Life of DNA is a new book that explores what cutting-edge DNA testing technology means for African-Americans who lost their history in the slave trade.

More African-Americans Are Learning Their Roots With Genetic Testing

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