The Sons of the American Revolution now has its membership applications online at Ancestry.com.
The collection, which ranges from the organization's founding in 1889 though 1970, includes more than a million applications from men who can link their ancestry directly back to a man or woman who served in the American Revolution (1775-1781) or supported the patriot cause.
As the organization says in a press release, "These records can take a family back through two centuries of history in a single document."
While more documentation has been required by all the lineage societies as the years have passed, these records should include proof of the various generations. When looking at these online you should be able to ascertain the source used and hopefully find links to other relatives through them.
Go to www.ancestry.com, and then under Search go to the Ancestry Card Catalog, then search for "Sons of the American Revolution" to see the collection.
Search by the name of the ancestor and you get the application, with the documentation sources listed at the end. The application gives all the generations from the ancestor to the applicant.
For information about membership requirements go to www.sar.org. The national headquarters in Louisville, Ky., includes a research library.
Why Georgia history matters
Jamil Zainaldin, president of the Georgia Humanities Council, will give the Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn Seminar at noon Sept. 9 at the Georgia Archives in Morrow.
He will focus on three Georgia-related events or people that have changed the course of U. S. and world history yet are not that well-known.
Free; bring your own lunch. 678-364-3730, www.GeorgiaArchives.org. The Georgia Archives currently is open for research only on Fridays and Saturdays.
Family history webinars
One good way to gain some free genealogy education is through online webinars.
A series is being offered by www.LegacyFamilyTree.com. There are usually two each month. You can watch live online and the webinars are available free in the Archives Section for 10 days, after which there is a charge for a CD of the lecture.
Registration is required for the webinars but is free. Examples of upcoming webinar lectures at this site are "Facebook for Genealogists" on Sept. 14 and "Uncovering Your Irish Family History" on Oct. 19.
Webinars are a growing trend for making research lectures more accessible to the public.
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