Over the past several months, much of my genealogy time has been spent writing instead of researching. Now that my writing projects are wrapping up, I’m excited to get back to what started this journey fifteen years ago – researching my family history.
Earlier this year, I introduced my 2026 research challenge, “Do You Know Where Your Ancestors Were in 1776?” As we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, I’ve been encouraging genealogists to look beyond simply asking whether an ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War. Instead, I’m asking a broader question: Where were your ancestors? What communities did they live in? What was happening in their lives? What historical events shaped the generations that eventually led to us?
As I return to my own research, I’ll be focusing on several ancestors whose stories I hope to uncover more fully:
- Joseph Wright, born about 1835 in Virginia.
- Tilman Ward, born about 1833 in Tennessee.
- Ann Eliza Ward, born about 1837 in Tennessee.
- Evaline Hatchett, born about 1848 in Alabama.
Although these ancestors were born decades after 1776, each one represents another step backward toward the generations who lived during the American Revolution. Every new document, census record, land record, or family connection has the potential to move my family tree one generation closer to answering that question.
One of the things I love most about genealogy is that every discovery leads to another question. I may not know today where all of my ancestors were in 1776, but each research session brings me a little closer to finding out.
Journey Through the Generations 
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