For more than 20 years Joshua has been discovering – and sharing – the incredible connections that can be made through genealogy and family history. As host of the popular series Genealogy Roadshow (PBS) he crisscrosses the United States – solving longstanding family history mysteries and uncovering genealogical treasures at every turn. Since February 2016, Joshua has been the President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B), America’s second oldest genealogical organization, headquartered in New York City.An avid genealogist, Joshua has traced his own roots from Boston, Massachusetts to Bombay, India (and nearly everywhere in-between). He is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is past President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, an organization dedicated to supporting the needs of genealogical organizations throughout the United States.
A popular speaker and author, Joshua frequently shares insights relating to family history and genealogy with audiences throughout the world. He believes family history and genealogy should be about more than just names, dates, and documents, but should instead tell the stories of our ancestors and the extraordinary lives they led.
The Ellis Island Myth
On last night’s episode of Genealogy Roadshow one of the many stories featured questioned the original spelling of a participant’s surname. While many of us have heard, “my family name was changed at Ellis Island,” I do want to spend just a few words in correcting that myth, which unfortunately…
Essential Bookshelf – Historical Studies
While the phrase “historical studies” is incredibly broad, here are a few of Joshua’s favorite resources on the subject: Appleby, Joyce O. “The Power of History”, American Historical Review, Vol. 103, No.1 (February 1998). Appleby, Joyce, Lynn Hunt, and Margaret Jacob. Telling the Truth about History. New York: W. W.…