22nd Annual Marjorie Pay Hinckley Endowed Lecture
"Genealogy at America's Founding”
Genealogy is everywhere — online, on screens, and through organizations, and conferences, and more. But technologies aside, genealogy was everywhere in the 18th century, too. And while we may think of 18th century Americans as largely the subjects of more modern genealogy research, they were active participants in what was a foundational interest and practice in their own time. Karin Wulf will discuss how family histories were deeply meaningful for diverse early Americans, but it was also baked into the very structures of their society through law, politics, and religion. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, it is worth thinking about.
About Karin Wulf
Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian at the John Carter Brown Library and Professor of History at Brown University
Karin Wulf writes for public and academic audiences about early American history, the worlds of scholarship and scholarly publishing, and why footnotes can save democracy (really). Her current research projects include writing a volume on Genealogy for the “Very Short Introduction” series from Oxford University Press, and a book about Esther Forbes, the author of Johnny Tremain. She is the author and editor of much prize-winning scholarship on gender, family, and politics, and her new book Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in 18th Century British America was published by Oxford University Press in 2025. From 2013 to 2021 she was executive director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture and professor of history at William & Mary.
Wulf has served on a variety of non-profit boards. Her current board memberships include the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. and the National Humanities Alliance, and she is involved in planning for the semiquincentennial celebration of the United States of America in July 2026. She is a co-founder of Women Also Know History and a vice president of the American Historical Association. Wulf earned a PhD in history from Johns Hopkins University.
About the Marjorie Pay Hinckley Lecture
The Marjorie Pay Hinckley Endowed Chair in Social Work and the Social Sciences honors Sister Hinckley's commitment to strengthening home and family. The Chair enriches the educational and professional lives of students and faculty in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences as they strive to alleviate problems faced by individuals and families worldwide. Each year, the Chair sponsors a prominent social sciences scholar to visit BYU and share their research on a topic of interest.
Students in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences gain Experience Points for attending this lecture. Learn more about Experience Points.