Revolutionary Roots: Family History Meets America’s Founding History

A Digital Bridge to 250 Years of American Family History

How our new genealogy hub helps people uncover their ancestors from the American Revolution

American Ancestors is a long-established genealogical organisation dedicated to helping people explore their family history, heritage, and ancestral stories. Their mission is to connect descendants with their lineage and to bring to life the past through databases, archives, and stories.

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, American Ancestors sought to transform this milestone from a moment of remembrance into a moment of personal meaning. Revolutionary Roots does exactly that.

Purpose-built for the anniversary, the Drupal-driven microsite invites visitors to explore whether their own family line reaches back to the Revolutionary era. Combining intuitive UX, storytelling depth, and authoritative genealogical resources, Revolutionary Roots brings ancestry and national history together in one compelling digital home.

The Challenge: Marking 250 Years With Personal Meaning

American Ancestors wanted more than a commemorative page. They wanted an experience. As a leading authority in genealogy, the organisation wanted a dedicated digital space that felt inspiring, accessible, and deeply rooted in historical expertise.

The challenge was to create a digital space that:

• Honoured the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
• Made genealogy accessible to beginners.
• Offered depth for dedicated researchers.
• And connected all of it to American Ancestors’ trusted brand and expertise.

A tall order — but one perfectly aligned with their mission: helping individuals discover where they come from.

Our Approach: Build for Heritage, Design for Discovery

A Purpose-Built Microsite, part of the Drupal Multisite

Revolutionary Roots was developed as part of American Ancestors’ Drupal multi-site environment, making the build both efficient and flexible. The structure enabled rapid setup and custom styling, giving the project its own anniversary-focused identity without the need for heavy front-end development.

Tapping into the platform’s shared capabilities, the microsite launches with powerful features already in place — from event listings and rich video content to friction-free research tools and membership pathways. The result is a unique site that feels tailor-made, yet benefits from the reliability and depth of the wider American Ancestors ecosystem.

This allows it to feel special — a campaign in its own right — while maintaining the familiar trust and functionality of the main platform.

Content Designed for Every Kind of Explorer

To meet a broad range of users, from curious newcomers to expert genealogists, we created structured content pathways:

Starter Guides

Downloadable Patriot and Loyalist research guides give users immediate, actionable steps.

Curated Archival Stories

Articles and highlights from American Ancestors’ deep collections bring the Revolutionary era to life through real artifacts and documents.

Expert-Led Lectures

These empower visitors with the skills and insights needed to research colonial-era ancestors with confidence.

Real User Discoveries

Testimonial content adds emotional resonance — showcasing the joy and connection people feel when they uncover a Revolutionary ancestor.

The Outcome: A Digital Bridge to 1776

The strength of Revolutionary Roots comes from balancing accessibility with depth: it welcomes curious newcomers with friendly calls to action and guides, while also offering serious archival content for deep ancestral research. The structure is intuitive, the messaging emotionally resonant, and the scope broad enough to capture a wide array of ancestor stories.

Revolutionary Roots transforms the 250th anniversary from a national moment into a personal one.

• It connects people to their own Revolutionary ancestors, or encourages them to begin the search.
• It turns historical curiosity into meaningful exploration.
• And it positions American Ancestors as a leader in heritage storytelling, not just in genealogy.

Revolutionary Roots isn’t just a resource website.

It’s a way for modern day families to rediscover the people who helped shape a nation.

Always Connected: Seamless Integration with American Ancestors

Even as a standalone experience, Revolutionary Roots stays tightly integrated with the main site.
Visitors can flow naturally from the microsite into membership, research services, or deeper archival exploration.

No friction. No dead ends.

Just clear pathways that honour user curiosity and encourage continued engagement.

Ready For a Digital Presence That Truly Stands Out?

We’d love to help. Reach out to Hookson and discover how our digital expertise can make your next project unforgettable.

Visit the Revolutionary Roots website