About Me

Welcome!  If you're reading this, you're either a lover of history and genealogy or a family member that I guilted into stopping by.  Assuming the former is the case, a proper introduction is in order.  My name is Sam Chappell.  I've been into genealogy for about 20 years and history even longer.  My main research focus is on American military history and how my family fits into the bigger picture of our experiment in democracy.

I have several ideas around creating content for my blog that may be of interest to someone out there.  First and foremost, I plan to share my genealogical findings with you.  Over 20 years, I've amassed quite a collection of records.  But the more I accumulate, the more I realize that I am only scratching the surface.  The farther back we go, the more our families grow.  It's exponential.  Each one of us has 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents, and so on.  By the time I trace back to Captain John Chappell, my 10th great-grandfather and the supposed progenitor of my branch of the American Chappells, he would be but one of my 4,096 grandfathers of that generation.

It is my intention to share this journey of discovery with you.  I'll take you along with me on trips to archives, libraries, cemeteries, and courthouses.  Throughout this process I will share not only what I find, but also how I found it.  And I won't hide anything - that is my promise.  When I fail, you'll see and hear about it.  It is my hope that this approach to family history will teach others how to break through their own genealogical brick walls.  I do hope you'll share with me your own stories of  trials and triumphs along the way.

Sam