I’m Erin Faith Allen

I stand passionately at a one-of-a-kind intersection of meticulous historical research, groundbreaking genealogical methods, and unrivaled artistic documentation.

I transform fragmented historical narratives into powerful, cohesive legacies. I don't just research history — I resurrect it with uncompromising attention to detail and a creative vision that gives voice to the silence of the past.

The Journey That Shaped My Path

Every historian's passion begins somewhere. For me, it was the profound hunger to understand where I came from - and how my family's past shaped who I am today.

Discovering my roots revealed to me how deeply our ancestors' experiences continue to influence us. This exploration of my heritage awakened both my investigative instincts and my creative expression.

Behind the Search

What seemed a simple quest to fill the branches of my family tree brought more than just names and dates. As I uncovered each ancestor and their story, I began to understand that I wasn't just filling up my family tree. I was filling up my soul.

My journey into the power of family history began over a decade ago when I solved a mystery that had stumped my own family for generations, and uncovered the identity of my grandmother's birth mother. That initial discovery sparked what would become an insatiable curiosity about my roots - and yours.

Since then, I've unearthed the stories of remarkably diverse ancestors: a determined woman who founded a town, grandfathers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War, resilient Appalachian mountain folk with mystical traditions, early American pioneering settlers, determined immigrants from all over Europe, colorful characters of questionable repute, and even connections to Viking nobility. I also discovered that artistic talent runs deep in all of my bloodline—I truly didn't stand a chance to be anything other than an outside-the-box creative thinker.

Beyond names and dates, I've witnessed how patterns—both gifts and challenges—echo through generations. Talent and addiction, choices and consequences, trauma and resilience—all ripple through family lines whether we acknowledge them or not. When we recognize these patterns, we gain a powerful freedom to shape our own stories with greater awareness and intention.

Global Detective

With over a decade dedicated to this craft, I bring authoritative expertise and razor-sharp instinct to every project. I've traveled intensively, with purpose and tenacity, through more than a dozen countries with their infamous historical sites, ancestral grounds, and places of collective victory and anguish. I've researched and guided tours that help families walk in the footsteps of their ancestors and touch the family heritage in tangible ways. Through these experiences - and my network of various international archival holdings - I've amassed a personal archive of hundreds of thousands of documents, photographs, letters, and personal accounts that help me connect scattered pieces of family histories that might otherwise remain mysteries forever.

As I followed these historical threads, I discovered that personal and global histories illuminate each other. The techniques that uncovered my family's past were the same ones that revealed the human experiences behind world-changing events. The detective work, the contextual understanding, the emotional connections—these skills bridge whole worlds.

Personal Connection

As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and granddaughter of three WWII veterans, I carry a generational understanding of how major historical events reverberate through family lines. My research has taken me deep into the histories of countries like Germany, England, Ireland - and the lineage of many progenitors who emigrated to build new lives in early America.

The privilege of sitting with World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors—hearing their firsthand accounts, witnessing their stories, and preserving their memories—has profoundly shaped my understanding of how crucial it is to document history with both accuracy and humanity. This investigative drive led me across diverse historical landscapes—from the early American frontier to medieval European villages, from the trenches of world wars to the personal stories of resilience during historical traumas.

My Distinctive Approach

What sets me apart? My fearless dive into the depths of difficult histories, my exceptional tenacity to overcome any obstacle between obscurity and truth, and my unrivaled ability to transform historical research into visceral, emotional expressions that honor heritage with the reverence it deserves. My investigative instincts and foresight are second to none—where others see dead ends, I see pathways to discovery.

As a self-taught researcher in this field, I've developed a unique approach through persistence and dedication. I combine respected historical research methods with creative problem-solving techniques, often finding unexpected pathways to discovery. This blend of traditional and innovative approaches helps me reveal connections that enrich our understanding of family histories in surprising ways.

I merge rigorous investigative techniques with creative expression to help people forge powerful emotional connections with our shared past. Whether I'm guiding you through your ancestral discoveries or illuminating the stories of creative figures who produced meaningful work during pivotal historical moments, my mission remains consistent: making history personal, emotional, and alive.

Expertise Across Disciplines

My journey has equipped me with specialized skills in archival research, document analysis, contextual historical understanding, and creative historical interpretation. This unique combination of expertise allows me to see connections others miss—between personal histories and global events, between artistic expression and historical documentation, between genealogical research and emotional healing.

My multi-disciplinary expertise includes:

  • Historical Research & Genealogy: Through my work as a war historian, genealogist, and creative guide who blends creativity with ancestry and storytelling, I've helped thousands of students and clients uncover and transform their connection to their histories.

  • Heritage Hunting Method: My charter course Enigma is open for registration now, an introduction to the full Heritage Hunting program coming in June of 2025. My methodology guides researchers through uncovering family histories while honoring the emotional impact of these discoveries, breaking through research barriers that have stumped others.

  • Fortitude Investigative War Research: I apply my detective skills to investigate war history, particularly focusing on the human experiences that are often overlooked.

  • Documentary Filmmaking: As founder of Stories of War, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, I create films that capture the multifaceted legacy of conflict through interviews with veterans, survivors, and their families.

  • Creative Preservation: My mixed-media artwork, books, and workshops integrate vintage materials, photographs, and documents gathered during extensive travels across historical sites, battlefields, and ancestral homelands.

Achievements

My work bridges the gap between meticulous research and emotional truth, telling individual stories of how triumph and tragedy impact generations. My professional accomplishments include:

  • Honorary citizenship of Schweighouse-sur-Moder, France for preserving the legacy of the town's liberation from Nazi rule

  • Pioneering the early days of the online-course world, beginning in 2010

  • Editor, historical consultant, and publisher of multiple history-based publications including historical memoirs such as Code Name Baker Catcher: The Human Side of WWII

  • Featured in multiple books on creativity and art including A World of Artist Journal Pages by Dawn De Vries Sokol

  • Trained as a translator of old German handwriting script known as Kurrentschrift and Sütterlin, a specialized skill essential for German genealogical research

  • Regular contributions to the Rainbow Reveille, the 42nd 'Rainbow' Infantry Division newspaper

  • Featured artist and solo exhibitions in Houston and Los Angeles

  • Multiple sold-out creative workshops and retreats internationally

  • Media interviews and features highlighting my historical research and methods

  • Membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, and multiple genealogical societies

  • A 2023 grant recipient of the Amber Grant for women

The Transformative Power of Heritage

I believe in the transformative power of creative expression to heal generational trauma and illuminate the human experience in all of its complexity. History isn't static information about the past—it's a living connection to the experiences that shaped our world and ourselves.

As the History Diva, I unite my passions – historical research, genealogical discovery, documentary filmmaking, and creative education – and my devotion to bringing forgotten history back to life in ways that educate, inspire, and endure.

Work With Me

Whether you're seeking to uncover your own family's past through my upcoming Heritage Hunting methodology or my Enigma starter course , work with me to research your family's military history and war stories through personalized historical investigation, or join a transformative in-studio workshop experience, I bring the same passionate ethic to make your history personally meaningful.

Ready to uncover the stories waiting in your family's past?

Join me in revolutionizing how we discover, preserve, and share our precious heritage. Let me help you discover how your story connects to the larger human narrative, bringing the past vividly to life through research, creativity, and emotional understanding.