Now that the movie National Treasure has been released on DVD, I finally got a chance to watch it with the family this weekend. What a great movie! Other than cringing every time the Declaration of Independence was handled without gloves, and sighing when a number of historical tombstones were destroyed by gunfire, I loved every minute of this "treasure hunt" movie. It reminds me of everything that I love about genealogy - the desire and drive to hunt for long lost history.

While the movie suggests that a map and clues are hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence, it's really not the case. The Declaration includes no hidden writing, but there are many historical documents where the back does reveal interesting details about the document's history.

The idea of a great treasure isn't based entirely on fiction. Tiny Oak Island, located off the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, has kept treasure hunters busy for over 200 years. At least one source of the hidden treasure there is reputed to be the Knights Templar. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of many who have tried to find treasure in what has been dubbed "The Money Pit" at Oak Island.