The purpose of the project is to understand the genetic relationships among various families with the surname Brees and variants. The project began as a Y-DNA-only study but expanded in early 2016 to include autosomal DNA. Membership is now open to males with the target surname or variant, who take the Y-DNA test, as well as to men and women who believe they have a Brees ancestral line and take the Family Finder test. In particular, the project began with an attempt to understand the connections among four Brees men who were born in New Jersey in the mid-to-late 18th century and moved over several decades through Pennsylvania and Ohio to Indiana. These men were Moses, David, John and Timothy. The project has determined the likely Y-DNA of the four above men and others carrying the surname. Their precise family connection has not yet been established through the paper trail, however. The project has also established numerous autosomal connections among individuals with Brees ancestral lines.