Four hundred years ago, the Mayflower landed on the shores of Massachusetts with 102 passengers aboard. Today, there is an estimated 35 million Mayflower descendants worldwide. Join experts from American Ancestors for a five-session online course that will explore the many resources, record collections, and research strategies for verifying your connection to the Mayflower. We will also include several case studies demonstrating ways to break down brick walls, including an examination of using DNA to confirm a hypothesis. Finally, we’ll discuss how to take your research further by contributing your finding to ongoing Mayflower scholarship.

Image Credit: The landing of the pilgrim fathers, in America. A.D. 1620. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

October 29 – Class 1: Getting Started: Mayflower Resources and Records, Lindsay Fulton

This first class will get you started on the right track for verifying your line. We will discuss organizing your research, "hotspots" for Mayflower connections, and many trusted resources and record collections to make your research more efficient and effective.

November 5 – Class 2: Applying to the Mayflower Society, Kristi Schkade

Many researchers want to confirm their line to a Mayflower passenger so they can apply to the Mayflower Society, a national lineage society. In this second class we look at the details for working with a state historian and completing your application.

November 12 – Class 3: Creating a Proof Argument: Documenting Your Mayflower Lineage, Lindsay Fulton

You've verified that you have a Mayflower connection, now it's time to document each vital event and generational connection! This class will go over the steps of creating a qualification outline and demonstrate how and when you may need to write a proof argument. 

November 19 – Class 4: Advanced Strategies, Christopher C. Child

Hit a brick wall in researching your Mayflower line? This class will look at several case studies that use various strategies for breaking down a brick wall, including using DNA to confirm a hypothesis and prove a connection.

November 26 – Class 5: Contributing to Mayflower Scholarship, Christopher C. Child

The passengers on the Mayflower and their descendants continue to be a popular area of genealogical study. New discoveries are being made all the time! In this final class, we will discuss some of the ways you can contribute to this area of study through publications, online group projects, and more.

Kristi Leigh Schkade

Library and Research Services Coordinator
General Society of Mayflower Descendants

For over a decade, Kristi Schkade has been researching and sharing the story of the Mayflower and early Plymouth Colony. She began her work at the Mayflower Society verifying the lineages of applicants, before stepping into her current role, managing the collections of the Research Center Library. Kristi designed and implemented the Mayflower Society Research Services program, and serves as the head researcher, overseeing the research team and coordinating daily operations.

Prior to her work at the Mayflower Society, Kristi worked as an historical interpreter at Plimoth Patuxet Museum. There she created and facilitated interactive programs for museum visitors, and studied the life and times of early Plymouth colonists.

Kristi holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and a B.A. from the University of North Texas. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and her work has been published in the Mayflower Quarterly Magazine. Her areas of specialty include the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony, New England, and Texas.