Since its founding in 1630, the City of Boston has kept records pertaining to its citizens, including several unique resources. Join us to learn what records exist for Boston, tips for using them in your research, and where to find them. Special attention will be given to records from the 17th through 19th centuries.
The military records at the National Archives detail service given between 1775 and 1916. We will discuss how to locate, access, and utilize compiled service records, pension applications, and other resources that detail your veteran ancestor’s service. We will also discuss briefly more recent records available through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis (WWI–present).
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of court cases and accusations of witchcraft across colonial America, yet the most famous series of prosecutions from this period are the Salem witch trials between 1692 and 1693. In that short period, more than two hundred were accused, thirty found guilty, and 20 executed. In this online lecture, we will discuss how to verify your lineage from someone accused of witchcraft in Salem during the Hysteria. We will point you to key records, resources, and references for proving your line of descent.
As with any type of family history research, civil and religious records are your first, go-to resource in German genealogy. For many locations in Germany, civil registration began as early as the late 18th century and some church records (Kirchenbücher) date back to the 16th century. Beyond baptisms, marriages, and burials, many churches also kept family registers (Familienregister or Familienbücher). This session will discuss what records exist, what information they contain, and how to access these important resources.
For anyone with 17th-century New England colonists in their family tree, the Great Migration study project is a go-to resource. Created and researched by Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, the series provides authoritative genealogical and biographical sketches for more than 20,000 individuals who immigrated to New England between 1620 and 1635, and detailed references for many more who immigrated between 1635 to 1640. Many of these sketches are available as searchable databases on AmericanAncestors.org. Join us to learn more about these important resources and how best to search the databases.
Finding information about your New York ancestors can be tricky. That challenge is in part due to the fact that statewide registration of vital records did not start until 1880. There are, however, bright spots in New York research, such as the state census. In this webinar we will discuss how the State and Federal Censuses (1850-1880) can help you fill in the gaps in your New York ancestry.
Land, Court, and Probate records contain key information that can connect generations, confirm family groups, provide vital data, and build the stories of your ancestors. This online seminar demonstrates how to get the most out of these important resources. This three-session seminar focuses on New England resources from the 17th century to present day, but many of the strategies and methods discussed can be applied to other regions of the country.
The Huguenots were French Protestants persecuted by a staunchly Catholic government. Thousands fled France in the 16th and 17th centuries seeking refuge across Europe, Africa, and North America including areas of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. Join us to learn more about these religious refugees, where they came from and where they settled in America, and how to research them using several published resources.
Was your ancestor a Freemason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Columbus, or a member of another fraternal organization? In this webinar, we will teach you how to identify different fraternal organizations, provide valuable tools for locating a lodge and its records, and discuss how these records can enrich your family history research.
Learn about the various colonial wars that 17th and 18th New Englanders participated in. We will discuss published and manuscript resources, and how to "Adopt the Regiment" to learn more about your ancestor through associated records.
