Catalog of Lectures

Women make up 50% of your ancestry, yet their lives, experiences, and even complete names are all too often forgotten by written history. When they survive, diaries, letters, account books, family bibles, samplers, organization records, and more can reveal more about a woman’s daily life than any government document. We will discuss how these unique records and manuscripts can be used to piece together a family story and how digging in the archives can hit genealogical gold.

Virginia was not only the largest and most populous of the American colonies, but its population was also highly migratory within Virginia’s borders and beyond. Little wonder then that so many family historians need to research Virginian ancestors. In this webinar, we will share go-to Virginia-based resources within five categories: genealogies, journals, land, taxation, and history. Learn about essential published sources that discuss family groups and help us to trace Virginian ancestors through time and place. NOTE: West Virginia (up until its separation from Virginia in 1863) will be included in this presentation.

With the release of the 1950 U.S. Federal Census, family historians of all levels are primed to uncover new—or to verify already-known—information about their ancestry. Using new machine learning and optical character recognition technology, this is the first time that a census will be searchable upon its release on the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website. In this session, Vice President of Library and Research Services Lindsay Fulton will discuss what information is provided, how to search the indexed and non-indexed databases, and provide tips on how the 1950 census can be a springboard to other records.

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.

When most family historians think about the census, we think of the population schedule—the enumeration of individuals living within a household. But there is so much more to the Federal Census that many researchers overlook! We will discuss how mortality, agriculture, manufacturing, business, and other social statistics schedules can be used in your genealogical research. We’ll review what data was collected for what years, how to access these non-population schedules, and how to leverage this information in your own family history.

In the 19th century, hundreds of towns and counties across the United States published biographical histories—or “mug books.” These can be valuable resources for family historians—providing a great deal of genealogical data and images—however, because the sketches are unsourced and arguably biased, the information should always be taken with a grain of salt. Join us to learn how to identify, access, evaluate, and use mug books responsibly.

The US Federal Census is often the go-to resource for family historians researching ancestors from the 19th and 20th centuries. To get the most out of this resource, it’s important to understand the record’s context, specific search tips, and shortcomings. Join us for an overview of the Federal Census and gain valuable search techniques for using this important resource.

Throughout its history, the United States has offered several land incentives to encourage settlement and migration westward. In this class, we will first discuss federal bounty land warrants for military service between 1775 and 1855 and then delve more deeply into homesteading records including land entry case files, patents, and tract books.  

Financial records can help fill in the timeline of your ancestor’s movements and explain motivations behind migrations. Deeds, pension, town, probate, tax, and employment records may exist when vital records do not. This class will demonstrate why financial records should be your go-to for tracing ancestors on the move, discuss what information is included in each, and where to find them.