Catalog of Lectures

There are at least 44 million descendants of enslaved individuals alive today, but slavery separated families, erased names, and obscured facts. The 10 Million Names Project, recently launched by American Ancestors and its partners, aims to connect the family stories of these descendants to the 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in the U.S. prior to emancipation and to restore their names to history. Join us as we share the scope of this project, the objectives, and our methodology.

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.

Breaking through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery can prove challenging. Changing surnames, families ripped apart, and identifying the former enslaver are just a few roadblocks when researching enslaved families. This session will dive deep into creating a research strategy and organizing the records uncovered. We will also provide tips for making sense of all the information unearthed in the search and constructing a proof argument when records are limited. Best suited for those with intermediate-advanced genealogical skills.

Researching African American ancestors can be challenging, especially when trying to break through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery. In this presentation, we will discuss go-to records and demonstrate creative search strategies for piecing together your family history.