From tracing ancestors on the move to understanding boundary changes to just becoming acquainted with the landscape of your ancestors' lives, maps are an incredibly important resource in your family history research. In this lecture, we will explore various ways in which maps can help broaden your genealogical horizons.
As in much of genealogy, you must rely on multiple records and strategies to piece together your ancestor’s life. This is especially true for tracing ancestors on the move. This class will provide some essential strategies and research tools to understand your ancestor’s movements, providing several practical examples and case studies along the way.
The 19th and 20th centuries in America are a period of mass migration across the country. This class will discuss the push-pull factors that defined this era, the opening of the West, how advances in transportation aided our ancestor’s migration, and how federal policies encouraged the expansion of settlement.
If your ancestor had the right to vote, you can find a wealth of information in their voting records. These records can help you to verify the exact years your ancestor lived in a certain location, locate your ancestor on a state census, identify when your ancestor was naturalized, and more. Join our expert as they discuss where to find voting records, the information they contain, and how to use them to advance your family history research.
From the mid-19th through the early 20th century waves of European immigrants arrived on American shores seeking new opportunities. Unfortunately, this period also ushered in antisemitic and prejudiced attitudes toward these immigrants, which culminated in the passing of the Immigration Act of 1924. The act introduced an immigrant quota system and other policies that would cause immigration to plummet in the following years. In this lecture, our expert will discuss the historical context of the Immigration Act of 1924, how the act shaped immigration records, and how the “closing of the golden doors” impacted the lives of your ancestors.
As genealogists, we may be the only people around who can find an upside to the old adage, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Afterall, if no one can escape taxes, then that makes tax records an ideal record set for family history research! In this lecture, our expert will provide an overview U.S. tax records—including the types of tax records available, where to locate records, and how the information in these records can advance your research.
