Towns recorded a wide range of information in the process of maintaining the financial health of the town and its residents. Town records in this category include ear and cattle marks, pauper and orphanage records, indenture agreements, payments by the town, mortgage records and dog licenses. Tax records name single males and property owning individuals. Depending on the jurisdiction, the tax records may provide important detail about the land and personal property being taxed.
 

The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged mass settlement of federal lands in the frontier, resulting in millions of records documenting the transfer of public land to private ownership. Learn how these land entry case files can assist in researching your homesteading ancestors.
 

Much of New York City’s history in the 18th-century is closely tied with that of conflict: from the base of British operations during the French and Indian War to the center of the New York Campaign during the American Revolution. This lecture looks at just some of the many records of the era—pre- and post-American independence—including military records, tax lists, census records, newspapers, city directories, and more.

Did you know that American Ancestors members can access databases published by other organizations for free? Discover external databases, an under-utilized yet invaluable resource for conducting your online family history research.

This lecture will cover civil death records—what information they include, how to find them, and how to follow clues to ancestral stories. Our genealogist will also discuss how to interpret and evaluate the information provided by considering the informant listed, cause of death, and more.
 

A discussion of the different record sets for WWI and WWII will be discussed including draft registration cards, enlistment records, official military personnel files, muster rolls, and more. There will also be a discussion on alternative records to be used for Army and Air Force records destroyed in the 1973 fire.
 

This class will include the different types of record sets that enslavers may name enslaved persons (including probate records, land deeds, court records, and more). A brief case study will be discussed.
 

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. 

Whether you want to apply to a lineage society (such as the General Society of Colonial Wars, the Colonial Dames of America, Order of Founders and Patriots of America, etc.) or simply want to prove your descent from a colonial war veteran, this final class will provide you with key strategies, resources, and alternative records for verifying—and documenting—your colonial connection.