More than 30 million Americans have Irish Ancestry—and while many have strong cultural ties to their Irish heritage, tracing the details of their ancestral origins in the country can be notoriously difficult. Finding the county of origin can be tough, let alone the townland and parish of your ancestors. While Irish research is not without its challenges, there are key resources that you can turn to. In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share her go-to resources for Irish Family History Research, including online records, published resources, and more.

Atlantic Canadian research can be difficult to navigate—there is no “one-stop-shop” for the region, and record locations and availability can vary widely from province to province. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will provide his go-to resources for the region. He will discuss each province—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island—highlighting key online and on-site resources to help you trace your Atlantic Canadian ancestors.

There is a treasure trove of genealogical resources available for Massachusetts research—if you have ancestors from the Bay State, you can count yourself lucky in this regard! However, with the wealth of information available, it can be difficult to navigate and to know where to start. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will provide an introduction and overview to Massachusetts Research. He’ll discuss the historical context of available record sets, go-to resources, and helpful strategies.

Land records are an important, but sometimes overlooked resource for many family historians. They can include critical clues to identifying extended family members, the location of ancestral homesteads, and family relationships. In this lecture, learn how you can locate, read, and apply the information contained in land records to your own family history.

What role did Germans play in the American Revolution—and how might their stories intersect with your own family history? In this lecture, Senior Genealogist Hallie Kirchner will explore the complex experiences of German-speaking people on both sides of the conflict: from the so-called “Hessians” hired by the British to the many German immigrants who supported the Patriot cause. Along the way, we’ll examine how to identify German origins in colonial records, trace Hessian soldiers who remained in North America, and better understand the cultural and political forces that shaped their decisions. Whether your ancestors fought for independence, arrived as soldiers in foreign service, or lived in German-American communities during the Revolutionary era, this lecture will provide valuable historical context and practical strategies for discovering their stories.