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.

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.

New York has been called “the first West for New England” because so many New Englanders settled there before continuing westward. Understanding patterns of settlement, expansion, and migration can help identify your ancestor’s deep New England roots. In this online lecture, we will discuss the historical context, records, and research strategies for tracing ancestors on the move in the Northeast.

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.

In this webinar, we will present tips for getting started researching your Polish ancestry. Topics will include how to locate your ancestral town or village from American sources, how to navigate shifting historical borders, as well as an overview of the types of records that were produced in each region.

Lithuanians have been immigrating to America since as early as the 17th century. Yet, rapidly changing boundaries, unfamiliar languages, and late civil registration are just some of the challenges faced by family historians trying to trace their Lithuanian roots. You willl gain a better understanding of the waves of immigration to the United States, what types of records exist, and how to get started in Lithuanian family history research.

This lecture introduces the participant to the challenges and joys of researching one’s Irish ancestors. Major sources of information as well as strategies for tracking elusive ancestors are presented. Throughout the lecture examples illustrate the principles of genealogical research including learning all you can about your immigrant ancestor. 

Whether Ohio was a final destination for your ancestor or a stop along their journey west, published genealogical resources for the state and the Western Reserve are important for many family historians. In this webinar, we will share go-to Ohio-based resources within five categories: histories, genealogies, land, tax, and military. Learn about essential published sources that discuss family groups and help us to trace Ohio ancestors through time and place.

Using several examples and case studies, this final class will demonstrate some key strategies for breaking down genealogical brick walls in German research, including finding your ancestor’s origins and hometown, maiden names of female ancestors, parent’s names, and connecting generations. 

Understanding where your ancestor is living at a given time can be a loaded question—and to answer it completely, you need to know the broader geo-political and historical context. And as records are most often arranged by place, the “where” becomes especially important for family historians. In this webinar, we will demonstrate how to research boundary changes and understand jurisdictional levels using maps, primary and secondary sources, and other records.