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Lecture
US - New England
US - Southern States
18th Century

Germans in the Revolution: Hessians and Patriots

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.

Ancestors of Albert James Zdenek, Sr. and Rose Marie Mildred Prince

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As the eldest grandchild on both sides, Albert J. Zdenek, Jr. has always been the collector of his family’s stories and memorabilia. This thoroughly researched, beautifully designed and illustrated book explores how the branches of his family left Germany, Ireland, and Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) to settle in America’s Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Pennsylvania was the hub most of these families passed through before 1950, when Albert James Zdenek, Sr.

Ancestors and Descendants of DANIEL GOODWIN of Kittery, Maine — with Allied Lines

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The surname Goodwin, meaning “God’s friend,” originated in medieval times in England. Thomas Putman Goodwin’s ancestors were spirited risk-takers: early planters, seafarers, fishermen, and entrepreneurs. Their story is one of determination, capability, and courage. Thomas is a Mayflower descendant of Stephen Hopkins through Elizabeth (Kenney) Goodwin, the sixth-generation daughter-in-law of Thomas’s immigrant ancestor, Daniel Goodwin of Yoxford, Suffolk, England.

A Roll of Arms Registered by the Committee on Heraldry of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Eleventh Part

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The Committee on Heraldry was established in 1864 within the New England Historic Genealogical Society to study coats of arms and the people who bore them in the United States. The Roll of Arms project, begun in 1914, is a record of settlers in the colonies or immigrants to the United States who were entitled to coats of arms under the customs of their mother countries. This newest installment, the Eleventh Part, is introduced with an updated history of the Committee and the Roll of Arms.