The local church was a central part of our ancestors' lives. This lecture will explore how to use Roman Catholic church records to find out more about the story of your ancestor, including baptism records, marriage registers, death registers, and confirmation records. The Historic Catholic Records Online Project at American Ancestors will be highlighted in detail.
Throughout American history, brave men and women have answered the call to serve our country and defend our families. Many of us can claim these courageous citizens as our ancestors. But how do we learn more about their service? Join American Ancestors for an overview of local, state, and federal sources for researching your ancestors in the Civil War, WWI, and WWII.
In this lecture, search tips and other functionalities are demonstrated for several worldwide sites including Billion Graves and Find a Grave. There is also a short demonstration on searching cemeteries on FamilySearch as well as the American Ancestors databases.
In 1838, Georgetown College sold 272 persons to sugar plantation owners in Louisiana. This lecture will talk about the history of the enslaved persons included in this sale, the genealogies compiled on the families, and how you can find your connections to them.
The 18th century was a transformative and foundational period for Connecticut: continued colonial conflicts, movement westward, revolution, the abolition of slavery, and ultimately statehood. This lecture will look 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.
With your ancestor’s origins in hand, it’s time to start looking at records in the Old Country. In this lecture we will review what types of records exist, how to use them in your research, and how to access them. We will pay special attention to resources that can be accessed from home, online.
Newspapers were the first form of "social media" and captured more than just obituaries. From birth announcements to crime reports to land sales, this lecture will delve into the wealth of information that can be found in newspapers. This lecture will show you how to discover your ancestors' stories using various newspaper collections.
Adoption as a legal process in America is a relatively new invention. This lecture will provide an overview of adoption in America, the types of records that document adoption and guardianship (including aid societies and maternity homes), general access restrictions, and other considerations when researching adopted ancestors.
Ethnicity estimates are just a small part of your DNA results—and they aren’t always accurate or as precise as you’d like them to be. This lecture will discuss how to triangulate ancestral origins by reviewing your matches carefully and by combing your DNA results with traditional genealogical research.
An American Ancestors DNA consultation can help you make the most of using DNA in your family history research! Have you taken a DNA test and need help deciphering results? Interested in learning techniques on breaking down one of your genealogical brick walls? Or maybe you want to learn about some of the many third-party tools available. This webinar will review our DNA consultation service and discuss the types of scenarios you may consult with an expert genealogist about, and we’ll also review a case study from one of our past clients.
