| Schedule | Recorded Presentations & Videos | Instructor Bios |
WELCOME!
Thank you for registering for the online course, Researching Acadian Ancestors!
Tracing Acadian ancestry presents unique—but not insurmountable—challenges for family historians. Record loss, destroyed communities, and large-scale, disparate migration are just some of the obstacles facing genealogists. This three-week online course will provide you with the historical context, records, and research strategies to take your Acadian ancestry back to Canada and beyond. Learn how the Acadian population’s resilience in reclaiming their heritage and community has led to a wealth of genealogical information.
This course includes three 90-minute classes; exclusive access to handouts and recordings of each presentation; and in-depth q&a sessions with the instructors. You will have access to the recordings, handouts, slides, and more until October 31, 2021.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Return to this page often for additional resources!
| Course Activity | Dates of Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Class #1 | ||
| Class #1: Online presentation (live!) | 7/7/2021, 6:00 PM eastern time | Class 1: A Brief Acadian History, Presented by Tricia Labbe
Description: This first class provides the foundational context of the French settlement of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island between 1605 and 1765 and the Acadian deportation and subsequent movements across the world. |
| Video of Class #1 | 7/8/2021 and after | Watch the first class presentation. Available exclusively to course participants. |
| Class #2 | ||
| Class #2: Online presentation (live!) | 7/14/2021, 6:00 PM eastern time | Class 2: Acadians in Canada: Records & Research, Presented by Rhonda R. McClure
Description: While some records of our Acadian ancestors did not survive, there are still several sources—and strategies—that we can turn to. This class will discuss how to locate and utilize Acadian parish records, vital records, land deeds, notarial records, and other deportation sources in your family history research, highlighting several key references and repositories. Note: To attend, return to your confirmation email received at the time of registration with a link to the live event. If you are unable to attend the live event a recording will be posted to this page, the following day (see below). |
| Video of Class #2 | 7/15/2021 and after | Watch the second class presentation. Available exclusively to course participants. |
| Class #3 | ||
| Class #3: Online presentation (live!) | 7/21/2021, 6:00 PM eastern time | Class 3: Acadian Diaspora: Records & Research, Presented by Ann G. Lawthers
Description: Following the Acadian expulsion from Canada’s maritime provinces in the 18th century, many settled in New England, Louisiana, and beyond. This final class will examine some of the key record groups that detail your ancestor’s life after resettlement and will demonstrate various research strategies in uncovering their origins in Canada. Note: To attend, return to your confirmation email received at the time of registration with a link to the live event. If you are unable to attend the live event a recording will be posted to this page, the following day (see below). |
| Video of Class #3 | 7/22/2021 and after | Watch the third class presentation. Available exclusively to course participants. |
COURSE HANDOUTS
Class 1 Handout
Class 1 Slides Worksheet
Class 1 Slides (large)
Class 2 Handout
Class 2 Slides Worksheet
Class 2 Slides (large)
Class 3 Handout
Class 3 Slides Worksheet
Class 3 Slides (large)
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS & VIDEOS
Class 1: A Brief Acadian History
Presented by: Tricia Labbe
Running Time: 1:37:38
Live Broadcast: July 7, 2021
Additional Resources mentioned in Q&A
Class 2: Acadians in Canada: Records & Research
Presented by: Rhonda R. McClure
Running Time: 1:38:03
Live Broadcast: July 14, 2021
Additional Resources mentioned in Q&A
Class 3: Acadian Diaspora: Records & Research
Presented by: Ann G. Lawthers
Running Time: 1:37:00
Live Broadcast: July 21, 2021
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Tricia Labbe, Events Manager, A graduate of Clark University with an MA and a BA in History, Tricia comes to American Ancestors with several years of customer service and administrative experience. Some of her previous professional roles have been at the American Antiquarian Society, the People’s World Peace Project, Skinner Inc., and the Worcester Historical Museum. Tricia is very interested in both New England and immigration history and spent her undergraduate and graduate years researching the Acadian Deportation of 1755—a topic closely tied to her own family history and Maine roots.
Ann G. Lawthers, Genealogist, assists American Ancestors library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard School of Public Health and has completed the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research program. She has conducted genealogical projects as an independent researcher. Ann’s areas of interest are New England and New York, the Mid-Atlantic, Ireland, Eastern Canada, and migration patterns.
Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist, is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in New England and celebrity research as well as computerized genealogy; is compiler of more than 120 celebrity family trees; has been a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine, and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of ten books, including the award-winning The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Areas of expertise include immigration and naturalization, Late 19th and early 20th Century urban research, Missionaries (primarily in association with the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions), State Department Federal Records, New England, Mid-West, Southern, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, and New Brunswick research as well as Internet research, genealogical software (FTM, RootsMagic, TMG, Reunion), digital peripherals, and uses both Mac and Windows machines.
This copyrighted online course is the property of New England Historic Genealogical Society. Any rebroadcast or reproduction without the express written consent of American Ancestors is strictly prohibited.
RESOURCES
Subject Guide: Acadian Genealogy
Archived Webinar: Researching the Deep South