Thank you for registering for the online course, Researching Impoverished Ancestors in North America!
Many of our ancestors came from humble beginnings, faced periods of economic hardship, or spent most of their lives in poverty. Due to their socio-economic status, they may not appear in typical records such as deed transactions, probate records, or tax lists. There are, however, specialized records and research strategies to assist in tracing your economically disenfranchised ancestors. In this three-session seminar, experts Lindsay Fulton and Ann G. Lawthers will discuss the welfare systems in North America from colonial times through the early 20th century, demonstrate how to navigate records and collections, and provide practical research strategies for finding your impoverished ancestors.
This course includes access to three 90-minute class recordings and handouts. These course materials will be available for the foreseeable future.
COURSE OUTLINE
Class 1: A Community Responsibility: Taking Care of the Poor
Presented by Ann Lawthers
Our colonial ancestors considered it their duty to take care of their less fortunate neighbors. In this session learn how attitudes toward poverty and misfortune were shaped by English laws and customs and carried to North America. Learn how colonial communities adapted care giving systems to suit their circumstances and find out what records may have the name of your poor ancestor.
Class 2: Cries for Reform: Quincy and Yates Reports
Presented by Ann Lawthers
This session examines the changes in attitudes and systems for giving care from the late 18th century until about 1850, including the growth of institutions such as the poorhouse and county farm. After an overview of historical context, including the shift in funding to greater federal role in financing, this session identifies the new types of delivery systems and the associated records and where to find them for your poor ancestor.
Class 3: Growth of Organized Settings: Systems of Care from 1850 forward
Presented by Lindsay Fulton
Orphan trains sprang up in response to large numbers of orphaned children living in the streets of major cities. Large institutions such as orphanages gained prominence as did institutions for the mentally ill. Learn about forces influencing these changes and influencing the development of the care delivery systems. And of course, what records were generated and where to find them for your poor ancestor.
COURSE HANDOUTS
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS
Class 1: A Community Responisbility: Taking Care of the Poor
Class 2: Cries for Reform: Quincy and Yates Reports
Class 3: Growth of Organized Settings: Systems of Care from 1850 forward
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Lindsay Fulton, Vice President for Research and Library Services, joined the Society in 2012, first a member of the Research Services team, and then a Genealogist in the Library. She has been the Director of Research Services since 2016. In addition to helping constituents with their research, Lindsay has also authored a Portable Genealogists on the topics of Applying to Lineage Societies, the United States Federal Census, 1790-1840 and the United States Federal Census, 1850-1940. She is a frequent contributor to the American Ancestors blog, Vita-Brevis, and has appeared as a guest on the Extreme Genes radio program. Before, American Ancestors, Lindsay worked at the National Archives and Records Administration in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she designed and implemented an original curriculum program exploring the Chinese Exclusion Era for elementary school students. She holds a B.A. from Merrimack College and M.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Boston Her areas of expertise include New England and New york research, with a focus on lineage society applications..
Ann G. Lawthers, Genealogist helps members and not-yet members with their family history research by providing lectures, courses, and hands-on workshops at the American Ancestors Research Center, at genealogical conferences across the country, and online. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard School of Public Health, with Masters and Doctoral degrees in Health Policy. Her areas of particular interest include New England and New York, the Mid-Atlantic states, the southern colonies, Ireland, and migration patterns.