Many Americans and Canadians have Scottish ancestry. Determining exactly where in Scotland your ancestors came from, however, can be the hardest part of researching them. By understanding the history of Scotland and the many waves of emigration, you can start to narrow down possible origins. This first lecture reviews the many waves of Scottish immigration and the push-pull factors that led them to making their way to America.

Researching civil registrations and church records of births/baptisms, marriages, and deaths is often the first thing that family historians do when they learn they have ancestry in Scotland. In this lecture, our expert reviews what information is provided in each record type and how to locate and access these resources.
 

Scottish census and census substitutes can provide important details about the immediate family of your ancestors. This lecture reviews what censuses exist, what information they provide, and where to access both transcriptions and digitized images.

This lecture explores the history, people, and resources for 17th-century Pennsylvania genealogical research. From Pennsylvania’s Native population to the earliest European settlers (the Swedes and Dutch) to William Penn’s settlement of the royal colony as a haven for Quakers, you will learn about published resources, where to find primary record sources, and strategies for overcoming early research challenges.

Pennsylvania played a critical role in the formation of America and its principles of government. While the colony was at the center of a nation-making movement in the 18th century, it was also during this period that Pennsylvania saw several localized changes: the start of passenger lists and city directories; boundary shifts; westward expansion; greater record keeping around land, probate, court, military, taxes; and more. In this lecture we will look at tracing your ancestors during this pivotal period.

Pennsylvania experienced even more transformation in the 19th century. Westward expansion and settlement continued across the Allegany Mountains, aided by growth in transportation systems such as canals and railways. Steel, coal mining, and oil made Pennsylvania an industrial powerhouse, fueled by a labor force of millions of newly arrived immigrants. This lecture will explore several records that emerge during this period, including federal passenger lists, Civil War pension files, published genealogies and local histories, employment records, and other less commonly used records.

Continued urbanization characterized much of 20th-century Pennsylvania. This lecture will look at records that emerge in the 20th century—including state-wide vital records—as well as changes in records and record keeping that persisted since the 17th century. We will also discuss the topic of “access” and a review of key research repositories.
 

German immigrants first arrived to American shores in large numbers in the late 17th century, and today nearly 45 million Americans have German heritage. Published resources are an essential tool for researching your German-American ancestors. There are treasure troves of published resources including general guides, dictionaries (both for words and surnames), books on paleography, and published records including immigration, census, and military records. Join our expert as they share go-to published resources for German family history research in America.

This lecture researches the primary and secondary sources associated with those involved in the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692.

Researching African American ancestors can be challenging, especially when trying to break through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery. In this presentation, we will discuss go-to records and demonstrate creative search strategies for piecing together your family history.