Video library

Louisiana has a unique cultural history that has shaped its available record sets, and published resources are essential for genealogists navigating family history research in the state. There are treasure troves of resources including parish records and histories, genealogies, and published records relating to land, tax, military, enslavement, and more.

In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will discuss the historical context of the Immigration Act of 1924, how the act shaped immigration records, and how the “closing of the golden doors” impacted the lives of your ancestors.

Embroidered, painted, stamped, carved, and engraved coats of arms enjoyed continuous popularity in colonial and Revolutionary America. As expressions of family identity—remembered or aspirational—heraldic arts are among the most compelling and enduring symbols of our interest in family roots. We will survey the major genres of heraldic decoration from the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, considering how, why, when, and for whom they were made, and focusing on some examples from the collections of American Ancestors.