Thank you for registering for the online course, Virginia Research: Four Centuries of History and Genealogy!
Over the last four centuries, Virginia has transformed from a land of early indigenous and European settlements to the sprawling suburban landscape of today. It has been continually shaped and reshaped by political, social, and economic changes in the region, including war, migration patterns, laws surrounding enslavement, and more. This four-session online seminar provides a century-by-century look at the records, resources, repositories, and research strategies that are essential to exploring your Virginia roots. We also discuss the historical context of the changes and events that transformed the state and influenced the lives of your ancestors.
This course includes four 90-minute classes and exclusive access to handouts and recordings of each presentation. These recordings and all course materials will be available for the foreseeable future.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Class 1: 17th-Century Research: Birth of a Colony
Presented by Ann Lawthers
This first class explores the history, people and resources for 17th-century Virginia genealogical research, beginning with the extensive indigenous settlements. Next, the trials of the Virginia Company and its Jamestown post are discussed. The early experiences of Jamestown shaped decisions about governance and trade in Virginia and ultimately influenced the way Virginia’s stratified society evolved. You will learn about published resources for researching your 17th century ancestor and where to find the limited primary record sources. The class concludes by discussing how to overcome research challenges.
Class 2: 18th-Century Research: Expansion and Independence
Presented by Kyle Hurst
Virginia spent the 18th Century expanding its boundaries, and that pursuit of land led its settlers to battle. Even as more immigrant populations arrived in Virginia, Virginians were on the move pushing the frontier far beyond the Atlantic coast. They opposed the French, British, and Native tribes who blocked their access, resulting in Virginia’s leadership during the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, and in the formation of the new United States government. To track Virginians on-the-move, this session looks at key 18th-Century records including those related to land, probate, court, military, taxes, and more.
Class 3: 19th-Century Research: Virginia at War
Presented by Meaghan Siekman
The Civil War shaped nearly every aspect of life in Virginia in the 19th century. Rising tension during the antebellum period initiated an increase in laws restricting the lives of enslaved and free people of color in the state. Though the Capital of the Confederacy was in Richmond not all Virginians supported succession, resulting in the creation of West Virginia by Unionists in 1863. Reconstruction and emancipation created new opportunities and restrictions for those previously enslaved and the people that previously enslaved them. This session will focus on how laws, federal programs, and legislation related to the war and its aftermath created record sets that can be useful to genealogists searching for Black and White ancestors in Virginia.
Class 4: 20th-Century Research: A State Transformed
Presented by Kim Mannisto
By the end of the 20th century, Virginia had undergone a political transformation and a population shift away from traditionally rural counties to the suburbs. This class will explore these political changes and the impact on Virginians and address what caused the urban sprawl. This class will point you to key genealogical resources, identify records for the era, address limitations, and more.
COURSE HANDOUTS
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS
Live broadcast: February 1, 2023
Presented by: Ann Lawthers
Running time: 1:32:07
Live broadcast: February 8, 2023
Presented by: Kyle Hurst
Running time: 1:28:00
Live broadcast: February 15, 2023
Presented by: Meaghan E.R. Siekman, Ph.D
Running time: 1:36:45
Live broadcast: February 22, 2023
Presented by: Kim Mannisto
Running time: 1:18:25
OTHER RESOURCES
Archived Webinar: Virginia Genealogy: Go-To Published Resources
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, holds a B.A. in both History and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and a Master’s certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University. After two years as a volunteer, Kyle joined the American Ancestors staff in 2008. She focuses on research in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, and various European countries. She is the author of several genealogies including Ancestors and Descendants of Charles Le Caron and Victoire Sprague, which won the 2020 National Genealogical Society Award for Excellence in Genealogy and Family History.
Ann Lawthers, Genealogist, lectures regularly on behalf of American Ancestors at conferences, workshops, and meetings. At American Ancestors she collaborates with other expert staff to develop multi-week online and in-person seminars and lectures. Ann focuses on New England and Mid-Atlantic research, and migration patterns. Secondary interests include the Southern Colonies and Atlantic Canada. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard School of Public Health with degrees in Health Policy.
Kim Mannisto, Researcher, earned her B.A. in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Western Michigan University. She joined American Ancestors as a Researcher in the Researcher and Library Services department and is a certificate holder from the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate program. She was introduced to genealogy at a young age and has over 30 years of experience in research and report writing. Areas of expertise: Early Pennsylvania Settlers, Colonial New Jersey, Quaker records, Midwest (Michigan and Ohio), Finnish, DNA, Descendancy research, Scottish and English hereditary peerage titles, and Scottish genealogy with a particular interest in genetic markers and male clan descendancy.
Meaghan Siekman, Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, holds a PhD in history from Arizona State University where her focus was public history and American Indian history. Prior to joining American Ancestors, she worked as Curator of the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Mass. and as an archivist at the Heard Museum Library in Phoenix. Meaghan's areas of interest include American Indian history and lineage; African American research; colonial New England, New York, and German genealogy; immigration to America; westward migration and settlement; and tracing maternal lines.