The Brue Family Learning Center

Our ancestors moved near and far seeking economic opportunities, religious freedoms, and closeness to family. These mobile ancestors, however, are notoriously difficult to research. We might have an ancestor in our sights and then—poof!—they’re gone; or we may have an ancestor for whom we have no idea of where they came from. In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb will offer several strategies for discovering ancestral origins and future movements.

Anyone can do family history research! In this one hour lecture, you will learn about key resources, strategies, and first steps to discovering and recording your family history. We will also demonstrate how to use important organizational tools, such as the multi-generational chart, family group sheet, and research log. And you will learn how to create a solid research plan.

The Brim-DeForest Library at American Ancestors serves as a center for research, learning, and discovery, where history comes to life through archival collections and expert guidance. Learn more about the collections, services, and other library offerings during a brief tour.

In this hybrid lecture, 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager Danielle Rose will provide a brief history of Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War and their motivations for joining either side; and discuss several resources, records, and strategies for piecing together the service and stories of individuals.

This is a hybrid event.

In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will provide an overview of the church records available for Irish family history research, covering both Catholic and Protestant records. She will also discuss the historical context of these records, and the role that the church played in your ancestors’ lives. 

Going back as early as the wedding of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152 and up to the rebirth of pageantry with the 2011 ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton, this lecture will feature a slice of English history with lots of glamour and great stories!

Join us on the second floor of American Ancestors at the Brue Family Learning Center and receive hands-on practice with guided instruction, plenty of encouragement, and all the tools you need. By the end, you’ll have a beautiful hand-lettered Valentine’s card or love note. Fall in love with the art of calligraphy!

Anyone can do family history research! In this one hour lecture, you will learn about key resources, strategies, and first steps to discovering and recording your family history. We will also demonstrate how to use important organizational tools, such as the multi-generational chart, family group sheet, and research log. And you will learn how to create a solid research plan.

In 1924 Iris and Antonio Origo—an Anglo-American heiress and an Italian marchese—purchased La Foce, a vast Italian estate with a half-ruined, 15th-century villa at its core. Located in the Val d’Orcia, a spectacularly wild and desolate valley in southern Tuscany, the restoration of the estate became Iris and Antonio’s lifetime project.  Katia Lysy, granddaughter of Iris and Antonio Origo, tells an enthralling story of love, war, and rebirth, all documented by new and old photographs from the Origo family archives.