Your ancestor may not have served on the battlefield, but may still have supported the cause through supplies, medical aid, petitions or oaths of fidelity, service in the Continental Congress, or more yet. This lecture will explore the many records which may shed light on an ancestor’s patriotic leanings and support. We will also examine women’s patriotic service during the Revolutionary War.
This lecture provides a step-by-step look at applying to Revolutionary War lineage societies, including the general application process and tips for when you can’t find vital records. The lineage societies covered in this presentation will include National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution, The Society of the Cincinnati, The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, and the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.
It's estimated that upwards of 50% of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War were Irish immigrants. Many Irish also served in the British Army. Torn between loyalty to the British Crown, economic stability, and opportunity, the Irish made a lasting impact during the war and post-war settlement in the American colonies. Join Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb to learn about the incentives offered to the Irish from both sides of the conflict, how to research their military service, pensions, bounty land, and identify their origins in Ireland.
What role did Germans play in the American Revolution—and how might their stories intersect with your own family history? In this lecture, Senior Genealogist Hallie Kirchner will explore the complex experiences of German-speaking people on both sides of the conflict: from the so-called “Hessians” hired by the British to the many German immigrants who supported the Patriot cause. Along the way, we’ll examine how to identify German origins in colonial records, trace Hessian soldiers who remained in North America, and better understand the cultural and political forces that shaped their decisions. Whether your ancestors fought for independence, arrived as soldiers in foreign service, or lived in German-American communities during the Revolutionary era, this lecture will provide valuable historical context and practical strategies for discovering their stories.
From tracing ancestors on the move to understanding boundary changes to just becoming acquainted with the landscape of your ancestors' lives, maps are an incredibly important resource in your family history research. In this lecture, we will explore various ways in which maps can help broaden your genealogical horizons.
This lecture will discuss how to determine if your ancestor fought, review a veritable timeline of colonial wars in New England, Atlantic Canada, and Quebec during the 17th and 18th centuries, and provide the historical context for these conflicts.
Since its founding in 1630, the City of Boston has kept records pertaining to its citizens, including several unique resources. Join us to learn what records exist for Boston, tips for using them in your research, and where to find them. Special attention will be given to records from the 17th through 19th centuries.
The military records at the National Archives detail service given between 1775 and 1916. We will discuss how to locate, access, and utilize compiled service records, pension applications, and other resources that detail your veteran ancestor’s service. We will also discuss briefly more recent records available through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis (WWI–present).
As with any type of family history research, civil and religious records are your first, go-to resource in German genealogy. For many locations in Germany, civil registration began as early as the late 18th century and some church records (Kirchenbücher) date back to the 16th century. Beyond baptisms, marriages, and burials, many churches also kept family registers (Familienregister or Familienbücher). This session will discuss what records exist, what information they contain, and how to access these important resources.
Lithuanians have been immigrating to America since as early as the 17th century. Yet, rapidly changing boundaries, unfamiliar languages, and late civil registration are just some of the challenges faced by family historians trying to trace their Lithuanian roots. You willl gain a better understanding of the waves of immigration to the United States, what types of records exist, and how to get started in Lithuanian family history research.
