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.
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.
There is a treasure trove of genealogical resources available for Massachusetts research—if you have ancestors from the Bay State, you can count yourself lucky in this regard! However, with the wealth of information available, it can be difficult to navigate and to know where to start. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will provide an introduction and overview to Massachusetts Research. He’ll discuss the historical context of available record sets, go-to resources, and helpful strategies.
Atlantic Canadian research can be difficult to navigate—there is no “one-stop-shop” for the region, and record locations and availability can vary widely from province to province. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will provide his go-to resources for the region. He will discuss each province—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island—highlighting key online and on-site resources to help you trace your Atlantic Canadian ancestors.
Online family trees are a powerful tool—allowing you to organize different branches of your family in one place, to consolidate your documents and timelines, and to make new discoveries through publicly shared trees. However, there is a flip side to online trees! When researching, it can be easy to get swept up in your discoveries and to begin adding people to your tree without documentation—before you know it, your tree has grown, but you find yourself questioning how much of it is accurate! In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will discuss how to leverage family trees to further your research while avoiding common pitfalls.
More than 30 million Americans have Irish Ancestry—and while many have strong cultural ties to their Irish heritage, tracing the details of their ancestral origins in the country can be notoriously difficult. Finding the county of origin can be tough, let alone the townland and parish of your ancestors. While Irish research is not without its challenges, there are key resources that you can turn to. In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share her go-to resources for Irish Family History Research, including online records, published resources, and more.
You may encounter several people of the same name, living in the same community, at the same time. How do you know which is your ancestor? In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will introduce you to best practices and organizational tools to untangle common names and add people to your family tree with confidence and accuracy.
Land records are an important, but sometimes overlooked resource for many family historians. They can include critical clues to identifying extended family members, the location of ancestral homesteads, and family relationships. In this lecture, learn how you can locate, read, and apply the information contained in land records to your own family history.
Nearly 250 years ago, America declared its independence from the British Empire, changing the course of history. While many took up the cause and supported revolution, others remained loyal to the British government—turning friends into foes and pitting neighbor against neighbor. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will discuss how to research your colonial ancestors and determine if—and how—they may have served the cause of the American Revolution.
When examining records, it can be easy to make the misstep of simply filling in the dates on our family trees and continuing with our research, or even ignoring some dates all together. In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will discuss how dates can contain important clues for your family history research. In particular, she will discuss how examining dates in relation to one another in a timeline can shed light on new insights and stories hidden within your family tree.
