Catalog of Lectures

Ireland has a unique and rather confusing system of land divisions, all of which need to be known and understood to effectively and accurately look for your ancestors. 

This lecture discusses the history of Irish Immigration to Canada and sources of information such as passenger Lists and alternative records.  Next specific groups of settlers are covered such as the Halifax Irish, the Peter Robinson settlers, the Monaghan settlers, the Famine Irish. The role of emigrant aid societies is also covered, such as the Montreal Emigrant Society. 

When we think of Christian records, we may immediately think of baptism and marriage records. While these are crucial records, there are many more! This lecture will look at what records exist, what information is provided, and how they differ among denominations. 

For many living in New England during the 17th through 19th centuries, their livelihood and even survival was inextricably linked to the sea. In this webinar we will provide a brief history of mariners in New England, discuss major ports and sources of industry, highlight key records, and demonstrate how to reconstruct your ancestor’s life on the sea and along the shore.

American Ancestors has one of the largest collections of genealogical papers in the United States. Learn how these unique items can benefit your genealogical research. We will provide research case studies and highlights from our special collections.

The first Scandinavians arrived in North America nearly 1,000 years ago on Viking ships. Today, an estimated 11 million Americans have Scandinavian ancestry. This webinar will provide an introduction to essential records, repositories, and strategies for exploring your Scandinavian roots, focusing on Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. You’ll learn how to address challenges in Scandinavian research including language barriers, common names, patronymic surnames, name changes, and more. We will also discuss the historical context that transformed the region and influenced the lives of your ancestors.

Our colonial war ancestors may appear in a variety of sources: militia rolls, payment for services, town records, and manuscript materials such as account books and correspondence. Luckily, many of these materials have been transcribed and published or are available online. This lecture will point you to both original and published records and provide useful tips for evaluating other published materials you may encounter. 

There are hundreds of resources available physically and online through the New England Historic Genealogical Society and other New England repositories to assist you with researching African American ancestors. This online lecture will highlight useful collections including court and account records, local histories, original manuscripts, rare documents, and online databases, plus provide advice for searching for less obvious source material in archives and repositories in New England.

The American War of Independence was not only a fight for freedom from a tyrannical world superpower. For the thousands of Black soldiers who fought for the patriot cause, and even more—tens of thousands—for the Loyalists, emancipation was on the line. In this online lecture, we 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.

Learn about researching your Colonial era Ancestors. After a short introduction to European settlement along the eastern seaboard, we will discuss published and other resources for learning about your ancestor. The available resources will differ depending on region: New England, mid-Atlantic or Southern colonies.