This state survey course will provide an overview of the rich and abundant Michigan genealogical resources available in print and online, migration patterns, and repositories of note.

Moving from one location to another required a major change in living conditions. The choices that led to the decision to move, and the directions of movement are pivotal in understanding those ancestors. What might help you understand the migration choices your ancestors made? How can we develop...

The mystery of manuscripts lies in being able to locate a repository holding the exact manuscript you need with information found in no other source. Manuscripts are more difficult to find and use than published books or censuses, military, or vital records available online, but their potential f...

Researching Native American ancestry begins with basic genealogy steps, then expands into the records, repositories, and research processes more specific to Indians. There is hope for family historians seeking evidence of their Native American ancestry. This includes ancestors that did and others...

We'll learn more about how to locate your Ohio ancestors, digging into tax records and census records, as well as diving deeper into court records. Understanding migration patterns, land-settlement patterns, and the history of the state will prepare you for an easier time of finding your family i...

Some amazing details and clues about your immigrant ancestors are waiting to be found in personal, local, county, state and federal collections. This presentation is designed to guide you through the maze of records and policies that can lead you back to your ancestral homeland.

Pennsylvania has had a vital role throughout our nation's history. If your ancestors lived in Pennsylvania or you're interested in knowing more about the bountiful records generated by this commonwealth, you'll learn more than you may expect in this 12-part course.

Military pension application files contain rich detail, revealing post-war experiences. Laws dictated eligibility. Explore who awarded pensions, pension types, eligible parties, and locating pension application files. Survivors applying for pensions had to prove relationship to a veteran, creatin...

This course will introduce you to a myriad of websites where you can find family photos and other historical images to help you envision your ancestors' lives and the places in which they lived.

Genealogists thrive on the hunt. We prowl through documents, databases, microfilm, courthouses, and cemeteries looking for clues about our elusive ancestors. We collect snippets of ancestral trivia that fill our file cabinets and our hard drives. Collecting data is fun; dealing with the mounds of...

This is a more advanced version of Rick Sayre's first course on Revolutionary War records. It picks up where Finding Your Revolutionary War Ancestor: Warrior or Patriot left off.

This course is designed to help researchers develop a strategy to find their American Revolutionary War ancestor. Finding an ancestor who participated in the Revolution may reveal a goldmine of genealogical information. An overview of the war and important battles will be presented. Researchers w...

Railroads were the backbone of the U.S. for many years and employed inumerable people. As the years moved into the later 19th century and beyond, railroads kept many records. This course introduces you to such records, places they exist, the railroad history and name changes vital to finding reco...

Almost all of us will run into the dreaded "burned county" as we pursue our family's history. Perhaps a courthouse has been destroyed, catastrophes have occurred, vital records didn't exist yet, or the census enumerator didn't make it to the end of the road where your family lived. But, all may n...

Social media is not just for cat videos and boring vacation photos. Many family historians post what they know about their ancestors in hopes of finding a long lost cousin or two. We will explore what you might find on Facebook and Twitter as well as some places you might not have thought of like...

Drawing from records that are a part of Ancestry to record groups at other repositories you will begin to understand that not everything is on the internet. By the end of the course, you will be more confident with researching your Texas ancestors.

This topic explores the importance of placing ancestors within their historical, social, and political environment. Events and customs shaped their lives. If we understand where they fit in and the circumstances that impacted their lives, we understand a little more about who they were, where the...

With some of the best-preserved records of any country in the world, there is a wealth of interesting family stories and immigrant histories waiting to be discovered. We will cover three basic record types; parish records, civil registration, and census records. Additionally we will talk about th...

Juliana approaches urban ancestors from a family, neighborhood, and community level. Finding your ancestors in the vast environs of a large metropolitan community doesn't need to be daunting. You'll learn many helpful strategies to make your research easier, and you're sure to gain some "street s...

Vermont was the last settled frontier of New England, remaining mostly untamed while the southern part of the region became well established. Looking for cheap land, many New England families migrated to Vermont. Some stayed, and some moved on to New York and points west. This course will help yo...

During the Great Depression, the New Deal was instituted as a way of getting the U.S. back on its feet economically, to protect and preserve its infrastructure and history, and provide employment for citizens. Among the many programs begun, the WPA, and specifically the Historical Records Survey,...

The War of 1812 was America’s ‘Second Revolution’ – little understood by many in America how precarious the survival of the new nation was. This segment enlarges the student’s understanding of the causes of the war and how the Napoleonic War on Europe’s continent distracting the British military ...

World War I, "The War to End All Wars," and also known as "The Great War," was fought between 1914 and 1918. The United States entered the war in 1917. This course covers the timeline, the history, and the genealogy records - what's available and where to find them - that relate to your ancestors...