Genealogy 101, a 3-Session Course in Beginning Genealogy – Part 1

Two genealogists began a conversation over lunch and ideas began to tumble around as they approached a common research dilemma from two different angles. It wasn’t long before they discovered these two valuable sites that led to valuable discoveries in their research. Those metal signs you see on old buildings or the metal historic markers by the side of the road may offer clues to the lives of your ancestors.

As far back as 2,000 years ago there were lighthouses, with the earliest known in Egypt. As Europeans made their new homes in British America they also needed beacons to protect the craggy shores of this new land and the inland waters.

Starting from the children that worked in mines up to the adults of today, mining records may provide a clue to your ancestors’ lives.

Illegitimacy can be both a surprise and an embarrassment as we discover more and more about our family’s history. Treated with care and sensitivity, we can use many available resources to help us in our research.

Amish and Mennonite families are often romanticized in modern literature and television series. However, their backgrounds, though similar, have beliefs that keep them separate. The Amish and the Mennonites are often grouped together. And, while they have some similarities, including their roots in religion, there are distinct differences.

It is frequently assumed that the only enslaved Americans were those brought on the slave ships from Africa. Yet, an estimated one-half of early immigrants came to America as apprentices, indentured servants, and redemptioners. And, a good many of those were children.

Session 3 - Learning how to obtain and read a record. After learning of the many ways to search for and obtain a record, we will analyze the information it may contain. We will examine some of the documents that produce the best evidence of family relationships. A small exercise…

Session 2 - Using Compiled Sources. There are many opportunities to view what has been researched before. Some of those collections include compiled genealogies and heritage books, and online compilations. We will look at some ways to discover if the previous research is credible and can aid in our own…

When we think of settling the West, our minds will often turn to the broad expanses of the American West that conjures up scenes of broad prairies and herds of buffalo and antelope. Such was not the case in the First American West. We also may think of the Canadian provinces of the same name. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, Britain ceded land that would eventually comprise the Northwest Territory. Just five years later, the first settlers would leave their homes in New England and begin their journey to the “Territory Northwest of the River Ohio”, and establish their first city – Marietta. Eventually the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota would be included.