This lecture details the resources available for researching your New England ancestors who arrived during the Great Migration from England from 1620-1640. Discussion of the scholarship and resources both published and online created by the Great Migration Study Project will be covered.

Before the Revolutionary War, geography, topography and a strong indigenous people presence shaped migration patterns. This webinar covers the dominant push-pull forces and challenges for colonial migration. Using maps and other graphics, the major migration routes by region will be described: New England, mid-Atlantic and southward from Virginia. Famous paths such as the Kings Highway, the Great Valley Road, and the Fall Line Road as well as less well-known paths such as the Greenwood Path and the Forbidden Path will be covered. Using a set of case studies, the process of locating clues in local histories, land records, and vital records is unfolded.

Researching ancestors who lived in colonial New England can be challenging. This webinar begins by tracing settlement patterns, setting the stage for understanding key records and where to find them. For the 17th century, many unique published resources exist to help the family researcher. During the colonial years, several conflicts such as King Philip’s War and the Seven Years War affected settlement and thus the surviving records. The 18th century culminated in the Revolutionary War, but also saw the continued growth of settlement and ultimately resources for the family historian.

Have you lost an ancestor between 1780 and 1840? Often connecting our ancestors to colonists can be quite a task. Learn how to employ probate, land, census, tax, and other compiled records to help bridge the gap.

Imagine leaving everything you and your family has known for generations for an unexplored, unfamiliar, possibly hostile "New World." Who were these people of unbounded courage, faith, and resiliency who ultimately laid the foundation for the America as we know it? What stories they must tell! What do the records…

Between 1607 and 1790, about 900,000 immigrants came to the colonies. Learn about each of the nationalities that came before the Revolutionary War, where they came from, and sources available to identify them.