Historical Records

Naturalization records can contain a wealth of information about an immigrant, his origin, and much more. U.S. Naturalization – 1790-1954 discusses the naturalization process, the documents, and changes in naturalization laws over time. It encourages the use of census records, ships’ passenger lists, and other documents in tandem with naturalization documents to expand your knowledge of your immigrant ancestor – and possibly also of the family. This webinar was first released 5 May 2020 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.

Many challenging research problems involve understanding where our ancestors lived, their land, neighbors, jurisdictions, and landmarks. While historical maps can sometimes be found for the geography of our research problem, they often don’t cover the timeframe or include specific data that our research has uncovered. Genealogists frequently need to edit or create maps to communicate their findings and conclusions. This presentation will focus on leveraging existing maps, using online tools to annotate and edit, and/or create new maps that can be utilized for individual analysis, as well as in research reports and articles. With over 40 years of experience as a professional graphic designer, the lecturer will illustrate techniques using free and paid tools that can be used to produce effective maps.

The more research you do, the more unusual records you find, and the more you learn about possibilities for solving seemingly difficult genealogical problems. Enjoy ten favorite sources and learn how they helped solve mysteries. After this webinar, you will be primed to get beyond censuses, vital records, and passenger manifests!

Using gravestone clues to grow your family tree may be one of genealogy’s best-kept secrets! Gravestones function as a journal of sorts – one written in stone. Do you have some brick walls in your family tree? A trip to the cemetery may be just the thing to help you break through! In this webinar, you will learn 12 ways to use gravestone clues to grow your family tree.

Early surveys can often resolve issues of burned or unindexed records. Learn how to follow a specific property and the individuals involved, while building a more complete story of that land.

Whether researching a Depression-era ancestor or looking for historical context, there’s likely to be something of interest to you in the records of the Works Progress Administration. This lecture explores a wide range of WPA projects that have special interest to genealogists and researchers including historical records surveys and some of the most comprehensive studies of American life that have ever been conducted. Also covered is how to access the WPA’s published works as well as those that remain as unpublished manuscripts.

Was your ancestor listed in a School Census? Count yourself lucky if they were because you may just find their full names, birthdates, and the answers to family mysteries that have eluded you. Learn what they covered and the purpose, when they were made, and where to find those that still exist.

A detailed look at the origin and development of the American Genealogical and Biographical Index, along with detailed instructions on how to access it today.

OldNews.com serves as MyHeritage’s focal point for historical newspapers. This recently added website is an incredible pipeline of additional content and features and will become the number one online repository of international historical newspapers beyond the English-speaking world. Come and learn how to use this valuable tool to enhance the depth of your genealogical research.

Genealogy Guys Learn presents Front Page News and Beyond: Finding Archived Newspapers, a genealogical video about using newspapers in your genealogical research. The stories of our ancestors’ lives, from birth to death and everything in between, can be found in the pages of archived newspapers. Learn whether those stories are already somewhere online or on microform in a library. This webinar was first released 3 September 2019 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.

The 1870 census was the first time farmers fell below 50% of American wage earners. Even then, they were still close, at 47.7%. By 1920, farmers were less than one third of the American population. Between 1870 and 1920, 11 million Americans migrated to cities. Learn about the events that spurred this migration and changed our ancestors from rural to urban dwellers and how to reconstruct their stories.

Wills and probate records can be a great source of understanding of individuals. Who were they, and where were they located? What was their status in their community? What property did they own? Who were the administrators of their estates? Who were their heirs, and what did they inherit? What relationships might they have had with other people? The surviving records of England and Wales span from the 14th century to the present. Learn the history of the records before and after 1858, when civil courts took over probate responsibility from ecclesiastical courts. Learn about research guides to the records and how to read them. This webinar was first released 28 July 2021 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.