Historical Records

This case study traces a piece of property for two hundred years, from the Native Americans to the Dutch, to the English, and through fourteen members of the Hicks family over five generations. Transfer of title occurs through various instruments, including patents, unrecorded deeds, inheritance, escheatment, private laws, entails, deeds of lease and release, life estates, and coverture. Tracing the lineage of the property elucidates family relationships that were otherwise forgotten. This class is presented live at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City as part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and is being broadcasted by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

Whether you’re missing a naturalization record or finding an unexpected one, this session helps you discover how female ancestors — both foreign-born and birthright — gained, lost, or regained citizenship in the United States between 1790 and 1945. US citizenship and attendant rights for women could be fragile, depending on marital status, prevailing laws, social norms, and other shifting factors. Examples of US naturalization and citizenship records, and search strategies for finding these records are featured in this presentation.

Well-known for their anti-slavery views, Quakers began to migrate to the slave-free territories in the 19th century. As they migrated out of the South, Quakers emancipated and traveled with their newly freed slaves. Once settled, the sect continued their abolitionist cause by supporting the Underground Railroad – transporting runaway slaves to free states. In turn, free blacks established their own settlements, while still maintaining ties with the Quaker community.

We will examine the migration patterns from Scotland to the US and Canada, looking at the push and pull factors, relevant to individual migration time periods. References and guidance will be provided for multiple waves from 17th Century to the present.

In the early days of the colonization of America and certainly the migration as land opened up further and further west of the original thirteen colonies, waterways played a vital role in the ability to “go west young man”! The Erie Canal was an integral part of that migration ability. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and allowed not only migration west but the ability to transport goods to other parts of the country for commerce.

Finding a U.S. ancestor’s church affiliation is the first key step to discovering their stories in related records, but it isn’t usually easy. Learn 5 essential strategies, illustrated by inspiring examples. Viewers will come away with sensible, actionable steps they can apply to their own research.

This session introduces a 5-Step Research Methodology to guide family history study and research in the West Indies. Resources available in the U.S. and the U.K. are identified and civil registration and church records are illustrated through exploration of a family line. Emphasis is on the British West Indian experience.

Explore the exciting latest addition to the MyHeritage arsenal of photo features! Since 2020, MyHeritage has led the world in technologies that help you see your family photos in a new light. In this session, Tel Erlichman, VP of Product at MyHeritage, will tell you all about the most recent feature and how it will enrich your family history research through family photos.

We sit at our computer searching for information about our ancestors and … click … we find something new and intriguing. But wait: it contradicts something else we’ve found. Clearly, both pieces of information can’t be true. So which is true and which isn’t? Or are both untrue? HELP! Until recently, most researchers developed their evidence-analysis skills by a process of trial-and-error. Unfortunately, many researchers have erred more than tried and seem to be the ones most prolific in publishing the results of their “research” on the internet. Yet these errors can prove disastrous, gobbling up our precious time and money as we search in the wrong place – or worse, as we pursue the wrong ancestral line. So how do we ensure that our conclusions are accurate? This seminar will show you how to evaluate our ancestral information – that is, how to weight each piece of information to determine its accuracy – using a clear, logical, easy-to-follow system. After learning these skills you’ll easily be able to determine which information is reliable and which is like a virus that can destroy all your hard work.