Genealogical Research in the Dakotas

Many Midwestern and Plains states have superb state census records. Learn about the indexes, the many personal details these censuses include, locating the censuses, and alternate sources. The lecture includes many specific examples from these enumerations, provides an overview of state censuses for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri�

Michigan is a state of many people: Native Americans, fur traders, French explorers, British military, and then settlers from all over the world including many from Canada and the Northeast U.S. The records and indexes are amazing as are the libraries, historical societies, archives, universities that are filled with resources. Online indexes and record images add to the dream. Learn about the people, resources, businesses, farms, military, and vital records.

The resources for tracing Minnesota ancestry are plentiful and the number of indexes, digitized records, and microform editions are growing constantly. The plentiful published indexes, guides, and histories are also important to your research. Many of these are accessible no matter where you live. Many Minnesota related records and publications…

Kentucky and Virginia have some of the most complete tax lists in the United States. Their value in research often goes unrecognized by even the experienced researcher. Tax lists can be a primary tool for solving difficult research problems and are invaluable when used with other records. Learn how to access original records, to best organize them for study, and to interpret their meaning. The lecture will use case studies to show their use in tracking individuals across time, estimating birth dates and death dates, separating individuals of the same name, determining the identity of other family members, and using them as substitutes for deeds, court records, and estate records in burned counties.

Researching Puerto Rican ancestors is a unique experience, requiring a knowledge of both Latin American and North American record types and strategies. We'll talk basics about finding your hometown and what records can help you trace your ancestry on both sides of the sea.

If you have any American heritage at all, chances are, you have at least one person in your family tree who lived at some point in New York City. Join Mike Mansfield, Director of Content Operations at MyHeritage, as he dives into a world of rich resources for researching ancestors who called the Big Apple home.

Family lore tells a different story than the records for the paternity of a southwest Virginia great-grandfather. Learn how DNA helps solve the mystery!

This lecture illustrates the joys and pitfalls of Virginia research as well as a employing a problem-solving approach utilizing social history, female research, and family analysis to identify the parents of Elizabeth Stith, the ancestor "from nowhere." One need not have Virginia ancestors to see the Genealogical Proof Standard at work!

This Index is all about immigrants – over 544,000 of them – and spans 137 years! They came to California for various reasons and took a chance for a new life as a US citizen. Finding an immigrant is easier due to multiple search options. Minimal info is not a problem!