Migration Pathways Between Canada and the United States You Haven’t Considered
Kathryn Lake Hogan
Content
About this webinar
Migration between Canada and the United States was far more complex than a one-way journey north or south. Families crossed the border repeatedly, motivated by opportunities, community, and survival. This webinar explores four lesser-known migration pathways that genealogists often overlook.We begin with the New England Planters, who settled in Nova Scotia after the Acadian expulsion, with some later returning to New England or moving elsewhere in the Maritimes. Next, we trace Black migration, from Loyalists and Underground Railroad refugees to 20th-century workers commuting daily between Windsor and Detroit. The session then turns to industrial labourers who worked seasonally in lumber, mining, fishing, or in factories, leaving behind valuable records in both countries. Finally, we examine Depression-era relocations, when Prairie families sought survival in the U.S. Midwest and Americans looked north to Canadian farmland. Throughout, case studies illustrate research strategies and highlight the records that capture these movements. Attendees will learn how to: recognize overlooked migration patterns across the border; identify the key records generated by each pathway; utilize maps, timelines, and the FAN methodology to trace family histories; correlate records across Canada and the U.S. to prove identity; overcome challenges such as surname variations, missing records, and changes in boundaries.
About the speaker
Key points and insights
Discover the hidden patterns in your family history with the insightful webinar "Migration Pathways Between Canada and the United States You Haven't Considered," presented by Kathryn Lake Hogan on Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Tracing ancestors across the North American border requires looking beyond a simple one-way journey. Border regions were fluid economic and social corridors where families frequently crossed back and forth for land, seasonal employment, or political reasons. By understanding the historical context of cross-border movement—spanning early New England Planters, Loyalist movements, freedom seekers, industrial growth, gold rushes, and prairie homesteading—genealogists can break through persistent brick walls and reconstruct complete multi-generational family stories.
- Migration Was Often Circular: Border crossings were rarely permanent, one-time events; families routinely crossed the border multiple times for work or changing political conditions, making it essential to search census, land, and border records in both countries.
- FAN Club Research Unlocks the Route: Applying cluster research to Friends, Associates, and Neighbors (FAN) often reveals the motives and exact pathways of an ancestor's move, especially when an individual's personal records seem incomplete or contradictory.
- Historical Context Dictates Record Availability: The legal requirements and record types vary dramatically depending on the era, meaning researchers must account for changing immigration laws, border inspection start dates, and economic surges rather than assuming modern border conditions applied.
To fully uncover these cross-border journeys and transform your genealogical research, take the time to watch the full webinar recording. For an even deeper dive, explore the comprehensive webinar syllabus, which features detailed background information, historical timelines, and targeted record guides designed to help trace elusive ancestors wherever their pathways led.
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Comments (42)
Enjoyable and enlightening! My family crossed that boundary in the late 1860s. And as I grew up in the 1950s, that was just a boundary for us to cross the St. Clair River by boat or on ice in the winter. Even then to us there really wasn't to much of a boundary or really worry about a line that seperated us in those times. The times have really changed over the years. As a long time member of a Founding Father my lines go back and on my Paternal side to the early 1600 hundreds.
I knew a fair bit about the Prairies back and forth, but,, like Marian, my idea of the border is fairly limited! Katharine Hogan's presentation brought to mind many things "I knew," but with the context of back-and-forth, I now have a lot more context. Right before the broadcast, I was working on one of my Germans from Russian and there he was -- Germany -- US -- Germany for 20 years -- back to US.
A lot of really good info! Appreciate she covered more than white heritage by also including mini-case studies of Blacks and Chinese, & full coverage of continental boundary/border. I do need to compare once I can print the syllabus, but it was difficult (for me) to write notes as slide text could be so broad (i.e. "fisheries" or "shipping") it didn't capture the meat of what was contained in sources as she was describing them. Her comment near the end of Q&A about knowing laws at timeframe was pertinent.
I enjoyed Kathryn Lake Hogan's presentation! It was very informative and answered a lot of questions!
Excellent webinar! I now know where else to look for records, as both sets of my Norwegian great-grandparents came in through Canada into Wisconsin and eventually on to North Dakota.
What a great overview covering migrations across one of the world's longest borders. Breaking migrations down into specific reasons and timeframes is very helpful, as does researching the laws of each time.
Great webinar! Kathryn did a great job explaining the various timeframes, paths and reasons for migration - and reasons to go back home. A comprehensive view across the entire Canadian/US boundary and the events that affected migration.
Excellent presentation covering a large historical period for Canada and the US. Lots of tips to check out for border records, land records, and church and census records. Homestead files for the Prairies are available too. We have our family files from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Checking newspapers is a great idea. Thank you.