Programs and Group Classes: Sample Topics

Are you looking for a genealogy lecture to fit an existing series? Are you hoping to start a new genealogy program? A sample of our programs are listed below, organized by topic. We can also develop classes and lectures specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization or can refer you to a speaker who specializes in a specific topic we may not cover. We are currently only scheduling virtual programs but are glad to offer referrals for in person if needed. Please contact us.

Programs to celebrate America’s 250th:

Researching the Other Side: Records of Revolutionary War Loyalists: Not every colonist supported the Americans during the American Revolution. This presentation will introduce the sources that can be used to document Loyalist families, from the New York Confiscation Laws to records of American Loyalist Claims Commission in England.
Trace an African American Patriot from Connecticut: The stories of many of Connecticut’s African American Revolutionary War veterans still wait to be told. This program will introduce the resources needed to piece together their history. We will begin with an overview of sources that can used to identify the family’s structure and major life events, such as births, deaths, and marriages. While so doing, we will identify and learn to work around some of the challenges the clerk’s racial attitudes can create in this research. Second, we will tackle manumission records as a way to learn more about the soldier’s legal status. Finally and most importantly, we will delve into service records and piece together the soldier’s contribution to the Revolutionary cause.
An introduction to French-Canadian patriots: Perfect for a lineage society audience, this program describes the sources for documenting Revolutionary War service for lines through Quebec.
From Local Militia to the Continental Line: Did your ancestor serve on the local level, the state level, or the federal level in the American Revolution? How can you tell? This program will explain the different types of Revolutionary War army service and how the differences in service might have impacted where your ancestor was recorded. It will include a discussion of militia and Continental Line structures, the federal pension system, and more.
Sugar Houses and the Jersey: Prisons During the American Revolution: In an article hosted by the National Park Service, Alan Marsh argues that “an estimated 20,000 Americans were held as prisoners of war and 8,500 died in captivity.” With records scattered between different levels of government, learning the history of your ancestors can be challenging. This presentation will introduce the history and records of prisons and prisoners during the American Revolution.
Trace Your Connecticut Revolutionary Roots: Did your Connecticut ancestor support the American cause during the Revolution? This introductory to intermediate program will introduce you to the major sources that trace their “service” during the War, from pension files to town meeting records. Whether you want to join DAR or SAR or simply learn more about your ancestors’ activities, this program will give you the resources needed to tell their stories.
Trace Your Revolutionary Roots: What did your ancestor do to support the American cause? Whether you’re looking to document service for the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution or simply to learn more about your family’s past, this program will help you find out. The program will be divided into two subsections. The first section will focus on federal level sources that can be used to document service, such as compiled military service records, pension files, and more. The second section will describe some of the state level sources, including tax records.
Two if By Sea: The Sea and The American Revolution:Whether you’re interested in knowing more about your ancestor’s past or in joining the Daughters of the American Revolution, the first stop for many is the records of the Army – yet the sea played an active role in the American Revolution. This program will discuss how to identify and access the records of the Continental and state navies as well as the commissions of privateers.
Can I use DNA to join?: Your DNA test results seem to be full of hints about your Mayflower line or you’ve spotted a Revolutionary War soldier in Ancestry’s Thrulines – and you’re wondering if you can use the test to join a lineage society. The answer is: maybe. Not all lineage societies permit the use of DNA and those that do have strict guidelines about how it can be used. This presentation will introduce you to the lineage society guidelines for the use of DNA. It will open with a discussion of what is and is not considered DNA evidence. It will next discuss the types of tests typically considered by lineage societies. Finally, the presentation will close with a discussion of how and when these tests can be used in society applications.
Navigate the Websites of the Revolutionary War Lineage Societies: Even if you’re not planning to join, the websites of the Sons and the Daughters of the American Revolution can be a valuable resource for tracing your family tree. Discover digitized records, extended family lineages, reference texts and more.
The Revolutionary War lineage societies: Perfect for an intermediate to advanced group, the program covers the basic of a lineage society application to one of the major societies.

Introduction to Genealogy:

Genealogy Basics: FamilySearch: Designed to introduce an audience to a valuable – and free! – resource, this program introduces attendees to the workings of the website.
Genealogy Basics: The Research Process: Designed for beginning to intermediate genealogists, this program introduces attendees to the formal genealogy research process. It will cover identifying a research question; formulating a research plan; and evaluating what’s discovered. Perfect for genealogists starting to feel a little overwhelmed by their initial search.
Genealogy Basics: Where do I look next?: Not every source will answer every research question. This program will introduce the most commonly used sources for US genealogy and discuss what questions about our ancestors they can and cannot answer.
Genealogy Basics: The US Census: Perfect for an audience just getting started in family history research, this program covers one of the foundational sources for researching U.S. ancestors.
Genealogy Basics: Land Records: Land records can help us document the history of property, determine ancestral relationships and more. This program introduces the process of working with land records, from land grants to sales.
Genealogy Basics: Probate: Widow’s Third? Intestate estate? Division? While they are incredibly valuable to genealogy research, the records of probate cases can seem challenging to interpret. This program focuses on explaining the terms most commonly used.
Cross the Pond: Records and family history tell you an ancestor was born in Europe. But you need more than a country to “cross the pond.” This program will introduce the sources most likely to provide a specific town or county of birth for an ancestor who arrived in the US in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Documenting birth, marriage, and death: Designed for an introductory audience, this program will guide attendees through the next steps of documenting a family after searching the census. It will begin by covering vital records (civil registration) . It will then move to sources that can document birth, death, and marriage when vital records don’t exist. While this program will focus on US records, the same principals can be used throughout the world.
Discovering the Digital Collections of the Library of Congress and National Archives: Both have some amazing free collections. Introduce your attendees to a new way to find records of their ancestors.
Maiden Names and Dower Right: Documenting your Female Ancestors In countries with English influence, marriage historically resulted in women giving up their maiden names and losing many of their legal rights. This program will introduce the concepts of couverture, dower right, and other legal principles that may influence records of your ancestors. It will also guide you through navigating those records to learn more about your female ancestors’ lives.

Connecticut Research:

5 Underused Replacements for Connecticut Vital Records: Sure, you’ve heard about Connecticut’s early vital records. But what if your ancestor doesn’t have a birth, death or marriage record? This webinar short will discuss church records, burial transit permits, sexton’s records, probate files, and land records and how they can be used to document birth, marriage, and death.
An introduction to the CT State Library website: Perfect for a CT organization, this program familiarizes Connecticut residents with the resources of the Connecticut State Library.
Accessing Connecticut Land Records: Designed for an intermediate audience, this program helps explain Connecticut’s complex system of record keeping.
Beyond the Gravestone: Researching Death Records in Connecticut: Your ancestor’s death is part of their story. This program will introduce attendees to resources that can document a Connecticut ancestor’s death, including death records, gravestone transcriptions, church records, burial transit permits, and more.
Connecticut Research: The Basics: Designed for an audience with Connecticut roots, this program walks an audience through the basic sources they’ll need to learn more about their family.
Connecticut “History Mystery”: Designed as a flipped classroom program, this program will use a sample item from the local area to teach research techniques. Participants will be prompted to identify a question they want to answer; to suggest resources that might answer their question; and to work together to solve a “history mystery.” The presenter will support with details on how the sources work and how to access, suggest potential solutions, or highlight issues where needed. An ideal way to teach genealogy research while highlighting local history, this program can be offered as a one or multiple session virtual program or a prerecord or social media hybrid.
Cradle to Grave: Documenting Birth, Death, and Marriage in Your Family Search: Learn how to access and use Connecticut vital records, church records, gravestones, and more to learn more about someone in your family.
From Lyme to Lima: Migration from Connecticut to New York: In the early 19^th century, Charleston, NY changed its name to Lima, purportedly in honor of early European settlers who had arrived from Lyme, Connecticut. This presentation will introduce those settlers; discuss the resources available to trace their lives in both Connecticut and New York; and the forces that might have driven them to move.
Getting Started with Connecticut Genealogy: This program is an expanded version of the “Connecticut Research: the Basics” program. Using a Connecticut ancestor as a sample case study, this program introduces the most commonly used sources for Connecticut research: vital records, church records, gravestones, land records, and probate files. It will delve deeply into the process of locating and using these sources, including the best ways to access them online, what sources may or may not be digitized, and why they may or may not work for the ancestor in question. Attendees will leave with a strong understanding of the foundations of Connecticut research.
Discover Connecticut Newspapers: From the social pages to obituaries, Connecticut newspapers can provide valuable details on our ancestors’ lives. This program will introduce attendees to the ways they can locate and access newspaper records.
I know there was a will. But where is it?: While most states have county level probate courts, Connecticut uses districts. District boundaries have changed over time, making finding your ancestor’s records a challenge. This introductory level program will walk participants through the basics of testate and intestate estates, identifying the appropriate probate district, locating digitized records, and what to do if the records have yet to be digitized.
In the Vault: Connecticut’s town clerks hold more than just vital records and deeds. This program discusses some of the more unusual sources found “in the vault” – and how they can help build your family tree.
New England’s Many Colonies: Ten European colonies once held territory in the six states now called New England. This presentation will provide a short history of each colony, explaining how its existence can impact migration patterns, records storage, and more.
Trace an African American Patriot from Connecticut: The stories of many of Connecticut’s African American Revolutionary War veterans still wait to be told. This program will introduce the resources needed to piece together their history. We will begin with an overview of sources that can used to identify the family’s structure and major life events, such as births, deaths, and marriages. While so doing, we will identify and learn to work around some of the challenges the clerk’s racial attitudes can create in this research. Second, we will tackle manumission records as a way to learn more about the soldier’s legal status. Finally and most importantly, we will delve into service records and piece together the soldier’s contribution to the Revolutionary cause.
Trace Your Connecticut Revolutionary Roots: Did your Connecticut ancestor support the American cause during the Revolution? This introductory to intermediate program will introduce you to the major sources that trace their “service” during the War, from pension files to town meeting records. Whether you want to join DAR or SAR or simply learn more about your ancestors’ activities, this program will give you the resources needed to tell their stories.
Who’s Lived in Your House? (Includes Accessing Connecticut Land Records): This two part series helps attendees trace the history of a historic home. The first session will guide participants through building a timeline of the home’s ownership. The second will help them discover the home’s story through maps, photos, local histories, and more. Ideal for a community with a number of historic homes.
From Connecticut to New Jersey: The New Haven Colony. In 1662, residents angry about the merger of New Haven and Connecticut colonies left – and eventually founded the city of Newark. This program will introduce the history of New Haven Colony and the founding of Newark and identify the sources helpful for tracing a family from New Haven Colony.

Revolutionary War:

An introduction to French-Canadian patriots: Perfect for a lineage society audience, this program describes the sources for documenting Revolutionary War service for lines through Quebec.
From local militia to the Continental Line: Did your ancestor serve on the local level, the state level, or the federal level in the American Revolution? How can you tell? This program will explain the different types of Revolutionary War army service and how the differences in service might have impacted where your ancestor was recorded. It will include a discussion of militia and Continental Line structures, the federal pension system, and more.
Researching the Other Side: Records of Revolutionary War Loyalists: Not every colonist supported the Americans during the American Revolution. This presentation will introduce the sources that can be used to document Loyalist families, from the New York Confiscation Laws to records of American Loyalist Claims Commission in England.
Sugar Houses and the Jersey: Prisons During the American Revolution: In an article hosted by the National Park Service, Alan Marsh argues that “an estimated 20,000 Americans were held as prisoners of war and 8,500 died in captivity.” With records scattered between different levels of government, learning the history of your ancestors can be challenging. This presentation will introduce the history and records of prisons and prisoners during the American Revolution.
Trace an African American Patriot from Connecticut: The stories of many of Connecticut’s African American Revolutionary War veterans still wait to be told. This program will introduce the resources needed to piece together their history. We will begin with an overview of sources that can used to identify the family’s structure and major life events, such as births, deaths, and marriages. While so doing, we will identify and learn to work around some of the challenges the clerk’s racial attitudes can create in this research. Second, we will tackle manumission records as a way to learn more about the soldier’s legal status. Finally and most importantly, we will delve into service records and piece together the soldier’s contribution to the Revolutionary cause.
Trace Your Connecticut Revolutionary Roots: Did your Connecticut ancestor support the American cause during the Revolution? This introductory to intermediate program will introduce you to the major sources that trace their “service” during the War, from pension files to town meeting records. Whether you want to join DAR or SAR or simply learn more about your ancestors’ activities, this program will give you the resources needed to tell their stories.
Trace Your Revolutionary Roots: What did your ancestor do to support the American cause? Whether you’re looking to document service for the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution or simply to learn more about your family’s past, this program will help you find out. The program will be divided into two subsections. The first section will focus on federal level sources that can be used to document service, such as compiled military service records, pension files, and more. The second section will describe some of the state level sources, including tax records.
Two if By Sea: The Sea and The American Revolution: Whether you’re interested in knowing more about your ancestor’s past or in joining the Daughters of the American Revolution, the first stop for many is the records of the Army – yet the sea played an active role in the American Revolution. This program will discuss how to identify and access the records of the Continental and state navies as well as the commissions of privateers.

View a sample class.

Luxembourg Research:

Luxembourger – Not German: Luxembourger families are often mistaken for German. Yet the two groups have different cultures, different history, and different record keeping practice. This presentation will introduce attendees to Luxembourger research. It will begin with techniques for identifying families as Luxembourger and locating their place of origin, before moving to an overview of major sources in Luxembourg, including the census, church records, and civil registration.
DNA for More than Ethnicity: The Paternity of John Hingtgen: Who was the biological father of John Hingtgen? At his 1817 birth, Hingtgen was registered as Johan Simong, the illegitimate son of Susanna Simong. Many Hingtgen genealogists have described his paternity as impossible to verify, but that is far from the truth. Hingtgen’s later documents reveal two good candidates for his father: Pierre “Peter” Hingtgen and Jean Hansen. This program will introduce sources beyond birth records that may identify parents and explain how DNA can be used to resolve genealogical research problems.

Lineage Societies:

An introduction to French-Canadian patriots: Perfect for a lineage society audience, this program describes the sources for documenting Revolutionary War service for lines through Quebec.
Can I use DNA to join?: Your DNA test results seem to be full of hints about your Mayflower line or you’ve spotted a Revolutionary War soldier in Ancestry’s Thrulines – and you’re wondering if you can use the test to join a lineage society. The answer is: maybe. Not all lineage societies permit the use of DNA and those that do have strict guidelines about how it can be used. This presentation will introduce you to the lineage society guidelines for the use of DNA. It will open with a discussion of what is and is not considered DNA evidence. It will next discuss the types of tests typically considered by lineage societies. Finally, the presentation will close with a discussion of how and when these tests can be used in society applications.
Lineage Society Applications: The Basics: Thinking of joining a lineage society and need to know what documentation you’ll need for your application? This presentation will introduce the basics of the process, from identifying a qualifying ancestor to documenting the line.
Researching Your Mayflower Ancestor: Designed to introduce a general audience to Mayflower research, this program covers both the process of documenting a Mayflower line and the resources that can provide more details about that ancestor’s life.
Navigate the Websites of the Revolutionary War Lineage Societies: Even if you’re not planning to join, the websites of the Sons and the Daughters of the American Revolution can be a valuable resource for tracing your family tree. Discover digitized records, extended family lineages, reference texts and more.
The Revolutionary War lineage societies: Perfect for an intermediate to advanced group, the program covers the basic of a lineage society application to one of the major societies.

Quebec:

Quebec’s Church Records: An Introduction:Quebec’s church records can provide a gold-mine of information on French Canadian families. This program will introduce the basics of baptismal, marriage, and burial records and how they can be used to trace family roots. It will focus on decoding these records and identifying crucial details. It will also touch on some of the less common situations addressed in these records, including dispensations for consanguinity, illegitimacy, and more.
What’s a notary? The notarial system used in Quebec is unfamiliar to most American researchers. This program will explain how the notarial system works and introduce researchers to some of the records they may find helpful, including wills, guardianships, and more.

Translation of Records:

Decoding French Civil Registration: The Basics: If your ancestor lived in regions once part of the French Empire, their records may be in French. Learn how to navigate their civil registration of births, deaths, and marriages. This presentation will introduce the French system of civil registration, which impacted record keeping in Alsace, Luxembourg, Lorraine, and more. It will begin by discussing the history of the system up to the 19th century, including the Decree of 20 September 1792. It will next offer guidance for decoding these records when the genealogist does not speak French, including common phrases, models, and dictionaries. Finally, it will touch on where a genealogist can go for help, including how to find professional genealogical translators.
Does it actually work?: Using AI to identify the parents of Zephirin Charest of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Quebec. The use of AI tools for transcription and translation is currently a hot topic in genealogy, but how well does it actually work? This case study will use the church records of Zephirin Charest to answer that question. It will attempt to identify his parents using various transcription and translation systems to interpret the records, before comparing the results of a human translator.
Help! My records are not in English. Digitization has made many international records available from home. But how do you read them if you don’t read that language? This presentation will guide you through the basics of decoding non-English language records. It will share some of the resources you can use to explore records on your own and help you determine when you need the aid of a translator.
Tips and Tricks for Working with French Language Records: Don’t read French? It’s still possible to decode what you’re reading. This program will help you work with the most common types of records.
Translation: What a Genealogist Needs to Know. There are a lot of misconceptions about translation in genealogy, including confusion on how the process works, and more. This presentation will explain how translation typically functions in genealogy; the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used tools; and how to choose the most appropriate translation options for your project.
To DIY translation or not to DIY translation? : Genealogists love to do their own translation. With the advent of internet translation tools, Facebook groups, and more, it’s become an easy (and cheap) way to read your ancestor’s records. But is it always a good idea? This program will walk attendees through the pros and cons of the techniques most often used by genealogists for getting their non-English records translated; explain when it is and is not safe to “DIY”; and finally, introduce the basic process of hiring assistance from a professional translator. Examples will be in French, but the principles can be applied to other languages.

Multi-Session Classes:

Introduction to genealogy: This four session class introduces the major sources used in American research, including the U.S. census, vital records, newspapers, and more.
Introduction to Quebec Research: This two session class introduces the major sources used in Quebec research, including the Canadian census, church records, notarial records, and more.
Introduction to Irish research: This two session class introduces students to the sources that can be used to identify their ancestor’s origin in Ireland and the sources that can be used to document their lives there.
Introduction to the Civil War: This two session program introduces students to the resources that can be used to document their ancestor’s participation in the Civil War Army and Navy. Both Union and Confederate sources will be reviewed.
Genealogy Basics: Land Records: This three session program grounds students in land records and how they can be used to build out their family tree.

Looking for something new and unique?

We also offer customized local history related “scavenger hunts” (designed to be used on social media), local history “old photo” coloring page activities, and other take home activities. These programs teach genealogy related topics in a fun, hands on way. They can be combined with a contest to encourage participation. We can also develop classes and lectures specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization. Please contact us.