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FULL PROGRAM SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
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Presentation Title |
Speaker |
Description |
Format and Date/Time |
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10 Things a Genealogist Should Do Before Leaving a Library or Archives |
Have you ever gotten home from a genealogy research trip and said to yourself, “I forgot to do that!”? Learn the 10 things genealogists should do before they leave a library and archives to make their research trip a success. |
On Demand |
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Bring your New York land questions to this panel discussion featuring Jane E. Wilcox and Skip Duett. They will present some brief highlights on the various types and collections of New York land records and then answer your land-related questions live for the bulk of the hour. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Learn about various alien registrations instituted in the United States as early as 1798, the records that were created, and where to find immigrant ancestors within. Alien registration in the United States was not confined to the 1940 Alien Registration Act and the Form AR-2 that is well known to 20th-century immigrant researchers. This lecture will cover alien registrations as early as 1798, during the Civil War, and in the eras of WWI and WWII. It will also discuss state registrations during interwar periods and other times when aliens were registered. The records created as a result of these registrations might be the only place an immigrant’s place of origin is found, providing vital context to a family’s immigration story |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Beyond the Pastoral Register: Family Papers of Circuit Ministers in 19th-Century NY State |
The papers of 19th-century circuit riders contain a wealth of information on the rural communities in which the pastors and their families lived and served—from vital registrations to local events. Highlighted is a newly acquired collection at the New York State Library, The James Atwell Family Papers, which is an intimate look at a Methodist minister’s family who lived in nine New York State counties over five decades. |
On Demand |
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Buffalo, the Queen City: The Rise of an Erie Canal Boomtown, 1825 to 1918 |
Poised at the harbor of Lake Erie, the City of Buffalo played a pivotal role in the peopling of New York State during the nineteenth century. By examining various sources, such as travelers’ accounts, Erie Canal records, and business ledgers, discover how Buffalo became a hub of commerce and transportation, and reigned as queen of the Erie Canal boomtowns. |
On Demand |
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This presentation examines numerous New York State County Courthouses and demonstrates common records one can expect to find, along with examples of unique records that researchers may not be familiar with. Also discussed are dissolved courts, various index systems, how to find digitized courthouse records, and more. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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New York City families with Connecticut roots sometimes sent the remains of their deceased relatives back to Connecticut for burial. The records created in that process can provide insight into our ancestors and their family history. This presentation will introduce three sources documenting Connecticut burials, opening with the Hale Collection (a Works Progress Administration cemetery transcription project) before moving on to sexton’s or burial books, and then burial transit permits. The discussion will touch on the laws behind each source, their strengths and limitations, and how to access each of them. |
On Demand |
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Digging Into Finding Aids: The Road Map to Any New York Manuscript Collection |
Genealogists use all kinds of tools to help them with their genealogy research. One of the best tools to understand and use when working with manuscript collections is the finding aid. Archivists develop finding aids to help genealogists navigate through manuscript collections to find their ancestors. This presentation will help genealogists read, follow, and use a finding aid to find their New York ancestors. |
On Demand |
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Filling out a search form on Ancestry only returns a small percentage of the millions of records available on the site. There is so much more you can find by searching in individual collections on Ancestry. Learn how to search so you can find all records your ancestors may be mentioned in. |
On Demand |
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Don't Be Afraid of New York Land Records: Mastering the Basics |
New York land records can be complex and confusing. By 1810, New York, a “State Lands” state, was already mostly surveyed using a hodgepodge of systems that can be difficult to understand. But land records can provide critical evidence toward breaking through your brickwalls. Master the basics so you can start using this valuable resource. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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East to West, North to South: Canals and the Peopling of NY State, 1817–1918 |
Though the Erie Canal played a key role in the peopling of New York State, it was not the sole artery of commerce and transportation. The Champlain Canal (completed 1823) facilitated access to northern New York, and inspired the creation of a vast network of lateral canals spanning northern to southern counties. Original records reveal the racial and ethnic diversity of the population who worked and lived along New York State’s canals. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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An unlinked family cluster is a very specific phenomenon in genetic genealogy, one that is becoming increasingly common. It is a linked group of DNA matches, all descending from a common ancestor, that you cannot link into your own family tree. In this lecture, we will examine ways to identify, understand, and explore these unlinked family clusters. |
On Demand |
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Neighborhood research (also called cluster or FAN research) can help us break through brick walls. When records our ancestors left don’t tell the story, we look for mentions of them in the records of the people around them. Learn how to use this powerful method for advancing our research. |
On Demand |
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Finding American Women’s Voices: Letters, Journals, Newspapers, and Court Records |
Women from the 17th through the 20th centuries are challenging to uncover, but we may hear their voices in the documents that recorded their lives. With many examples from the speaker’s own New England, New York, and Wisconsin family history, learn where to look for womenfolk in letters, diaries and journals, newspapers, and various court records. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Identifying the New York City Parents of an 1890 Iowa Orphan Train Rider |
In 1890, 46 orphans arrived in Hamilton County, Iowa from New York City. We will cover the history of the movement and look at a case study of one of these orphans—conducting a traditional genealogical investigation of their life and learning how one can reverse-engineer the conflicting information to identify the parents using New York City resources. |
On Demand |
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Award-winning author and journalist A’Lelia Bundles will discuss her experience researching the amazing women in her family, the joys and challenges of genealogical research, and the importance of making family history research open and accessible to all. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Locate and Use 18th-Century Tax & Militia Lists to Identify Ancestral Migration |
Tax and militia lists for non-landowner residents of the Colony of New York in the 1700s supply family members, associates, neighbors, and friends for cluster research. Find out how to properly interpret tax lists and use both tax and militia lists to identify neighbors and extract migration clues for your ancestors. |
On Demand |
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From bounty land to pensions to service records, there is no shortage of genealogical records for soldiers from the War of 1812. Learn why these records were created, how to make sense of them, and what those records can contain for your ancestors. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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New York Farms and the Ancestors Who Worked Them: Were They Yours? |
Farms led to, or were created by, civilization. Nowhere is this more a reality than in New York State. Farm families came to America for freedoms, including that of an immigrant being able to boast of having a trade of his own. Even businesses not directly connected to agriculture found themselves enhanced by the farmers in the region. This presentation will explore the wide variety of resources available for farming data. |
On Demand |
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It can seem intimidating to find information about your ancestors in the millions of records held by the New York State Archives. Fortunately, the Archives’ online tools can make your research much easier. This presentation will introduce you to the online tools available to everyone, including finding aids, name indexes, digital collections, and guides to popular research topics. In addition, you will explore the wealth of Archives records available for free on Ancestry.com. |
On Demand |
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New York State Archives Records: A Focus On 19th- and 20th-Century Immigrants |
The New York State Archives (NYSA) holds the records of the State government. With a focus on records that contain 19th- and early 20th-century immigrants and their children, this talk will discuss new as well as familiar State-level records to assist in your family history research. |
On Demand |
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New York State County Miscellaneous Records: They May Be What You’re Looking For |
New York county miscellaneous records hold a wonderful hodgepodge of ancestral history. This class will tell you what you might find and how to access them. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Because of New York’s draconian vital records laws, it often becomes necessary to use obscure record sets to locate research subjects. This lecture will discuss historic records that are typically overlooked by genealogists, either because they are not well known, or because they are not thought to be genealogically relevant. |
On Demand |
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All items donated by the NYG&B to the New York Public Library (NYPL) can be found at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which is located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City. Much of the collection can be found in the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy Room. Other collections are located in the Microforms Section, the Map Division, and the Manuscript Division. Join the NYG&B’s Director, Publications, Susan R. Miller, as she explores the NYG&B Collections at the NYPL, what resources are available, and how to locate and use those collections. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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The NYG&B online collections include millions of names and encompass all of New York State. Join the NYG&B’s Director of Programs and Partnerships Todd M. Hirsch for a look at the online records you can find on our website. Todd reviews some of the most popular and essential online records—many of which cannot be found anywhere else— and will highlight some of the collections you may not have thought to explore. The session also includes a live demo of searching and viewing records, a discussion of recently added collections, and Q&A on how to use the platform most effectively |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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Records in New York’s Dutch and British colonial periods contain a wealth of information about some of New York’s early inhabitants from 1624 to the Revolutionary War. Learn the basic types of records useful to family historians and how to find them—from local, county, and colony records to manuscripts and published resources |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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This program will show how to recreate historic routes with the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) collections. You will learn what types of material are useful for researching this topic, including maps, travel guides, city directories, passenger lists, and periodicals as well as how to search for these materials within NYPL’s collections. You will see how you can use this information in genealogy, local history research, and writing projects. |
On Demand |
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Searching and searching and still no ship manifest? Learn about the various indexes available to help locate an ancestor’s elusive arrival record. Back before passenger arrival records were widely available and indexed online, researchers used National Archives (NARA) microfilms to locate an index entry of a ship manifest. These indexes have mostly been forgotten, but still hold enormous research value. This lecture will discuss how these various NARA microfilms can help to locate otherwise “unfindable” manifests—especially when the records they index have since been destroyed… or there was no arrival record created at the time of arrival. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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The Great Rebellion of 1766 – Tenant Farmers Riot Against Landlords |
The Colony of New York issued patents to large landowners who rented farm lots to tenants. Conflicts between tenant farmers and proprietors (landlords) culminated in a rent riot in 1766. Learn the causes of the conflict, how it affected migration in and out of Dutchess County (in particular), and clues to determining if your ancestor participated. |
On Demand |
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The Grosvenor Room is the premiere genealogical destination in Western New York and holds a wealth of information on all things Buffalo and Erie County. Its rich historical collections just might break down your brick wall. |
On Demand |
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The Wood family followed a typical migration pattern of an early Quebecois: from France to Montreal in the 1600s to upstate New York in about 1847. After one generation in New York, two brothers migrated west, buying land and settling in Wisconsin. We follow these migrations using the records they created. |
On Demand |
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With the anniversary of the American Revolution fast approaching, it’s time to delve into our revolutionary roots. This introductory program will identify common profiles of service that can help us learn what our ancestors did during the war and discuss how to document that service, including the common migration patterns that may have brought an ancestor from New England into New York State after the war. |
On Demand |
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In the 20 years since Blaine took his first genetic genealogy test, he has watched the field grow from a handful of enthusiasts to millions of test-takers around the world. He has experienced his own surprises and broken down his own challenging brick walls. In this lecture, Blaine will look back on his experiences and share insights. |
On Demand |
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Jews didn’t plan to live in the Russian Empire, but the Russian Empire took over the lands in which they lived. Jews’ lives were highly regulated—producing a significant amount of paperwork, much of which still exists. Learn about vital records and censuses that exist along with other records that will place Jewish residents and help understand their lives in the Russian Empire. You will also learn about resources to find documents relating to relatives who lived in the Soviet Union; even if your family left pre-Russian Revolution, they almost surely had relatives who remained. |
On Demand |
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In the past two years, much has changed in the world of New York genealogy—new record collections, new efforts to preserve history statewide, and, in the context of the NYG&B, updates to many research tools and support services on offer. Join NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor for an exploration of everything new in New York genealogy. Highlights include colonial immigration records and Society of Colonial Wars-In the State of New York applications, the New York biographical index, Trinity Church transcriptions, and the Digitize New York initiative. |
In Person and Livestreamed |
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