Courses

The History Behind Migration

The History Behind Migration

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student The first module of US: Migration Patterns was packed full of useful information.  Facts and tid-bits that I had not heard before, or at least not stopped to consider when looking at the bigger picture of US migration patterns.  I actually read this module several times through.  Each time I did I made a note in the margins about statements that related to my personal research, and I am sure you will too. Of particular interest was the long list of records presented that might be left behind as our ancestors moved westward.  Some I am sure you can guess.  Of course there could be bible records, censuses, personal manuscripts, or vital records.  Some of the more unusual ones (that I will be checking on) were emigrant aid companies, fort records, occupation records, voting registers, plus many others.  Once again reminding me that our ancestors did not live in a vacuum.  They were people who lived full lives and left a paper trail if you know where, or how, to look. If you have read any of my blog posts in the past you may remember me harping on how important it is to know all types of history and geography.  Which is why I was literally yelling “YES” as I read Module 1 and came to the section on history and geography.  Our instructor, Beverly Whitaker, does an excellent job driving home the point that you need to understand the history of the US, from…

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My Next Course: US Migration Patterns

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Through my research I have learned that my ancestors never stayed in one place too long.  Some of you may be among the small few that had ancestors arrive on these shores and stay put, but for the majority of people, that didn’t happen.  There was always new places, new adventures, new land, and new opportunity just waiting over the horizon. Understanding why people moved once they arrived in America can be critical to unlocking a few of those pesky brick walls.  I have studied a lot about why people immigrated to the US but not as much time on why they then kept moving west. For those of you who have read my blog posts before you know that my family is mainly from the  state of Indiana.  They came there from Europe and from eastern United States.  While my direct line stayed in Indiana (for over 100 years until my parents left) many of their extended family kept moving west.  Some landed along the Mississippi.  Others made it all the way to California.  In this course I hope to learn more about why they moved, how they got there, and any other motivations that may have gone into that decision. By looking at the introduction for the course US: Migration Patterns  I see that we will cover everything from Colonial American migration through the 20th century.  Then there are the mention of maps.  I love maps!  They really drive home what was physically done…

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What’s New?: Manitoba Ancestors Course Updated

What’s new at The National Institute? An update to the course Research: Manitoba Ancestors. Have Manitoba ancestors? This course will help you learn more about the specifics of researching in this area. The course description states: “Permanent settlement in Manitoba began in the early 1800s. This course will demonstrate how the records the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Dominion, provincial and municipal governments created help the genealogical researcher trace ancestors in Manitoba. Emphasis will be placed on how to access the records and how to use them effectively. Although the focus will be on the major government and religious records, the course will demonstrate how to supplement these records by using local newspapers, cemetery records, community, school and church histories. Other important resources to be discussed are the collections and programs of genealogical, historical and ethnic societies in Manitoba.” Check out the Course  page to learn more.

Planning a Cemetery Trip

  by Tami K. Pelling, PLCGS. Staff, The National Institute for Genealogical Studies Just  as  many  of  our  ancestors  frequently  visited  cemeteries  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  enjoy  a picnic, tend to the care of a gravesite, or pay respect to their loved ones—we follow in their footsteps. A picnic in the cemetery as a child with my great aunt, Lucille, is a memory that I will always treasure.  Another  childhood  memory  that  I  hold  just  as  dear  is  traveling  from cemetery to cemetery with my mother and Lucille to place flowers on  graves of family members—every holiday, birthday, and anniversary—of course, during the warmer months. So now that it’s summer, you might be ready to plan your own cemetery trips. But first, a bit of caution. Safety first!  It doesn’t matter whether you are visiting a big city cemetery or a pioneer cemetery surrounded  by  cornfields and  woods. Safety cannot be emphasized enough–take someone with you and bring a fully charged cell phone! In planning a cemetery trip, the first item on the agenda is to learn the location of the cemetery or cemeteries you wish to visit and determine if they are located on private property, governed by a trustee, association, organization, or corporation. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you may wish  to  contact  one  of  the  local  funeral  homes,  genealogical  or  historical  society,  library,  or government office to determine ownership. At the same time, inquire whether the cemetery has an office along with contact information. It…

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Course Tip: Chronicling America

Earlier, we spotlighted the US: Newspaper Records  course as part of the My Favorite Course blog series. Are newspapers your favorite genealogy source? Here’s a tip from the course. The website Chronicling  America  is  a  repository of  select digitized  newspapers covering the years 1836-1922. But Chronicling America offers more than digitized newspapers. Chronicling  America is  an  online  resource  that  can  be  used  to  identify newspapers  in  a  particular  area  and  time  period. Each  listing  provides details  about  the  newspaper,  such  as  dates  of  publication,  frequency,  and  language,  as  well  as  what  repositories  hold  either original  or  microform versions  of  the  newspaper. Chronicling  America is  based  on  records  created  during  the  US  Newspaper Program that ran from 1982 to 2009. To  use  this  resource,  visit Chronicling  America and  click  on  the  button that  says  “US  Newspaper  Directory,  1690-Present.”  You  can  browse  by newspaper title using the letters at the top (e.g., clicking on the letter “C” will  list  all  the  newspapers  that  begin  with  the  letter  “c”).  Alternatively,  you  can search for newspapers in  a particular state, county, or  city, using the corresponding drop-down menus, and further limit the time period by selecting a year range. There are other search options such as keyword and language. You can also search by ethnicity or occupation to find specialty newspapers.  When you find a newspaper of interest, you can view the record for more details,   such   as   frequency   of   publication,   dates   of publication,   and  alternate titles. To see a list of repositories that have the…

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