Building on the foundation established in Part 1, this advanced genealogy course dives deeper into the historical and cultural contexts surrounding death, mourning, and cemeteries. Participants will explore how social, economic, and political factors shaped how death was recorded and commemorated across different time periods in the United States. Topics include understanding the historical context behind death, mourning, and cemeteries. In addition, we will explore how to conduct thorough research that goes beyond typical genealogical sources. The course emphasizes the use of historical resources and archives to enrich genealogical research. By the end of this course, students will be equipped with advanced techniques to interpret their ancestors’ deaths and burials within a richer historical framework, uncovering new insights about their ancestors’ lives and communities.

Discover how maps can bring your ancestors’ stories to life in Mapping Your Ancestors. Designed for genealogists, local historians, and librarians, this 10-week course presents an overview of historical cartography and modern mapping tools. Learn to trace family migrations, explore ancestral land ownership, and uncover the context of historical events through colonial maps, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and more. With hands-on training in tools like Google Earth, GIS tools, and AI-enhanced platforms, you’ll gain skills to discover a treasure trove of genealogical and historical insights from maps.

Genealogists value the power and legacy of the written word. We all love to research. Some love to write. Others, fueled by intimidation and self-doubt, guiltily procrastinate the writing, secretly hoping for a miracle. This course may just be the beginning of a miracle.

Karen Stanbary will share her passion for storytelling. Trained as a clinician, she will blast away your writing obstacles and empower you to finally memorialize the stories that deserve to be preserved.

This all-new course adapts the successful structure widely applauded in national writing workshops, making it a bit gentler.

Students select from the following topics:

• Document one event in the life of a recently deceased ancestor such as a beloved parent or grandparent. Employing a deep dive into documentary sources, the writing will pinpoint the event within a historical context.
• Document the oral history about a treasured family heirloom. The writing will tell the story while stressing the meaning of the piece to the family. Documentary sources will add texture to the tale.
• Document your ancestor’s participation in a specific military engagement, incorporating images as possible.
• Document the historical context and the story hidden within a family photograph.

Between classes, students will engage in anonymous peer review and will edit their work with a focus on creative, but tight writing. The final piece is intended to preserve the stories down through generations.

This course takes students on a journey through Manifest Destiny, one of the most transformative eras in American history. Beginning in 1787 with the purchase of the Northwest Territory and ending in 1890 when the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the frontier was closed, we explore the cultural, political, and economic motivations that propelled our ancestors to the West. Course sessions will examine U.S. Congressional acts and other events focused on territorial boundaries, the expansion of slavery, wars against indigenous populations and subsequent displacement, land acquisition, mining booms, westward trails, railroad development, and strategies for identifying primary sources documenting ancestral journeys westward.

The goal of this course, which is a companion course to Foundations: The Research Process, is to help students understand intermediate-level records and research methods in order to be able to research efficiently and effectively and produce reliable answers to research questions. Students choose a research project of their own to work on throughout the course, and weekly homework assignments allow immediate practice of concepts learned. A variety of records are explored, including local and federal land, military, immigration and naturalization, DNA, and the laws underlying the records researchers consult. Also covered are research methods and concepts such as the Genealogical Proof Standard, evidence analysis, neighborhood research, and writing genealogical proofs. The course equips students with the skills necessary to find and understand intermediate-level records and to use the evidence from those records to come to sound conclusions about their ancestors.

Many Americans claim German ancestry and want to research their ancestors. To extend one’s ancestry into Germany, one must know the town of origin. It is not enough to know they came from Germany or even a specific German state. Phase 1 teaches students how to find their ancestor’s hometown by conducting thorough research using United States sources and utilizing appropriate methodology.

The goal of this course, which is a companion course to Foundations: The Research Process, is to help students understand intermediate-level records and research methods in order to be able to research efficiently and effectively and produce reliable answers to research questions. Students choose a research project of their own to work on throughout the course, and weekly homework assignments allow immediate practice of concepts learned. A variety of records are explored, including local and federal land, military, immigration and naturalization, DNA, and the laws underlying the records researchers consult. Also covered are research methods and concepts such as the Genealogical Proof Standard, evidence analysis, neighborhood research, and writing genealogical proofs. The course equips students with the skills necessary to find and understand intermediate-level records and to use the evidence from those records to come to sound conclusions about their ancestors.

This course provides an opportunity for advanced genealogists to gain hands-on experience solving tough cases. They challenge themselves as they put their research skills into practice. Participants work on five complex genealogical research problems — a new one each week. The objective is to give students experience in conducting research on complex problems, analyzing and correlating information, and writing conclusions.

Participants will practice using indirect evidence, broadening research to include the FAN club, resolving conflicts, and organizing evidence into a written summary. The research problems are varied, offering students the challenge of stretching their minds and skills in directions that their research may not have taken them. Participants will work individually on each of the cases and then gather to discuss their progress with classmates and the instructor. They will compare sources, strategies, and methodologies, discuss difficulties encountered, and receive guidance from the case study author.

This course is designed for advanced genealogists who have sufficient experience and education to work on complex genealogical problems. Most students plan 15-20 hours per week to work on the cases and write up a summary of their findings.