You Have Plans: SCGS's Summer Webinar Series

Register now for our summer presentations from our popular Webinar Series and share the word with your genealogically minded friends. We have five online webinars on topics ranging from DNA mystery matches to exploring the digital archives of the Library of Congress, all of which are free. An offer you can't refuse!

Note: If the registration link doesn't take you to a registration form, please right-click on the registration link and choose either open in a new tab, or open in a new window. You can also copy and paste the link into the URL bar.

Meet our Spring Webinar speakers

Happy So Cal Summer! Our speakers, from left: Karen A. Fortin, Allyson Maughan, Pam Vestal, Kelley Barrett, and Diane L. Richard.

Here's the lineup:

• Saturday, June 7, 10 to 11:30 a.m. PDT: Karen A. Fortin presents "Exploring the Library of Congress Digital Collections."

The Library of Congress website features over 500 digitized collections of manuscripts, maps, prints, audio recordings, and more. This presentation will introduce you to the wide range of resources available in these collections and show you how they can help you in your family history research.

Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9182731234156155481

• Wednesday, June 18, 6 to 7 p.m. PDT: Allyson Maughan presents "A Last Name for Mary Ann: Finding Maiden Names for Women."

Most married women in the United States appear on records with their husband's last name. What records can we turn to in our pursuit of maiden names? Follow the case of Mary Ann Wolf from Illinois to learn how to find and confirm a maiden name. Key Learning Objectives: 1) Naming systems in the U.S. after marriage; 2) Records that contain maiden names: vital records self and children, church, cemetery, military, children's vital records, obituaries, life sketches, etc.; 3) Repositories holding the records online and in-person; 4) Last names and their meanings and spellings; 5) Case study.

Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4647744947859476831

• Wednesday, July 16, 6 to 7 p.m. PDT: Pam Vestal presents "Was Your Ancestor Truly Gone or Just Hidden Within the Records?"

Why haven't you been able to find your ancestors in the records? Perhaps it's because historical documents are often hidden from view or filled with information that is present but concealed. Records may be stored in a place or an unexpected manner, misspelled, indexed incorrectly, or separated from other similar records. We'll explore strategies for tracking down these elusive ancestors so that we don't miss a single detail.

Register now: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4244489161775067995.

• Saturday, August 2, 10 to 11 a.m. PDT: Kelley Barrett, PhD, presents "Discovering More About Mystery DNA Matches."

You submitted your DNA test kit and have a list of matches a mile long. You've sent messages. It's been days, weeks, months, or even years, and you're still waiting for a response. Now what? How can you learn more if your matches have gone radio silent? Kelley will provide tips and techniques for learning more about genetic matches with or without their active participation.

Register now: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3947741969547698526

• Wednesday, August 20, 6 to 7 p.m. PDT: Diane L. Richard presents "The Story of Rachel - Challenges of Manumission." If someone "freed" an enslaved person via their will, one might expect it to happen -- you might be mistaken. We'll discuss manumission—what it is and the laws in place. Then we'll explore the odyssey of Rachel, seemingly freed by her enslaver's will in 1782. It was not until 1800 that she and her children, including a son, were freed, as documented in subsequently discovered paperwork. Several jurisdictions, entities, and parties were involved; paperwork was hidden everywhere. Historical context about the law, Quakers, Abolitionists, and more is also included.

  
  

  Register now: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4089017119088405856