Looking Ahead to 2020

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment which granted women the constitutional right to vote. That means 2020 is a great time to focus on researching female ancestors.

Looking for a speaker to provide information on suffrage, women's history, or other topics that impacted our female ancestors? I'm traveling through various states and Canada speaking on these topics and would love to present to your group in person or virtually. Some of my presentation topics include the following:

Suffrage

A Genealogist's History of Suffrage
A condensed look at suffrage and what social history you need to know to tell the story of your female ancestor.

Voting: The Records Left Behind
What records exist to document a female ancestor in regards to voting? What records can you find online and in archives. We will discuss the history of suffrage in the United States and the records that exist. We will also discuss how not every female ancestor had the right to vote in 1920.

Female Ancestors

The Farmer Takes a Wife
“He was just a farmer” is a common lament but what about the farmer’s wife? Sources and material culture can help reconstruct her life. Learn about virtually unknown sources and repositories including the USDA Library, farm newspapers, and more. 


25 Tips for Researching Your Female Ancestors
Every year for Women’s History Month, I create 30 blog posts about researching female ancestors. Based on those articles, learn 25 tips that will help you identify, trace, and discover more about your female ancestors.

Wives, Widows, Spinsters, and Mistresses: Documenting Women’s Relationships
Details about women’s lives are found in examining their relationships. What records exist that document relationships to significant others? Learn what records exist that connect a woman to her husband, partner, or significant other, what information the records provide, as well as where these records can be found. 

Grandma was an Alien?! Marriage and Citizenship in 20th Century America 
Not too long ago, American women lost their citizenship when marrying non-citizens. While the 1920s saw changes to this law, women were still applying for their citizenship well into the 1970s. We’ll discuss marriage and women’s citizenship, as well as their repatriation. Examples from research at the National Archives and other repositories will help tell the story of these women’s lives. 

Her Name was Not Unknown:  Finding Female Ancestors
“What’s her maiden name?” “What happened to her after her husband died?” “How do I start researching my great-grandmother?” We’ve all felt the disappointment of seeing the word “unknown” to describe a female ancestor’s name. How do we go from “unknown” to finding a name?  This presentation will explain techniques, methodology, and resources vital to family history research. Enhance your research skills using a 5-step approach to researching (and finding) female ancestors.

The Secret Lives of Women: Research Female Ancestors Using the Sources They Left Behind
Why is finding a female ancestor so difficult? One reason is the way we research their lives. Successful research must combine familiar genealogical sources and the specific sources that women left behind. It is the sources that women authored or participated in that tell us their unique story.  In this lecture we look at the specific trail women left including signature quilts, community cookbooks, journals, and diaries.

I'm in the Book: Researching Women in Directories
City directories are great, but what other types of directories exist that can lead you to information about female ancestors? Surprisingly there are numerous kinds that include members of a church, community group, and membership organizations. Learn more about directories, what they contain and most importantly, where to find them.

Fabric, Cigars, and Murder: Reconstructing a Community of Women
Imagine finding a 1930s quilt top with the names of numerous women and, through genealogical research, uncovering a community. After I purchased a quilt top in Southern California, I started a research journey that led me to Indiana and a unique community of women and the records they left behind. 

Women in the Newspaper
Newspapers are the great equalizer and women are prominent in their pages. In this lecture we will discuss the types of articles women can be found in, as well as search-engine tips specific to researching women.

Researching Women: Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors
Community cookbooks, commonly known as fundraising cookbooks with the plastic comb binding, have been around since the Civil War. They serve as a “city directory” of women, with everything from names, residences, and in some cases familial relationships and photos. Learn more about community cookbooks and using them for your family history. Presentation includes community cookbooks and food.

Martha Proby and her Book: A Case Study of a 19th Century English Woman

Martha Proby, a spinster living in early 19th century England left behind a unique artifact, a commonplace book. The research done to uncover who Martha was, her community, her manuscript, and her modern-day family includes methodologies that can assist anyone researching a female ancestor. Beyond the same old same old, these techniques go beyond typical family history research.