National (US) Genealogical Society Conference

2019 NGS Family History Conference—Journey of Discovery

With courage in their hearts, joy in their souls, and a compass in their hands, American pioneers set out charting their course as they migrated to the Louisiana Purchase and the Northwest Territory. They opened the Midwest and Plains states to migration and new settlements. They crossed the country by wagon train and on foot, sailed on steamboats along the rivers, and rode the rails. Settlers farmed the land, felled trees for log cabins, or carved the earth to build sod houses. Native Americans, French fur traders, and Spanish soldiers preceded these settlers. After the Civil War, freed African Americans traveled north from southern plantations. The Germans and Irish as well as Eastern Europeans poured into the country and established new towns and cities, schools, and businesses, while maintaining their own customs and religions. Our predecessors built a nation and established their own history as they experienced the ultimate journey of discovery.

These migrations inspired our conference program, Journey of Discovery. The program will focus on topics such as vital records and religious records, migration and immigration, U.S. census and military records, land records and maps, court records, ethnic resources, government documents, using DNA testing, technology for genealogy, Midwest regional topics, and much more.”