Join us for this all-day, online event!
Federal records are invaluable tools for genealogists because they often preserve detailed, first-person data that may not appear in local or family-held sources. These records — ranging from pension applications and service records to land bounty files and employment records can reveal not only dates and locations but also personal experiences, physical descriptions, family relationships, and even financial or medical hardships. They provide context to an ancestor’s life by situating them within national events such as wars, migrations, or public service, often uncovering stories of resilience, sacrifice, or opportunity that enrich the broader family narrative. Our speaker will focus on several historical periods that affect a wide range of the U.S. population.
The seminar will take place via Zoom.
Saturday, November 8
9:00 am – 10:15 am – Fighting on the Frontier: Researching the Indian Wars
10:30 am – 11:30 am – That Splendid Little War: Researching the Spanish-American War
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Enemy Aliens: Registering Our Immigrant Forebears
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Federal Taxes and the Genealogical Records They Created
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm – Closing, including door prizes and final words
Pricing: $70 (members $55)
Registration: gfo.org/seminar
Meet Our Speaker:
Our speaker, Michael L. Strauss, AG®, is an Accredited Genealogist and forensic investigator. He holds a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. He is a licensed Private Investigator and qualified expert witness in Surrogate Court and Circuit Court in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
He is best known in the genealogical community as an expert on military and federal records, and is a national genealogical lecturer and instructor for military courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).
Mr. Strauss has worked on identifying MIA remains from WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars, and was the film historian for the 2015 Academy Award nominated movie “Finding Vivian Maier”.
