The NYSFHC @ Home Starter Pass (starting at just $115) includes 8 live and 8 specific on-demand sessions. This pass will offer a lighter experience than the complete NYSFHC @ Home Pass, which includes access to all virtual events.
NYSFHC @ Home Starter Pass
Livestream Sessions: Thursday, September 10, 2020
A NYSFHC @ Home Starter Pass provides access to these livestreamed activities by logging into nysfhc.nygbs.org
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Open Q&A with the NYSFHC team!
Last-minute questions about attending the event online? Wanting to do a last-minute audio check? Trying to decide which on-demand session to view first? The NYSFHC team will be online for an open question and answer session to ensure you are able to make the most out of NYSFHC 2020.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Opening Session—Preserving the Records of New York State
Join NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor as we open NYSFHC 2020 with an address from New York State Archivist, Thomas J. Ruller. Mr. Ruller will discuss the work of the New York State Archives and its role in the preservation of New York’s records.
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Uncharted Waters: Diving into the Holdings of the New York State Archives
Presented by Jane E. Wilcox
The New York State Archives (NYSA) holds a diverse collection of state governmental records. Learn familiar and obscure resources to help advance your NY research. Includes a finding aid demonstration.
3:30 – 4:30 PM
DNA Signatures of Mayflower Passengers
Presented by Janine Cloud, Sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA
For years, genealogists have researched and sought connections to the 51 Mayflower passengers known to have descendants. This talk explores how DNA testing may be able to help confirm direct paternal and maternal lines through use of Y and mitochondrial DNA.
6:00 – 7:00 PM
NYG&B Member Reception (all are invited)!
Grab your favorite beverage from home and a few snacks and join fellow NYG&B members to mingle, share research adventures, and learn more about what’s new at the NYG&B.
Livestream Sessions: Friday, September 11, 2020
10:45 – 11:45 AM
First Steps for Evaluating Your DNA Test
Presented by Angie Bush
You've taken a DNA test, but aren't quite sure what the first steps should be in reviewing your results. The presenter has evaluated DNA test results for 1000s of clients. Learn the process she uses to review DNA test results to understand how best to incorporate those results to answer genealogical research questions.
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Copyright Considerations for Genealogists
Presented by Blaine Bettinger
As genealogists, intellectual property is one of our greatest assets. We write client reports, articles, blog posts, and so much more. Learn about how copyright and trademark law protects your intellectual property. And just as importantly, discover what you should do to avoid infringing on the rights of others!
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Using Indirect and Negative Evidence to Prove Unrecorded Events
Presented by Thomas W. Jones
Information hidden below the surface or totally absent helps researchers reconstruct events, identities, and relationships that no record specifies. Examples show how.
5:30 – 6:30 PM
New York Stories Live!
Sponsored by YourStory™ by Gaylord Archival
Listen to stories from across New York’s rich history from fellow conference attendees, speakers, and special guests. Have a story you would like to share? Now’s your chance!
Livestream Sessions: Saturday, September 12, 2020
11:15 – 12:15 PM
Expanding Research to Backtrack New Yorkers to New England
Presented by Thomas W. Jones
Two case studies demonstrate how searching beyond the person of interest led to establishing the separate origins of two unrelated Revolutionary War veterans who settled in New York with no record of their parents or prior residence.
1:30 – 2:30 PM
To Be Announced
2:45 – 3:45 PM
The What’s New in DNA Update
Presented by Blaine Bettinger
Keeping track of new and changing tools and methodologies in the DNA/genetic genealogy world is tough. This session will help stay on top of the latest developments.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Speaker Question and Answer Session and NYSFHC 2020 Wrap-Up
Close out your NYSFHC 2020 experience with an interactive Q&A session with selected conference speakers, the NYSFHC team, and a final chance to say farewell to new—and old—friends.
On-demand Sessions: Available September 10–30, 2020
A NYSFHC @ Home Starter Pass provides access to these on-demand sessions by logging into nysfhc.nygbs.org
People of New York (and Beyond)
Did Your Colonial Ancestors Own Slaves?
Presented by Janice Lovelace
Do you have New York ancestors who might have owned slaves? Did they live in colonial New York through early 19th century? This presentation discusses researching censuses, wills, court proceedings, business records and, newspapers for information.
Genealogical Research in Austro-Hungarian Empire
Presented by Michelle Chubenko
Discover resources to research your ancestor from the multi-ethnic historical Austro-Hungarian Empire and how to determine the location of your ancestral town. Learn strategies to locate available records and relevant archives in the twelve successor (modern) countries. Examples of records and their importance, both from North America and from Europe, will be discussed.
New York's Records
New York City and State Governmental Vital Records
Presented by Jane E. Wilcox
New York is notoriously challenging to find births, deaths, and marriages. Learn to navigate New York City and State governmental vital records.
Researching New York State Institutional Hospitals
Presented by Rhoda Miller
Considerable interest has been expressed in researching New York State institutional hospitals. Strategies for learning more about patients, and their experiences, will be presented despite privacy issues in obtaining records.
DNA and Technology
Making the Most of Ancestry.com's Search Engine
Presented by Alec Ferretti
Attendees will learn tips & tricks to more efficiently search Ancestry’s indexes, by understanding how to leverage their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. The nuances using records that have been indexed with OCR will be discussed, along with the idiosyncrasies of how they have indexed certain fields of certain records.
Using DNA to Identify Biological Parents for Adoptees and Others
Presented by Angie Bush
Learn the basic methodology used by the experts to turn DNA matches into names and stories for biological parents or grandparents that were previously unknown.
Methods and Best Practices
Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist
Presented by Annette Lyttle
How do you know if the facts you’ve uncovered are correct? How do you avoid attaching somebody else’s ancestors to your family tree? The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is our guide to producing reliable research results. This introduction to the GPS will get your research moving in the right direction and help you avoid errors and frustration.
Using Land Records to Solve Genealogical Problems
Presented by Aaron Goodwin
Land records can be dull, confusing, or both, but experienced researchers know they’re worth the work. Deeds (or conveyances in New York) can help establish dates of residence, estimate ages, identify occupations, and determine earlier and later residences. Most importantly, they can identify relationships, both explicitly and implicitly.