Research In The Lonestar State

Instructor: Jeannette Piecznski

Introduction

This course is designed to familiarize you with researching in Texas. In genealogy research, it is important to understand what lead to certain events and what records are available from those events. Understanding the situations that your ancestors were facing will lead you to uncover the unknown. Most importantly, always ask yourself, "Is this logical? Is this normal?" Yes, at times there are exceptions, but 60 year old women do not have babies.

There will be many topics included in this course. All are important when researching those difficult ancestors who just disappeared. If you have lost someone, always try Texas.

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• Understand the history of Texas with relation to the research possibilities
• Locate and use successfully special collections and manuscripts
• Identify the characteristics of migration patterns and what motivated immigration
• Correlate a person's life events with Texas history to locate a former residence
• Successfully use the Texas Archives, Land Office, museums and libraries to their fullest potential
• Locate records and resources that are available online

Table of Contents

• Lesson One: Gone To Texas, Where Do I Start?
• Lesson Two: The Records in Texas
• Lesson Three: Immigration and Migration
• Lesson Four: The Texas Time Lines
• Lesson Five: Texas Online
• Additional Reading and Works Cited