2023 TxSGS Family History Conference

Join us for the 2023 TxSGS Family History Conference, where we focus on Roots and Branches: Climbing Your Family Tree. This year’s event kicks off on Friday and Saturday, November 10-11, 2023, with TxSGS Live! featuring ten presentations by some of the top speakers in genealogy on research techniques, records, DNA, and more.

That’s not all!  The conference includes 36 additional pre-recorded lectures from some of your favorite and well-known speakers. The TxSGS Live! lectures will be recorded and combined with the pre-recorded lectures to provide you with 46 presentations broken into seven tracks as listed below. Even though you won’t be able to see them in person, you will be able to access their lectures online through February 10, 2024.

What will take your genealogy research to the next level? The 2023 TxSGS Family History Conference, Roots and Branches: Climbing Your Family Tree seeks to help hundreds of attendees discover the tools needed to answer their genealogy questions. Featuring 29 speakers, the TxSGS Family History Conference promises something for everyone. 

This year’s Family History Conference promises opportunities for learning in a variety of areas, or tracks. Use the tracks to plan your conference experience. Go back and review Family History Conference webinars as often as you like during the replay period.

DNA

Sessions will offer a variety of ways to analyze your DNA test results. Explore
Y-DNA, mtDNA, and DNA clustering, plus discover how to identify that mystery DNA Match. Whether you’re just getting your first test results or are using the latest tools to analyze results you’ve had for a while, there will be a session for you.

Ethnic

Texas is a diverse state, and each ethnic group presents unique research challenges. Learn how to discover more information about your African American, Hispanic, Irish, and German ancestry. Find an ancestor’s slaveholder or delve into Freedmen’s Savings Bank records; dive into Colonial localities, censuses under Spanish rule, and borderland genealogy; or mine the nuggets in German Genealogy’s free mega website. There is something for everyone.

Methodology

Discover new records and ways to analyze the records you’ve already found. Examine ways to use the information unearthed in records to identify and solve problems. Explore methods for researching female or urban ancestors, separating men of the same name, and diving into 19th century travelogues. Investigate techniques for organizing, digging deeper, and writing as you research. Methodology offers advice on all this and more. 

Military

Military records can be rich in personal details not available in other sources. From the Civil War through WWII, learn how to pursue ancestral service and veterans’ records. Beyond the soldier, military records capture genealogically rich information on widows, heirs, and more. Discover the wealth of data available in collections such as pension files, bounty land applications, voter registrations, old soldier home lists, and more.

Records & Resources

Discover how records and repositories can hold the answers to your family history. Whether it’s land deeds that mark your family’s territorial journey, federal tax records hinting at their economic standing, religious documents revealing faith and community, or voting records offering a glimpse into their political leanings – these multifaceted sources are goldmines of genealogical information. A deep dive into records and repositories will provide you with the keys you need to Climb Your Family Tree.

Storytelling

Genealogists are, in a sense, sleuths. No detail is too small for investigation as we track down our elusive ancestors. We often get caught up in the search for records and data. In the midst of this consuming hunt, it’s easy to lose sight of the story. Capture your ancestors’ story by discovering the context of their lives. Learn how to apply social history in your writing, write interesting family stories, and self-publish the results.

Technology

Learn how to enhance your family history for future generations by taking advantage of technology. Discover how to use Steve Morse’s 300-plus One-Step Tools’ on immigration research, NY Ship Lists, Census Tools, and more. Learn how to use the free Google Earth web platform to follow the footsteps of your ancestors and tell their stories. Explore social media to open a new world of connections and genealogy research. Technology is constantly pushing the boundaries of family history research. Put technology to work for you!