U.S. Land Records: How To Use Them for Family History - September 2024

Discover new stories from your ancestors’ property records

September 20, 2024 - October 27, 2024

Course Summary

An important theme in the story of the United States is land and land ownership. Almost always, your U.S. ancestors saw land ownership as a key to prosperity and security. When your family first owned land was an intergenerational milestone. Where exactly they lived, how much land they owned, how they acquired and disposed of it...answering these questions often reveals family relationships, vital events, and compelling stories about how your family fit into U.S. history.

Join Lisa A. Alzo and learn how to incorporate property research in your family history. We'll cover how to find deeds, plat maps, patents, and other records while learning how to apply them in your research. By the end of the course, you'll better understand U.S. land records and what they can teach you about your ancestors.

Course Workload:

• Approx. 8 hours to complete
• 100% Online using our eLearning Platform
• 7 lessons complete with skill-building exercises and quizzes

What You’ll Learn:

• Why land records matter in genealogy
• What land records can reveal about your family history
• How to find and interpret deeds
• How to understand property descriptions
• A brief history of public land sales in the US
• What military bounty land is
• How to apply the records to your family history research

What’s Included:

• Self-Paced Learning
• Expert Support from Course Instructor
• Video Presentations
• Interactive Quizzes
• Student Discussion Board
• Downloadable Course Materials

How FTU courses work:

• Register for the course on this page
• On the start date, log into our eLearning platform
• Access to the course runs until the course end date
• After the course ends, you can read course materials for one year
• Instructor and discussion board access will also end when the course concludes, so make sure you reach out and ask questions!

Instructor Bio:

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. is a professional writer, instructor, and internationally-recognized lecturer. She has written eleven books, including the Family Tree Magazine Polish, Czech & Slovak Genealogy Guide, and hundreds of magazine articles. Lisa is a contributing editor for Family Tree Magazine. She blogs about her family history at The Accidental Genealogist.