Genealogy at the BPL

All BPL events are free and open to the public. Registration is required to attend the events listed below.

Check out some of our previously recorded lectures and classes on the BPL's YouTube channel- http://tinyurl.com/mv8c8y3x.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

Researching your female ancestors can be a difficult task. The largely standard practice of changing their surnames after marriage can make women hard to track, and many historical records focus on men with women being listed only under their husbands’ names.

This class will offer some guidance for researching female ancestors including information about sources that you may not have thought to check.

Skill level: intermediate

This class will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

Your local cemetery is a time capsule. Each headstone is plastered with clues about the deceased, those who once walked where you’re walking now.  A simple step through the hallowed gates can bring you on an adventure to explore symbolism, workmanship, and local history. Join Erin E. Moulton as we learn the meaning behind cemetery iconography, abbreviations, epitaphs and more.

Erin E. Moulton writes books and tracks dead people. As a genealogical researcher, she has explored the lives of the departed for over 14 years. Erin is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists. She holds a B.A. from Emerson College, an M.F.A. from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. She is an award-winning author of middle grade and young adult books. When she isn’t tracking down just the right word or just the right clue, she can be spotted sleuthing New England’s burying places. You can find her online at www.erinemoulton.com.

This program will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org, by March 12, 2025. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
Online event
Register here- https://tinyurl.com/5bk9bp6a

Family history can be a double-edged sword. In this unique program, our two author-panelists, Lee Hawkins and Martha Jones, will reveal how gaining knowledge of their family’s past and Black history in America became, first, a necessity and, finally, a powerful and productive force in their lives. Don’t miss hearing about their family history research, its impact on their lives, and how they and their families move forward.

I Am Nobody’s Slave tells the story of Lee Hawkins’ family back to the early 1800s—their pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. In researching how trauma from enslavement and Jim Crow shaped their outlook, Lee Hawkins used genetic testing, personal interviews, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait. His book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races, revealing through their story the story of America—a journey of struggle, resilience, and the heavy cost of ultimate success.

Martha S. Jones grew up feeling her Black identity was obvious to all who saw her. But weeks into college, a Black Studies classmate challenged her. Now a prizewinning scholar of Black history, Jones delves into her family’s past for answers. Journeying across centuries, from rural Kentucky and small-town North Carolina to New York City and its suburbs, The Trouble of Color is a lyrical, deeply felt meditation on the most fundamental matters of identity, belonging, and family. A helpful and inspiring guide for anyone who engages in family research.

Join us for these unique and insightful presentations and for the discussion that follows, facilitated by moderator Thavolia Glymph.

Lee Hawkins was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist as a lead reporter on a series about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 at the Wall Street Journal, where he worked for nineteen years. He has received several fellowships, including The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, the Alicia Patterson Foundation Journalism Fellowship, the O’Brien Fellowship for Public Service Journalism, the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship for reporting on child well-being. Hawkins is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists’ “Salute to Excellence” Award. He is the creator and host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” and lives in the New York City area.

Martha S. Jones is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, professor of history, and a professor at the SNF Agora Institute at the Johns Hopkins University. A prizewinning author and editor of four books, most recently Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All, she is past copresident of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians and has contributed to the New York Times, Atlantic, and many other publications.

Thavolia Glymph is Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History and Professor of Law at Duke University and Faculty Research Scholar at the Duke Population Research Institute. She is the author of multi award-winning books including The Women's Fight: The Civil War's Battles for Home, Freedom, and Nation and Out of the House of Bondage: The Transformation of the Plantation Household. She is past president of the American Historical Association and the Southern Historical Association, an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Scholars Council for 10 Million Names. 

Presented in partnership with American Ancestors’ 10 Million Names Project and with Boston Public Library’s Research Services Department

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

About 25 million people living in the United States today can claim Scottish ancestry. If you happen to be one of them and you’re researching your family history, there are a lot of resources to help you in your search. This class will provide an overview of just some of the available resources at the BPL and beyond.

Skill level: intermediate

This class will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Central Library in Copley Square
Commonwealth Salon

Register here- https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events

Since the earliest days of settlement by the Spanish, Puerto Rico has been partly inhabited by people of African descent. Afro-Puerto Ricans continue to make a significant impact on Puerto Rican culture today.

Please join us as guest speaker Ivelisse Pabon de Landron talks about her own journey researching her African Roots in Puerto Rico and offers guidance for how you can do the same. She will talk about how you can use oral histories and other resources such as census records, civil records, church records, slave registries, church records, and immigration records to research your own Afro-Puerto Rican heritage.

Ivelisse Pabon de Landron was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan also known as Loisaida, or the East Village. Her mother, Carmen Pabon, was a community activist there. As an adult she moved to Puerto Rico to pursue further artistic goals related to doll making and Puerto Rico’s history. She embarked on a 20 + year journey to discover her African roots in Puerto Rico, promoting the contributions that Africans have made in Puerto Rico, through the art. In 2000, she moved to Massachusetts to share what she discovered through the art of doll making, painting, and her personal genealogy. She is very passionate about her African/Puerto Rican heritage and has shared her work at festivals, TV interviews, and workshops throughout Puerto Rico, New York and Chicago. As a member of the MCC traditional Folk art program she was awarded a fellowship to teach “How to Make Traditional Folk Dolls” by participating in the Lowell Arts Festival and the African Burial Grounds in NY, combining the workshop on African Genealogy in Puerto Rico.

She celebrates the rich cultural traditions and her African heritage by honoring their memory through her dolls, paintings, and How to Find Your African Roots in Puerto Rico.

This program will not be recorded or livestreamed.

Please note that registration is required for this event.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

Vital records are some of the most basic records that can be used in genealogy; they can provide numerous leads for further research. This class will provide information about what vital records are, how they are useful, and how to access them. We will be focusing primarily on accessing vital records in Massachusetts.

Skill level: beginner

This class will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Thursday, May 29, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

How useful can DNA be in researching our Revolutionary ancestors? Are there reliable DNA applications in lineage research as suggested by lineage society guidelines? Explore the DNA footprint of a boy who was allegedly kidnapped and escaped to enlist and fight in the Revolutionary War under General Washington.

Jennifer Zinck, CG® is a genealogical researcher, speaker, and educator with a passion for learning and applying genealogy standards to help reclaim lost and forgotten stories of our ancestors. Jennifer earned her credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists in 2021. She serves as the President of the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. Jennifer is a member of the faculty of the Boston University Center for Professional Education Genealogy Studies Program. She enjoys sharing her contagious enthusiasm for family history with people of all ages.

This program will not be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org, by May 15, 2025. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event
Register here- https://boston-public-library.zoom.us

Over 100 million people living in the United States today can claim descent from someone who lived here during the Revolutionary War, including those that fought in it. This class will provide a brief overview of the kinds of records that are available to research your ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary War.

Skill level: intermediate

This class will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.