Enrollment options
Optional Print Course Material: Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors
*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.
This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of some of the historical events that occurred in each state, especially events that shaped the state’s history, boundaries, laws, records and other items. The states included in this course were all part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which were: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each state is unique in its geographical formation, social attitudes, political structure, ethnicity, industry and historical records. The modules included are aimed at giving researchers information to aid understanding of these states individually and to provide tools for researching family history, not only in terms of the individual, but also in their broader social context.
Course Length: 7 weeks
MODULE 1
INTRODUCTION
Introduction to Midwestern States Research
Bibliography & Resources for Further Study
ARKANSAS
Early History & Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry & Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids & Repositories
MODULE 2
OKLAHOMA
Early History & Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids and Repositories
MODULE 3
IOWA
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Archives and Repositories
MODULE 4
MISSOURI
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids and Repositories
MODULE 5
NEBRASKA
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids and Repositories
KANSAS
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
MODULE 6
NORTH DAKOTA
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids and Repositories
SOUTH DAKOTA
Early History and Important Events
Government Structure
Court Records
Immigration Trends
Major Industry and Agriculture
Land, Maps and Taxes
Major Transportation Routes
Wars and Military Records
Vital Records
Church Records
Newspapers
Census
Major Finding Aids and Repositories