The National Genealogical Society (NGS) together with the Virginia Genealogical Society, the Fairfax Genealogical Society, and the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA) will be hosting this year’s conference on 16-19 May 2007 which will bring together genealogists and family historians from around the country and beyond.
The 2007 conference, which marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of America in 1607 and the first settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and Richmond Marriott Hotel in Richmond, Virginia.
William Byrd II named the city Richmond because the bend in the James River is similar to that of the Thames in Richmond, England. Richmond has more than 400 years of history; it was the second successful English settlement, the site of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, and the former capital of the Confederacy.
Richmond, which lies at the falls of the James River is central to the many regions of the state-to the east brackish waters feed into the Chesapeake Bay, to the west is the vast Piedmont plain bordered by the the Blue Ridge Mountains, which with the Appalachian Mountains shelter the Valley of Virginia–the funnel for migration south and west. The Richmond Region has it all - upscale shopping, fabulous restaurants, heart-pounding sporting events, world-renowned museums, vibrant culture, elegant homes and gardens and family fun for everyone. Of course central to the interest of family historians will be the many research collections at Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society.
The conference program details are coming soon - but highlights include:
Day-long tracks on DNA, the Library of Congress, National Archives records, Virginia records and repositories
A special, “Beginning Your Family History” track on Saturday
Workshops on Handwriting, Finding and dating postcards for your family history, Court records, Advanced Chancery Record Research, Land Platting, and Mapping Workshop for Genealogists
Computer workshops on DeedMapper, GenSmarts, Legacy, Master Genealogist, Photo Image Digital Manipulation Using Software, Excel for the Genealogist, Microsoft Word for the Genealogist, Optimizing Your Computer at No Cost, Backup Strategies and Tools.
Lectures on English, Irish, Scots-Irish, German, African-American, and Indian Research; Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, DC; military records, migration paths, railroads, indentured servants, searching the Internet; conference-long Methodology track, researching women.
For more information, including registration, visit the NGS Website.
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