Family Migrations and RootsTech’s “The Great Northward Migration 1915-1970” series
by Suzan Younger
Anyone researching families in the United States must address how and when their ancestors immigrated to North America, with few exceptions. Settlers claimed most of the land along the coasts as the population increased and patterns of migration developed into North America’s interior. It’s difficult to determine why individuals or small family units migrated. Still, political, economic, and social conditions will explain why large groups of people left their homes for strange new lands. Researchers need to understand the historical background of migrations, enabling them to glean valuable clues about their ancestor’s movements.
Genealogical education through lectures and articles will help researchers with their migration research. The RootsTech.org website is a free source of lectures. A search on the site returns 47 presentations about migration from the RootsTech conferences, 2021-2023. These and the accompanying handouts are free. James Tanner1 presented an excellent six-part series offering methodology and records about one of the largest migrations in U.S. history. The 2023 series, “The Great Northward Migration 1915-1970,” explains the concepts for beginning research for this migration from the southern to the northern states of over six million African Americans. Researchers can use the methodology and records demonstrated to research any American migration. Examples of American migrations include, but are not limited to, the Great Depression/Dust Bowl migrations out of the central plains area and the migration of rural populations to cities between World War I and II.
Each video is fifteen to 20 minutes long. There is a 58-page handout that covers all six videos and includes an extensive bibliography. The following is a list of the six videos with links to the website.
- Part One: The Great Northward Migration 1915-1970: Overview and Methodology for Beginning Research.
- Part Two: Tracing Your Ancestors in The Great Migration Back in Time – Destinations and Causes
- Part Three: Tracing Your Ancestors in the Great Migration Back in Time – Additional Sources
- Part Four: Tracing Your Ancestors in the Great Migration Back in Time and Impact on the Country
- Part Five: The Great Northward Migration 1915-1970: Impact on Population and Culture
- Part Six: The Great Northward Migration 1915-1970: Summary of the Main Record Sources and Impact
You can also download the syllabus from any of the six videos.
The Dallas Genealogical Society’s 2023 writing contest is titled “Families on the move – how they got from here to there (or there to here.)” The contest runs through November 15, 2023. No matter the origins of your family, your ancestors and relations took a journey. Most of them were intentional immigrants. Many were brought here against their will. Others were pioneers or just tourists. They may have moved from another continent, across the country, or across town. All of them had experiences worth recounting. We invite you to write your story and submit it to newsletter@dallasgenealogy.org.
You can find the contest rules here. [https://dallasgenealogy.org/2023-writing-contest/]
1 James Tanner (B.A. degree-Spanish, M.A. degree-Linguistics, University of Utah; J.D. degree-law, Arizona State University; 39 years Arizona trial attorney) He has over 39 years experience in genealogical research, is an avid Blogger of Genealogy’s Star and Rejoice, and served 17 years as a Family History volunteer, presently serving at the BYU Family History Library. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Family History Guide Association. He presents at expos and conference in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
