“I loved that they were pre recorded so I could stop and take notes. Also I lost power a few times during the day so I did not miss anything.’

“I loved it – I even learned things that I wasn’t planning on but obviously needed!”

“Much opportunity for interaction before class, at “happy” hours and one lunch.”

“It is full of websites to add to your toolbox and locality guides, but even more it was a week of genealogists sharing their challenges, knowledge of the subject, and course of action that brought them success along their path of research.”

Research in the South: Cessions and Territories

• Registration begins November 22, 2025
  
• Registration ends on June 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern
• Classes begin Monday, July 27 and end Friday, July 31, 2026
• Cancellation Deadline: July 4, 2026
• Tuition: $545. Georgia Genealogical Society (GGS) members receive $50 discount.

About the Course

• Maximum: 35 students
• Virtual classrooms using Zoom
• Lectures will be pre-recorded and available to view for one month after the end of the course
• All courses come with a digital syllabus
• Students will receive a digital certificate upon course completion

Course Faculty

• Kelvin L. Meyers, FTxSGS, Course Coordinator
• J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
• Gail Jackson Miller, CG®
• Deborah A. Abbott, PhD
• John A. Sellers
• Charles A. Sherrill, MA, MLS
• C. Ann Staley, CG®, CGL®
• Elizabeth Crabtree Wells, BA, MA, MLS, DHL
• Ari Wilkins, BA, FTxSGS

Description

This course is designed for the intermediate to advanced researcher. To provide greater flexibility for the student, we will have pre-recorded the sessions for this course to be watched on your schedule, along with some scheduled Q&A time with the instructors, some informal times for discussion, and some related bonus video sessions. Pre-recording will allow students the ability to watch or review sessions within their own schedule. Students will have an extended time to watch the sessions beyond the week. A solid understanding of genealogy basics will help students to make use of the materials and concepts presented. Students should have experience in using census, county records, land records and general secondary records. Concepts addressed include migration, settlement patterns, religion, land, and geography. States covered: Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida

Prerequisites, textbooks, and other student information

Course prerequisites:

Intermediate to advanced researcher. Students should have experience in using census, county records, land records and general secondary records.

Required books:

None

2026 Course Schedule (All times listed are Eastern Time)

All presentations will be prerecorded and made available for viewing beginning one week prior to the Institute. Students are welcome to watch the recordings, on their own schedule, prior to the Institute. During the Institute there will be a daily morning review session to start the day. There will be two or more “Happy Hour” sessions after class is done. The coordinator will inform you of those sessions. All recordings, including the Zoom discussions, will be available to rewatch for a month following the Institute.