Speaker: Katherine R. Willson

Areas of focus or expertise:

  • Immigrants’ journey to America
  • Finding & interpreting passenger lists
  • Immigrants’ U.S. Westward migration
  • Immigrants’ naturalization process
  • Plus more topics listed at SocialMediaGenealogy.com

Email contact: moonswings@gmail.com

Web/social media: SocialMediaGenealogy.com

Home: Dexter, Michigan, USA

Native language: English

Presentation language(s): English

Preferred presentation type: virtual and in-person

Travel preferences: No travel limitations; organization pays all travel costs

Biography

Katherine R. Willson (Dexter, Michigan) discovered her passion for family history at age eight while earning the “My Heritage” Girl Scout badge, and that early spark has grown into a lifelong pursuit. Today, she is a dynamic genealogy educator who presents at regional, national, and international events and is widely regarded for her engaging presentations.

Katherine has held leadership positions in numerous local, national, and professional genealogical organizations. She serves on the faculty of both the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the GRIP Genealogy Institute, teaching courses that explore the social, cultural, and economic forces shaping the lives and decisions of our ancestors.

As a full-time researcher for private clients, she specializes in Michigan’s pre-statehood families, the early pioneers of the Northwest
Territory, and those who journeyed west during America’s expansion from 1787 to 1890, using historical context to build a fuller picture of their lives.

Through her website, SocialMediaGenealogy.com, Katherine shares free resources for family historians, including genealogy forms, oral history interview questions, and curated directories of genealogy-focused Facebook groups, YouTube channels, and podcasts.

Speaking experience/references

More than 70 presentations each year including local, regional, national, and international events such as the UK’s Society of Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, RootsTech, Association of Professional Genealogists, Federation of Genealogical Societies (disbanded in 2020), and multiple state societies & state libraries/archives.

Recording of previous presentation OR an IGGP partner you have presented for:

Payment/expense arrangements

How do you approach payment for making a presentation? I charge a fixed fee shared to the potential client.

Other expenses you would like to have reimbursed if you travel? All travel costs including mileage at the IRS rate or airfare; transportation to/from the airport; airport parking; hotel costs; and meals at the IRS per diem rate.

Recordings/additional materials

Are you willing to prepare a handout? Yes

Would you be willing to develop a presentation on another topic? Yes

Do you have any restrictions on recording, re-use of recordings, handouts, etc? Extra fee to record presentations; any recording and handout is not to be posted on any public website.

Are you willing to have the presentation translated or translate it yourself? Yes

Presentation topics

All topics in English and applicable for all audiences:

America’s Westward Expansion

  • Introduction to America’s Westward Expansion: 25 Events
  • The Start of America’s Westward Expansion: Northwest Ordinance, Louisiana Purchase, & Lewis & Clark
  • Slavery & the Struggle for the West: How Compromise & Conflict Shaped American Expansion
  • Fortunes & Failures: Gold Rush Migrations & the Shaping of Western Settlements
  • Expanding Borders & Bridging Distances: Newspapers, the Pony Express, the Telegraph, & the Transcontinental Railroad
  • Paper Trails: Tracing the Travelers & Service Providers of the West

Social Reform Movements

  • Introduction to 19th & 20th Century American Social Reform Movements
  • Fighting for Fairness: The Labor Rights Movement, 1830s–1920s
  • Reforming the Forgotten: Prison & Asylum Reform, 1830s–1850s
  • Preserving the Land: The Conservation Movement, 1870s–1920s
  • Inside Settlement Houses: Reform Within the Neighborhood, 1880s–1920s
  • Virtue or Control? 19th Century Moral Reform & Policing of Behavior
  • Dangerous 19th Century Reforms Movements
  • Linking Anti-Immigration Sentiment, Prohibition, the Mafia, and U.S. Border Patrol

General History

  • America at 250: Opportunity, Exclusion, and Resilience
  • American Experiences of 19th and 20th Century Financial Crises
  • American Experiences of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
  • Select New Deal Programs of the 1930s

Immigration

  • European Experiences of 19th and 20th Century Voyages to America
  • Not Only Ellis Island: Finding & Analyzing U.S. Passenger Arrival Lists
  • 1820s/1840s Irish Immigrants to Canada & America: 2 Case Studies

Genealogy Methodology

  • 20 Google Search Tips & Google Resources for Genealogy
  • Preserving Your Community’s Veterans’ Voices
  • Navigating the Historical & Genealogical Treasures Within Libraries & Archives
  • Easily Citing Your Genealogical Sources: A Roadmap of Your Research
  • Introduction to DNA Tests for Family History
  • 40+ Sources for Finding Maiden Names
  • 150 Tips & Sources for Finding Ancestral Photos Online & Offline
  • Reverse Genealogy: Locating Living Distant Relatives
  • Breaking Genealogical Brick Walls: Timelines, Research Checklists, and Correspondence Logs
  • Seeking Dead People: Cemetery Research Online & In Person
  • Our Ancestors’ Stories Found in State & Federal U.S. Censuses
  • Finding Historic Newspaper Articles Online & Offline
  • Naturalization: Rules, Records, and Repositories
  • Introduction to Military Records Research
  • Using Maps in Genealogy
  • Resources for Genealogical Research in Other Countries
  • Records of New York City’s Emigrant Savings Bank
  • Publishing Your Family History in Forms, Reports, or Books
  • Top 10 Dos & Don’ts for Preserving Family Memorabilia