Dominican Republic Baptisms, 1726-1924 
Dominican Republic Marriages, 1743-1929  
Dominican Republic Deaths, 1666-1862  

These databases, supplied to NEHGS by FamilySearch.org, contain records of more than 90,000 baptisms, 10,000 deaths, and 60,000 marriages that occurred in the Dominican Republic. The records were obtained from the International Genealogical Index. Microfilm numbers noted in the records refer to FamilySearch microfilm, which may be ordered from FamilySearch.org.

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Can't attend the live broadcast? All sessions are recorded and posted to the course webpage to be accessed after the broadcast.

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Long Island Resources, Stony Brook University Libraries, New York

The Special Collections and University Archives at Stony Brook University include rare maps, atlases, manuscripts, and books. A number of Long Island-specific resources have been digitized and made available through the Long Island History & Genealogy Collections website. Scroll down the page to the Digital Collections Highlights to find them.

The Long Island Documents collection provides material on the history of Long Island from its settlement. Several Revolutionary War-era letters are presented, including two letters written by George Washington. The Washington letters document spy activities in Setauket, New York, during 1779 and 1780. Click here to learn more about the George Washington and the Culper Spy Ring.

The Long Island Book Collection contains thirteen "unique and scarce" volumes about Long Island in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Long Island Historical Journal, a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal published from 1988 through 2008, can be searched by keyword and browsed by author and subject heading.

The Long Island Historic Postcards Collection contains approximately 200 postcards from the 19th and 20th centuries featuring images of various locales in Queens, Kings, Nassau, and Suffolk counties.

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Last week's survey asked about the circumstances of your ancestors' immigration to North America. A number of readers wrote to provide commentary and suggest additional answers. We present a selection of responses below.

Maureen Keillor of Fayetteville, Georgia: My great-grandparents emigrated with my great-grandfather's brother from Italy to Buenos Aires, Argentina, which has one of the largest populations of Italian immigrants outside the U.S. The brother remained in Argentina, and the couple went on to Plymouth, Massachusetts. I did not know the name of the brother but was able to locate his five daughters after the LDS databases came online a few years ago. I have found several cousins, and we have corresponded and Skyped and hope to visit one day.

Trish Boen of Chatsworth, California: The Filles du Roi (or the earlier group Filles a Marier) were courageous young women of marriageable age who came alone (in groups of single women, but unaccompanied by family) to Quebec to marry settlers in the mid- to late 1600s. The Fille du Roi received goods and a dowry from the French government, hence the name "daughters of the King." I have more than sixty of them in my tree.

Marian Novak of Rockbridge Baths, Virginia: I descend from several Scottish prisoners of war. They were sold like slaves and treated like indentured servants, but ultimately allowed to become citizens.

Bill Powers of Rutland, Vermont: I wish that this week's survey had an option for Famine-related Irish. That certainly would have garnered an interesting response.

Jeff Hecht of Auburndale, Massachusetts: One of my lines originated with a family whose parents died around 1750 on their ship to New York. The two-to-four surviving sons (accounts vary) were sold into indentured servitude on arrival to pay for their passage. The family may have come from Germany or Holland. My ancestor arrived in America as an indentured servant, but he didn't begin his trip as one (according to family lore). From articles I have read, I gather this practice was far from unique.

Kathryn White Lester of Shelton, Washington: My ancestor, the father of a family from the Hesse region of Germany, did not want his sons to be conscripted into military service. In the late 1600s, the family snuck out of Germany, caught a ship to America, and settled in Pennsylvania.

Frances Stachour of Minneapolis, Minnesota: I suspect there are as many reasons for leaving the mother country as there were people leaving. One of my ancestors arrived as part of a business venture at Jamestown Colony. I also have Quaker ancestors who arrived with a group seeking religious freedom, and Palatine ancestors who arrived for similar reasons. Since most of my ancestors arrived between 1608 and 1730, it is probable that some came as younger sons seeking land or a place to ply a trade, and some may have been indentured servants.

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Last week's survey asked under what circumstances your ancestors immigrated to North America. More than one answer could be selected. 4,797 people answered the survey. The results are:

• 63%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated with a group of fellow religious believers.    
• 13%, At least one of my ancestors traveled to North America as a member of a military company.    
• 69%, At least one of my ancestors traveled with other people from the same locality.    
• 51%, At least one of my ancestors traveled with an extended family group.    
• 66%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated with a nuclear family group.    
• 60%, At least one of my ancestors were coming to join relatives or friends who had previously immigrated.    
• 36%, At least one of my ancestors lived outside his/her country of birth before immigrating to North America.    
• 13%, At least one of my ancestors who immigrated to North America had ancestors (not a parent) who had lived in North America.    
• 50%, At least one of my ancestors traveled alone, without any known family, friends, or acquaintances.    
• 1%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated as a part of a child resettlement program (for instance, the Home Children).    
• 21%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated as a servant to another unrelated family.    
• 28%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated as an indentured servant.    
• 2%, At least one of my ancestors immigrated involuntarily, as a slave.    
• 23%, I don't have specific details on how some of my ancestors immigrated..    

This week's survey asks about your solved brick walls. Take the survey now!

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Cal Flyn: The Terrible Truths in My Family History
Scottish writer Cal Flyn ponders the conflicting emotions that accompanied her discovery of her notable relative, an early Australian settler.

Shakespeare's "Original Classroom" Revealed
"The original classroom where William Shakespeare is believed to have studied and seen his first plays" opened to the public for the first time last weekend.

The Secret, Ancient History of the Potato That Could Change the Story of Civilization
This article examines the important role of the humble tuber in developing civilizations.

Cooking with the Bard: We Suss out Shakespeare's Forgotten Foods
"For more than 400 years, Shakespeare's audiences have devoured tales of Twelfth Night's 'cakes and ale' and Hamlet's 'funeral baked meats.'. . . To really understand Shakespeare's food literature, we need to tuck into food history and even crack open a Renaissance cookbook or two."

Abraham Lincoln in Civil War Era Lithography
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History blog offers some examples of how the country used visual print culture to absorb, personalize, and make sense of the national tragedy of Lincoln's death.

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The Bookstore at NEHGS is offering 10% off everything in the Charts and Gift Collection! 

Save on blank charts, NEHGS mugs and clothing, even our newest item--a set of 12 postcards featuring artwork and artifacts from the NEHGS collection! But hurry--this offer is for a limited time only. So start shopping today!

To get your 10% discount online, use code GIFT16 at checkout.
To get your 10% on phone orders, call 1-888-296-3447 and mention code GIFT16

Questions? Email thebookstore@nehgs.org.
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I Found My Village! Now What?: Next Steps in Tracing Polish Ancestors
Part of our First Friday lecture series
Friday, May 6, noon-1 pm
Presented by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
Cost: FREE
Finding the place of origin for a Polish ancestor can be challenging. Learn how to locate and verify an ancestor's birthplace; identify the local parish and diocese; obtain birth, marriage, and death records; and discover and explore Polish records. Ms. Szczepankiewicz will focus on online sources and show you how to trace your Polish ancestry without having to cross the ocean. Register today!

For a complete list of NEHGS events and programs in Boston, click here.

New York City Research Tour
May 15-22, 2016
Join NEHGS for research at the New York Public Library, the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute, and the Municipal Archives. In addition to lectures and consultations, we'll visit the Tenement Museum, Ellis Island, and other cultural gems. Register today!

Albany Research Tour
May 22-26, 2016
Explore the New York State Library and the New York State Archives. This popular tour includes one-on-one consultations, lectures, and group meals. Register today!

To learn more about our tours and programs visit our website.

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