2019 Virtual Genealogy Fair Session 6: The Homestead Act: Land Records of Your Ancestors

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Session Description: James Muhn explains the basic provisions of the Homestead Act and demonstrates how to research and interpret homestead documents found in Record Group 49, Records of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for family history research. Learn about how relevant records such as tract books, public land entry case files, patents and other associated documents can be found and the information they can tell you.
Presenter: James Muhn has researched, written and lectured on federal land policy issues for 40 years. He worked for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for 20 years as its Land Law Historian. After leaving the agency, he provided consulting and expert witness services for another 20 years on Federal and Native American land, water and natural resources policy matters. He has given numerous lectures on Federal land policy and records to the BLM, U.S. Department of Justice, state historical societies and local history groups. He has also written on, and lectured about, women and homesteading. Mr. Muhn is currently working on a book about the administration of the Homestead Act and the myriad issues Government officials had to grapple with.