Julie Miller to Present at NGS 2021 Live!

Julie Miller, CG, CGL, FNGS

SESSION NUMBER: NGS2104-LV-14 DATE & TIME: Thursday, 20 May 2021, at 2:30 p.m.

When most people hear the words “alien registration records” they think of the registrations that started in 1940 with the Alien Registration Act, also known as the Smith Act. But the 1940 registrations were not the first alien registrations to take place in the United States. In fact, alien registrations in the US go back to 1798, just 20 years after US independence from British rule. These registrations have usually occurred when the US was at war with a foreign country but not always.

Many of our immigrant ancestors came to the US and did not naturalize. During wartime these ancestors were labeled as enemy aliens and had to register with the government. The alien registration records are the result.

Attendees will learn about the legislation that required alien registrations; when and how the records were created; information that is included in the records; and how to access the records. Examples of the records will be shown and how these records can be used for genealogy research.

These little-known records are a rich source of personal information for your ancestors.

BRIEF BIO: Julie Miller, CG, CGL, FNGS, is a Kentucky native who lives in Colorado. She discovered alien registrations at NARA-Denver where she was a volunteer for twenty-one years.

To learn more about the NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference’s week-long events, 17-21 May, visit the conference and download a copy of the program brochure. A discounted Early Bird registration fee is available through 15 March 2021.