Faculty:
- Coordinator and Instructor: Katherine R. Willson
- Other Instructors: Elizabeth Gomoll, CG®; Laura Hedgecock; Rozlyn Kelly; Sunny Jane Morton; Amber Oldenburg; Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA; Cheri Hudson Passey; Lori Lynn Price, MLA, MSA; Jeanette Sheliga
Tuition:
- Regular Price: $615.00
- NGS Member Price: $575.00
Description:
“From parlor meetings to picket lines, this course explores the reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries that reshaped the nation in times of crisis and change. We’ll examine how ordinary people fought for a better world—and how others pushed back—through sessions focused on the social, political, and religious forces behind these movements. By understanding why reform took hold, how it spread, and who it touched, genealogists will gain new tools for finding and interpreting the stories of those who led reform—and those whose lives were transformed.
Objectives:
- Recognize the social, political, and economic factors that motivated Americans to support (or resist) 19th and 20th century reform movements
- Describe each movement’s key individuals, goals, challenges, and outcomes, including successes and setbacks
- Locate and interpret historical records connected to reform efforts to add depth and context to family history narratives
- Apply research strategies to uncover overlooked ancestors who contributed to social change in their communities.”
Student Prerequisites:
None
Recommendations:
None
Important Notice Regarding Course Materials:
An electronic syllabus for personal use.
NOTE: Sessions will be recorded and available through Friday, 10 July 2026, at 11:59 PM ET
All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Live Sessions may be subject to schedule adjustments by your course coordinator.
| Day | Session | Time | Session Title | Description | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 22 June |
Intro | 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Class Introductions | Willson | |
| 1 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | 75 Minutes, 11 Movements, Endless Change | A fast-paced introduction to 11 major reform movements that shaped 19th and early 20th century America, laying the groundwork for the sessions ahead. | Willson | |
| 2 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Faith in Action: The Second Great Awakening and the Birth of Reform (1800–1840s) | How a nationwide religious revival fueled grassroots activism in abolition, temperance, women’s rights, education, and more. Includes key denominations, leaders, and religious records. | Morton | |
| 3 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Sobering Reform: The Temperance Movement (1820s–1920s) | From moral reform to national Prohibition, we trace the rise of temperance societies, their cultural impact, and the records of those who supported (or resisted) the cause. | Oldenburg | |
| 4 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Learning for All? The Push for Public Education (1830s–1840s) | Examines early efforts to establish public, tax-supported schools and the records that document educators, advocates, and opposition to the common school movement. | Price | |
| Tuesday 23 June |
5 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Freedom in the Making: The Abolition of Slavery (1830s–1865) | Follows the individuals and networks that challenged slavery, from petitioners and publishers to fugitives and freedom fighters, as well as the records they left behind. | Passey |
| 6 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Fighting for Fairness: The Labor Rights Movement (1830s–1920s) | Covers three major waves of labor reform, highlighting strikes, unions, working conditions, and how to find records of the workers and organizers behind the movement. | Willson | |
| 7 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Reforming the Forgotten: Prison and Asylum Reform (1830s–1850s) | Explores how reformers like Dorothea Dix sought humane treatment for the imprisoned and institutionalized—and how to trace ancestors within these systems. | Willson | |
| 8 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Votes, Voices, and Visibility: Women’s Rights and Suffrage (1840s–1920) | From Seneca Falls to the 19th Amendment, this session covers suffragists, organizers, and everyday women, and how to find their stories in the records. | Philibert-Ortega | |
| Wednesday 24 June |
9 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Preserving the Land: The Conservation Movement and Its Reform Legacy (1870s–1920s) | Covers efforts to protect natural resources and public lands, featuring figures like John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. Includes records of parks, forestry, and conservation workers. | Willson |
| 10 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Gateways and Guardrails: Immigration Reform and Nativist Backlash (1880s–1930s) | Explores competing efforts to aid or restrict immigrants—through mutual aid societies, labor allies, exclusion acts, and quotas—and the records these reforms generated. | Gomoll | |
| 11 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Inside the Settlement House: Reform at the Neighborhood Level (1880s–1920s) | Settlement houses provided education, healthcare, and advocacy in immigrant communities. Learn how to find the workers, residents, and neighbors in local and national records. | Willson | |
| 12 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Before the Dream: Early Civil Rights Movements (1909–1930s) | Long before the 1960s, activists were challenging segregation, lynching, and inequality. Learn how to trace early civil rights efforts through legal, media, and community records. | Kelly | |
| Thursday 25 June |
13 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Virtue or Control? Moral Reform and the Policing of Behavior | Explores efforts to police vice and public morality—often targeting women, immigrants, and the poor—and how to find records from these campaigns. | Willson |
| 14 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Dangerous Reforms: When Movements Divide Rather Than Heal | Not all reform was inclusive. This session examines movements framed as moral or patriotic but rooted in exclusion, such as the Know Nothings, the Klan, and eugenics advocates. | Willson | |
| 15 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Finding Reformers: Tracing Social Movements Through Physical and Digital Archives | Practical strategies for locating reform-related records with tips on search techniques, metadata, and ethical use. | Willson | |
| 16 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Reform Through Print: Pamphlets, Propaganda, and the Power of the Press | From broadsides to bold headlines, printed materials spread reform ideas and documented activism. Includes how to find and use newspapers, tracts, and protest literature. | Sheliga | |
| Friday 26 June |
17 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Telling the Story: Interpreting and Presenting Reform-Focused Research | Learn how to turn your findings into compelling family stories by weaving in historical context and movement-based narratives. | Hedgecock |
| 18 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | The Reformers We Become: Writing Our Place in History | A reflective closing session inviting students to consider which causes resonate most personally—and how to preserve their own stories for future generations. | Willson |