Federation of Genealogical Societies facts for kids
The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was a special group that didn't aim to make money. It started in January 1976, and its main office was in Austin, Texas. FGS connected hundreds of groups across the U.S. that helped people research their family history, also known as genealogy. Genealogy is like being a detective, but instead of solving crimes, you're finding out about your ancestors! FGS joined with another big group, the National Genealogical Society, on October 1, 2020.
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What Was the Federation of Genealogical Societies?
Before it joined with the National Genealogical Society, FGS did many helpful things. It published a magazine called Forum. This magazine was full of articles about how to run a genealogy group and important news for family history researchers.
Helping Genealogy Societies
FGS also created a series of guides called "Society Strategy Papers." These guides taught groups how to work well and help their members. Every year, FGS also held a big meeting. This meeting had four days of talks and lessons. One whole day was just for helping genealogy groups learn how to be even better.
Protecting History: Special Projects
FGS worked hard to save important old papers and records. These records helped people learn about history and their family trees. Here are some of the cool projects they worked on:
The War of 1812 Pensions Project
One project was called Preserve the Pensions. This project aimed to make digital copies of old papers from soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. Making digital copies means turning paper documents into computer files. This way, more people can see them easily.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
FGS also helped with the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database. This was a team effort with the Genealogical Society of Utah and the National Park Service. This database helps people find information about soldiers and sailors from the American Civil War.
Preserving National Archives Records
Another important project was the Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund. This fund helped create special guides to find information in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. It also helped make microfilm copies of valuable research materials. Microfilm is like a tiny photograph of a document, which helps preserve it for a long time.
What Happened to FGS?
On October 1, 2020, the Federation of Genealogical Societies joined forces with the National Genealogical Society. This merger brought together two big groups dedicated to helping people explore their family history.
