Political boundaries change over time, and sometimes dramatically so. Our ancestors may never have moved, yet these boundaries could have shifted around them, causing them to live in multiple different jurisdictions even though they were born and died in the same house. If we are not aware of what those boundary changes are, and when they occurred, we may overlook relevant records and repositories or accidentally create brick walls for ourselves. This presentation explores digital and hardcopy resources that can help us navigate the ever-changing American political landscape as we work backwards through time through the 1700s, highlighting changes unique to Florida.
KC Reid is a professional genealogist specializing in tracking American ancestral lines to the immigrant ancestors and creating narratives that reflect the lives and times of those ancestors. She also designs travel and learning experiences so clients can literally walk in their ancestors’ footsteps anywhere in the world while they learn about individual ancestors who were there.