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SUNY Niagara to Offer Course Examining Genealogical History

By News Archive

January 12, 2021

SUNY Niagara is offering a topical course entitled, “United States History Since 1865,” during the spring 2021 semester. The class is rich in genealogical research and will connect historic benchmarks of our nation to the way our ancestors and communities were locally affected.

genealogical photos

SUNY Niagara students enrolled in the “United States History Since 1865” course will link their genealogical research to historical context.

Professor Don Fisher, who holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts degree from SUNY at Buffalo, will lead the class through an in-depth look at the political, social, and economic history of the US from the end of the Civil War to the present. Students will be given free access to Ancestry.com and a plethora of other references to navigate their specific family history spanning many decades. Students will learn how to uncover information through interviews, photographs, newspapers, and other historic documents and then apply their research to a written account about the way their family’s story was shaped by America’s past. Discussions will be centered on topics regarding immigration, social mobility, military service, and education amongst other subjects. In addition to the extraordinary research resources and paper, students can also expect to participate in the course through traditional exams and lectures. Dr. Fisher states, “Scholarly history isn’t just for scholars. Everyone today has the tools at their fingertips to understand their genealogy against the backdrop of broader historical patterns and issues. Anyone who completes the course and paper would not merely have a family tree, but a meaningful contextualized history of their family.”

This class is open to current students and to the public. Those who are interested in taking the class but not currently enrolled in a degree or certificate program are welcome to apply to SUNY Niagara as a non-matriculated student. Seats are still available during three different times:  9:30 – 10:45a.m.; 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., and 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., all on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning January 19 and concluding on May 6, 2021. Classes will meet virtually via Zoom in order to maintain safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit https://www.niagaracc.suny.edu/spring/ for more information.


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Denyel Beiter
Event Coordinator, Public Relations and Event Management
Phone: 716-614-5974
Email: dbeiter@niagaracc.suny.edu