Getting Started Genealogy “ Finding your Roots ”

1. Getting Started Genealogy“Finding your Roots” March 10, 2018 Fredericksburg Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy

2. What is Genealogy? • Genealogy is the study of a person or family's ancestral history. It tracks the lineage of a person and his biological relationships through history. The most common form of genealogy is creating a family tree. Reference: https://www.reference.com/family/genealogy-81ae424a3dc2775a

3. What is a Lineage Society? • A lineage society is an organization created to honor a specific heritage or event. Members of lineage societies must prove their descent of that heritage or event through industry approved genealogical proof standards. (lineagesocietyofamerica.com/list-of-lineage-societies.html)

4. What are you looking for? • Who, What, When, Where, and Why • Has someone in your family already completed some research • Do you have the time? Have you considered the costs? • Set a Goal!

5. Genealogy Pox? • Once the genealogy bug bites you, it will become an all-encompassing monster. You will become obsessed! You can’t stop. You will suffer from the disease called the “genealogy pox”! Ref: Black Roots Tony Burroughs, pg.44

6. Basic tips… No one said it will be easy!

7. Lock down the Genealogy basics • Has someone in your family already completed some research? • Do you have the time? • $$$$-Costs-some sites are free, some app’s are free • Have you set a goal for your research?

8. If you are not Organized… • You’ll become frustrated and quit, or duplicate research Ref:Black Roots, Tony Burroughs pg.44

9. If you do not have a system for filing, saving, or retrieving. You will become successful in collecting pieces of paper.

10. What goes OUT must come IN Whether you're writing to a cousin or to a county clerk three states away, tracking all of your pending information requests is crucial. Keep copies of all the letters you send — they act as records of what you requested when, and how much. http://www.genealogy.com/85_fs-org.html

11. Tips to become & stay organized • Get everything in one place • A designated place; whether that's a binder or a whole file cabinet. • Start by grouping what information you have by surname — it's the most basic piece of information you can have about a family member, and it provides a natural way to organize. If you've already done a bit of research, you may want to start a separate folder or binder for each surname, but sectioning out what will be in the file (birth, death, marriage, deeds, military, etc.)  

12. Managing Your Research • Genealogical charts and forms are essential in organizing names, dates, places, and events • Use the standard special charts and forms for genealogical research (see Crooms book or ancestry’s only forms) • Set up a “to do list” and stick with it..

13. Forms, Charts, etc. • Family Group Sheets=family • 5 Generational Chart-your ancestors • Maps-you need a map • Learn the County & Community • What laws are in place? • FAN=Friends, Associate, Neighbors (developed by Elizabeth Shown Mills)

14. Common terms and resources..

17. Tip! • Get offline • Get in the Car • Ride a Train • Or take a Plane GO LOCAL!

18. Genealogy Challenges • 21st century thinking • Records not recorded/written, not recorded into public record or simply destroyed • Denial-don’t want to know, it’s the past-Emotional • Knows the info, but won’t share the information • Have a brick wall/challenge? Is it real or created? • You don’t know what you have-no analysis was done on the records (SO WHAT) • If doing slave research and they went deep south-loss forever. DNA would have to come in to play

19. Tips to Combat the Challenges • Learning the history-ongoing and using various sources • Join and participate in a genealogical society, group…use the Family History Center, visit a local historical society • Attend genealogy training, webinars, and conferences (keep a record of your attendance) • Share your experiences-blog, letters, etc. • Volunteer and join the social media realm • Ask for help & Set up sharing time • Build your Timeline**

20. Typical Online Resources Pay a fee Free Familysearch.org Dar.org Findagrave.com Archives.gov Mappingthefreemanbureau.com Afrigenas.com • Ancestry.com • Fold3.com • Genealogybank.com • Newspapers.com

21. Who do you start with? YOU! • Write down WHAT YOU KNOW! Document! • Who is your oldest living family member?-Call them-Today • Review Oral History, Photos, and Sharing of Information

22. Talking Stories, Oral history, Interviews… • How do you do it? • Use the tools available (Tony’s book, FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, etc.) • Document, document, document • Listen, Listen, Listen, know when to HUSH UP! • Record if you have permission • Know how & and what questions to ask (think about what you are looking for)

23. Murphy’s tip: Follow the… • Money • Land • Water • Community • Faith of the people

24. What’s the Evidence? • What is it? • How do you know it is evidence? • Brainstorming: Types of Evidence • (Death Certificate) • Is it primary or secondary? • Art of asking questions! • Premise behind asking questions • Evaluate/Analyze the document • Using the technique on records and resources

25. What you need to know about a person? • Full name and nicknames (why nicknames) • Where were they born, what county, city, state date, where they born in a hospital? • What was going on in the area during the years you are researching? • What were the parents, names, grandparents, etc., where they born, type of work they did, siblings… • Who are the neighbors, church affiliations • Did they own land? • Did they serve in the military?

26. Tips! • When you are researching, Only search one name/person/surname, if you see other names that you need to research further, make a note on a post-it, or add to the to do list- date it. • REMEMBER to cite all the information so you can return to the right document. • Stick to your to do list, have only one to do list-per person/file • Do not try to analyze your information -take it home to read, sort, & make notes • Learn GPS, SO WHAT & FAN principles

27. Timelines-Gotta have one! • It keeps things organized • Information is in chronological order • One document with citations and resources and it can be shared (Word/excel) • You have the beginnings of a biography of your ancestor  • You are able to see things that could have been an impacts to the ancestor and to the community they lived in • The conflicts and gaps will be evident giving you the Hint of what you have to resolved-question the information • Beginnings of your research plan • They can be fancy or simple

28. What about a Timeline? Reasons why genealogists do not use timelines Benefits It keeps things organized Information is in chronological order One document with citations and resources and it can be shared (Word/excel, etc.) You have the beginnings of a biography of your ancestor  You are able to see things that could have been an impacts to the ancestor and to the community they lived in • Do not see a benefit of another document for the file • Don’t know How to do them properly • Consider it Too much work and don't want to waste the time • Its Too simple, we know this information • Can you think of anything else?

29. More benefits received if using a Timeline • The conflicts and gaps will be evident giving you the HINT OR LEAD of what you have to resolved • The “next steps” on your timeline are the beginnings of your research plan • Timelines can be fancy or simple

30. Timeline-Line by Line, time by time Things that should be automatically on a Timeline • Birth, Marriages, Death, Wills, Probate, Taxes • State and Federal Census...each year. • Community Events and activities • Wars that had battles or connections to the community your ancestor lived in. Example: 1861-1865...Civil Wars-what happened, any impacts, any crisis that impacted your ancestors • Notable activities and events that occurred

31. Line by line, cell by cell, time by time • Date- input the dates of what ever the event was and occurred (day-month-year) • Name-input the full name and include nicknames in the notes-as the records appear put the exact spelling of the name as it is on the record • Age -write the age as it is shown, regardless if you do not think it is correct • Citations…where did you get it from?

32. Events and Resources: What happen at what time? • Build the census –fed, state, Wars, events, etc. • Birth, death, will, marriage, divorce, etc.,  • What is the County/community events that might of impacts your ancestor • Location-list the location, city, town, county, an area, and state, as shown in the record • Notes/Questions-what are you notes, thoughts, on this event? Is there a conflict or a gap, if so, note it and your version or someone else version. ORAL HISTORY+

33. Blank Timeline

35. James Dent Walker’s Rule of 3! • If you say Parley Worden is b. in NY abt. 1795-1800, d. 1852, and his father is Arnold Worden b. 1763 in CT, d. 1840 in NY-then show 3 things to back it up. • Example: give me records that would show a father son relationship? • 1 birth • 2 death • 3 marriage What if one or more of these records aren’t available? What other record/documents could you locate to support a father son relationship, give me one or two-maybe three? ________ ___________ ___________

37. REMEMBER Records can Create Records • So when someone passes, besides a Death certificate what other records are created?-give three OR MORE: • 1. • 2. • 3.

38. More good tips • Don’t assume anything • Write down the different spellings of the surnames (Goens/Goins/Goings/Gowins/Gowens/Gowings) • Ask questions, document, document… • Research the entire family* • Don’t assume all African-Americans have Native American roots • Prove your research, learn about the area you are researching • Chat with those who have done it • Consider DNA, but be ready! WARNING! (There are more tips in Tony Burroughs book)

39. Know your Records & Resources • Vital Stats records: birth, death, marriage, divorce • Federal Census & State Census* • Public records-probate, wills, land/deeds, tax lists, personal property list, mortgages, bill of sales • Media Records-newspapers, Obits, Funeral notices • Memberships & Military Records • Church, Headstones, cemetery records

40. Typical African-American Records • Census Records, 1790-1840 Federal and State, 1850 Slave Census & 1860 Slave Census, 1870, 1880-1940 • House Repository: Bibles, Letters, Property Records-Owners, Oral history, Attic, basements, under the bed, boxes, etc. • Wills, Bill of Sale, Obits, Headstones • Plantation records • Public records • References, books, dissertations

41. 1870 Federal Population Census WHY? For African American genealogy?

42. For African America military check out resources for the United States Colored Troops. • http://usctchronicle.blogspot.com/ • Fold3 • FamilySearch and Ancestry • National Archives

43. Murphy’s SO WHAT-Analyzing records

44. So What=Questions & Analyzing • 1. Read Line by Line • 2. Ask the question-So What, I have this information… What is it telling me? What is it not telling me? Is there any conflicts or incorrect information? • 3. Log the information and ask “What is next”? • Ask questions and think of what you can do with the information you find. What can it do for you? • Question the documents, also what law was in place?

46. Records & Resources • National & State Archives • Library of Congress (two booklets) • State Libraries, College Libraries, local libraries • Newspapers and Historical Societies • Join listserv’s, social media (Facebook, twitter), webpages (rootsweb, afrigeneas)

47. More… • Know the law-did the State require POC to register and pay a fee? • Emancipation papers (freeing a person from someone else) • Slave narratives, families genealogy records • Plantation records (check out Edward Ball’s book) • City and County directories • Public notices or records, local courthouse and city hall’s • Find resources where Slave research has been successful…

48. Blogs, Blogs, Blogs and More… • Blogtalkradio, Research at the National Archives and Beyond-Bennett (Thursday’s, 9p EST) • GeneaBloggers, Rootsrevealed, etc. • Legal Genealogist • African Roots Podcast-Friday’s • Who is Nicka Smith? BlackProGen Live • LowCountry Africana.com • Google is your friend • Familytreegirl.com

49. More Tips… • Join and participate in a genealogical society, lineage society such as DAR, SAR, etc. • Attend genealogy training and conferences (keep a record of your attendance) • Share your experiences • Ask for help & Set up sharing time • Develop a TIMELINE and have a RESEARCH PLAN

50. Recap! • Law & the Community history • SO WHAT! • Get a map, research the WHOLE COUNTY! • Don’t rely on what is Online • Get on the Road (court house, cemetery, etc.) • Put a hold on looking for people of color if you think they might have been slaves-look also for white people • Look for people of color close to the plantation, look for common names, etc. • Join or form a genealogy group, historical society, conference or attend MAAGI