My friend Aaron calls them artificial brick walls. They can also be called self-imposed brick walls. We say this to mean we have labelled something a brick wall that really isn’t a brick wall. We call them that even though we haven’t done our due diligence in terms of careful research. Consider these examples: Insufficient Research We […]
You are browsing archives for
Category: General Research
The Fleet Family of Washington, D.C.
Sometimes our research veers off into an unexpected direction.That happened to me with the Fleet family. Usually its because we come across a person or circumstance that is of interest. My 3rd great-grandfather, Perry Simpson, married a woman named Margaret Fleet. Her family is fascinating, even though she technically is not a blood relative. After […]
Estate Inventories: Peek Into Their Live...
For those doing African-American research, antebellum estate inventories are commonly used to find enslaved ancestors. But all genealogists should make it a regular practice to examine all the items in an inventory. This practice will help us understand our ancestor’s day-to-day lives. Scrutinizing inventories can provide many interesting little details to make a written family […]
The Definition of Black: Race and the Ce...
Censuses provide the framework for much of the family history research that we do. Because of this, it is useful to consult the instructions that were given to census enumerators. They are online at the University of Minnesota’s website. The confusing and shifting definitions and “racial” categories are a reminder that race is a fiction […]
Matilda: Back Another Generation
I have been having some tremendous breakthroughs in this year. With every new name, a piece of me and and my history slides into place. Into memory. Searching for Matilda’s Roots My search for my great-grandmother Matilda’s roots is a wonderful example of the value of cluster research. For many years, I knew nothing about […]
The Artifacts of Our History: Part 2
I enjoyed those who shared their family artifacts- they were all wonderful! I’ve got to share just a few more of my favorites. Education & Photography My dad attended Howard University and for awhile wrote a column in the school paper, The Hilltop. It’s nice to look into the twenty-something mind that would later become […]
The Artifacts of Our History: Part 1
Artifacts are those items passed down within our families. Pictures and bibles are artifacts. But military papers, diplomas, letters, awards, and even quilts are also good examples. I wanted to post some of the wonderful artifacts from my family. Each has expanded my understanding of their lives and communities. Maybe this post will inspire you […]
Legacy of the Rosenwald Schools
The Rosenwald Rural School Building Program was one of the most amazing things I learned while on my genealogical journey. It illustrates how the efforts of a few visionary people can have results that positively affect hundreds of thousands. This story should be in high school history textbooks everywhere. Background Julius Rosenwald made a fortune […]
Collateral Research: Research All Siblin...
In our research, we’ve got to include all the siblings in each generation. This is called collateral research. Your collateral ancestors are those who descend from siblings of your ancestors; people who are not your direct ancestors. I promise you that researching them alongside your direct ancestors will uncover new information about your family. This […]
Black Newspapers Break a Brick Wall!
Recently, I solved a genealogical mystery that I’d had for many, many years. The solution utilized many tools. However, black newspapers and the ease now of searching of them deserves the biggest praise for solving the puzzle. My friend Tim Pinnick has been preaching and teaching about black newspapers for years (you can watch one of his […]