the ge.ne.'al.o.gy workshop

2009-10-12T09:27:00.001-04:00

University of Pittsburgh
Department of History

Slavery in Pennsylvania

2009-08-29T13:41:00.002-04:00

Following the closing of the History Center's exhibit, Free At Last, and with the current Lincoln exhibit, Pittsburgh for one is beginning to articulate its participation in American Slavery. This site aims to give further exposure to this blemish and assist folks in navigating their Pennsylvania based ancestry line through slavery.

Mounting a Curricular Revolution: An Interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

2009-08-27T11:03:00.002-04:00

After being arrested for breaking into his own home, Henry Louis "Skip" Gates is now known for more than his fascinating documentaries researching the lives of several African Americans in his PBS programs African American Lives 1 & 2. Skip Gates and an army of assistants are working to develop curriculum to take into High Schools, encouraging the youth on their awareness of self, and educational endeavors.

Read more....

African American Story Telling

2008-12-07T11:38:00.002-05:00

Listen and learn as Susie PEELER (1861-1934) takes you back to a time when things of greatest importance were told through the art of storytelling. Pulling from her sack of stories, Ms. Susie (well, you can call her Aunt) will share a fist full ranging from Bible Stories, to Aesops Fables to southern folk tales with you and yours.
The presentation is designed for groups of all sizes.

Currently booking in the Pittsburgh area and Western PA.

Contact Autumn Redcross at 412-401-1574 for details.

Images of Bethlehem Steel

2008-11-20T20:01:00.006-05:00

Photograph(s) copyright Shaun O'Boyle

Shaun O'Boyle poetically captures images of Bethlehem Steel, the site of death for my great-grandfather Walter PEELER (1879-1921.)

Rosa PEELER (a.1885-1962)

2008-11-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

However Rosa PEELER (c.1885-1962) of Washington County, GA continues to elude me.

Rosa was married to Walter PEELER in 1902 by Reverend James Veal, where she gives her maiden name to be DIXON. She then has four children: Izora, Isadore, Douglas (Bick/Walter) and Amos James (.A.J.) before her husband dies tragically in a Steele Mill accident in Dauphin County, PA 1921. Rosa moves to Atlanta with her youngest son A.J. before eventually moving with them north to Philadelphia and New Jersey. All of her sons went north, however her daughter Izora remained in Washington County and married Miles ASBERRY.

Rosa died in 1962, and was returned home to Sandersville. She was memorialized at Marshall Grove Baptist Church, C.J. Jordan officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery. The Sandersville Progress obituary reads that at that in addition to her children and their spouses, she left a brother and two sisters.

Additionally, my cousin Mae Bell Azberry had been told me that her Grandmother Rosa had a younger brother named Ralph, and possibly a sibling in Florida who sent oranges. Mae Bell passed away this September.

She was also said to be kin to the WALKERS and the ARMSTRONGS. One census record claims that she is cousin to Susan VEAL. And I have been told that she worked a boarding home while in Atlanta with a woman named Sue. Her children' Social Security applications however give her maiden name as HALL and BUCK.

2008-11-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

Washington County, GA Genealogy

African American Genealogist for Hire

2008-11-11T13:44:00.002-05:00

Working remotely from my home in Western PA, I offer genealogical services including court house look-ups, census, wills and deeds, veterans records review, etc.... I am able to get clients started on their hunt for their roots through their family trees. I am also available for cemetery services such as collecting rubbings and light grave up-keep.
Please comment if interested.

Autumn Redcross
professional genealogy services

Digital Library on American Slavery

2008-11-10T09:02:00.002-05:00

Search the Petitions

The Digital Library on American Slavery, a cooperative effort of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is a searchable database of detailed personal information about slaves, slaveholders, and free people of color. Designed as a tool for genealogists and historians, the site provides access to data collected from legal petitions filed from 1777 to 1867 in all fifteen slaveholding states in the U.S. This information documents where, when, and by whom slaves were owned, and provides insight into where, when, and how free people of color lived.

Click Here for the Digital Library on American Slavery

African American Civil War Memorial 10th Anniversary Celebration

2008-07-01T21:55:00.002-04:00

10th Anniversary Celebration
African American Civil War Memorial
July 16 – 18, 2008, Washington, DC

Thousands of Descendants of the 209,145 U.S. Colored Troops who fought during the American Civil War will descend on the Nations Capital!!!!

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
· 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -Tenting on the .old camp ground. . Tented Prayer Breakfast, Garrison School (formerly known as Camp Barker, Experience Living History)
· 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM -Workshops, & Displays

Thursday, July 17, 2008
· 8:30 AM - 10:00 PM - Arlington Amphitheatre Sunrise and Memorial Service, High Ranking Military Officer as Guest Speaker
· 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Capitol Hill Commemoration, Welcome by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Members of Congressional Black Caucus
· 6:00 PM -SNCC Reunion, Book Signings & Historic Video Presentations

Friday, July 18, 2008
· 10:00 AM -12:00 PM - 10th Anniversary Wreath Laying at Spirit of Freedom Memorial
· 6:00 PM - VIP Reception
· 7:00 PM - Celebrity Descendants Gala Freedom Awards Banquet, Washington Convention Center, Congressional Resolutions presented to Pvt. Julius Cesar Tingman, USCT (Comedian, Chris Rock ancestor).
· Afro-centric, Historic Tours of U Street and Anacostia, East of the River

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE

Visit our website at www.afroamcivilwar.org - or call Lyndia Grant, Project Director@ 202-518-3192
or Call the Civil War Museum @ 202-667-2667: Honorable Dr. Frank Smith, Founding Director

Shamele Jordon
jordonsh@jersey.net

Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Museum of Slavery

2008-07-01T21:52:00.001-04:00

We cordially invite you to attend the official opening(s) of "Lest We Forget" - Black Holocaust Museum of Slavery. We have (2) locations, Philadelphia, PA (Port Richmond) and Lawnside, New Jersey. We will host an Open House at our Philly museum located 3650 Richmond St. Phila. Pa 19134, Thursday, June 26, 2:00- 6:00 PM

We will also host the Grand Opening of our Jersey museum located 327 White Horse Pike, Lawnside New Jersey, July 4th, 12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM.

Press Release and driving directions to both locations are attached. We are excited to finally be able to share our compelling collection of slavery artifacts and Jim Crow Memorabilia with you. Feel free to bring a friend and share this information with others. Hope to see you at either or both events. ~ FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ~

J. Justin & Gwen Ragsdale, Curators

Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Museum of Slavery (856) 427-4262 www.lestweforgetmuseumofslavery.com

conversations with the slave owning famiy

2008-04-18T20:25:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I made contact with the descendants of my ancestors' slave owners. It was a fine conversation until they asked why I was inquiring about the PEELER lineage. When I responded with my belief that their ancestors probably owned mine, another voice on the line spoke up.
He doubted that Berry PEELER, a man of God, and Chaplin in the Civil War would ever have had slaves! His wife tempered his remarks explaining that most everyone had farms in the mid 1800's, in middle Georgia!
Good point.

Meeting David Wilson

2008-04-14T10:49:00.001-04:00

Seems like a great program I missed.

‘Not the descendants of victims but victors’

Film traces one man’s journey to track down his family’s past in slavery

Request for Decesed Individual's SS Application

2008-04-04T09:46:00.003-04:00

https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps7/efoiassa/internet/SSA711.jsp

Who is Grandma Rose?

2008-04-04T09:27:00.003-04:00

Grandma Rose:
Married as Rosa Dixon in 1902.
Listed in the 1910 census, 1920 and 1930 census' as Rosa PEELER.
She passed July of 1962 in Philadelphia, and was buried in Marshall Grove in Sandersville. Parents are listed as unknown, as well as her husband's name (which is careless). I'm starting to entertain the idea that 1. grandma Rose was an orphan, or 2. DIXON was her married name (maybe when was married before Walter).
I had picked up on her relation to Sussie VEAL--who appears with her in the Washington County, GA 1930 census as her cousin, and have ordered the death certificate on Sussie VEAL.
Will need to check further....
If you should have any information, or tips let me know.

Historical Christian University Archive Holdings

2008-04-04T09:25:00.001-04:00

http://tarver.mercer.edu/archives/Holdings/EducationalInstitutions.pdf

Free Access to Civil War Research Database

2008-04-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

Through April 30, 2008 there is free access to Alexander Street Press's Civil War Reseach Online Database Collections. No need to register, the information details & instructions for use are on this page:

http://alexanderstreet.com/resources/civilwar.access.htm

Alright, alright

2008-04-04T08:53:00.002-04:00

Randolf, Ceily and their sons Solomon and Tump PEILER are all found in the 1880 census. While Soloman, and his new bride live with his parents, Tump lives next door to the widow of Berry PEELER.

The connection has now been well established that our last slave-owning family was the PEELERS who descended from Michael, Anthony and Issac. Their line landed in Philadelphia in the early 1700's. And then moved to North Carolina and onto South Carolina.

It appears that my Randolf was born in SC within the year of Berry's birth, and given to him as a child. When Berry moved from Union, SC to GA, he brought Randolf with him. Far later when Berry's son Issac moved from Hancock County GA to Wilkinson, he took my Randolf with him. Interesting Issac became a minister and appropriated land in Wilkinson County for the coloreds to worship.

It seems that following emancipation, Randolf then with his family returned to Hancock county, and worked the land of his former slave owners. Berry died intestate and Randolf appears on both sides of the balance sheet appearing as a part of the division of property in 1870.

New Findings

2008-01-17T08:07:00.000-05:00

Recently have found my great-great grandfather "Tump" PEELER in the 1870 census. Unlike the latter half of his life where he is easily tracked by census in Washington County Georgia, he appears living in Hancock County.
It was only by going through the census of Division 117/48 line by line was I able to find him, as his last name is spelled PEILER, and his seemingly proper first name is used: Andrew.

In addition, possibly the mistress of his owner is living next door. His brother Soloman (who married the sister of his wife) is living near by. And his father Randolf, along with his mother, Ceily is also listed nearby.

Other tid-bits gleaned from this search is that Walter, my great-grandfather was not Tump and Sussie's first child--but their third. The mortality record of 1880 reveals an infant and a youngster of one year born to their household, who died.

SMGF DNA testing project

2007-11-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

The primary research goal is to develop new kinds of DNA testing for ancestry. The Y chromosome is useful for the straight paternal line, and mtDNA is useful for the straight maternal line, but that leaves out the bulk of your DNA, which you inherit from some combination of any of your ancestral lines. SMGF thus requests a complete four-generation pedigree from volunteers (counting yourself as one).

SMGF does test Y and mtDNA and make the results available online in a publicly accessible database, showing pedigrees with the most recent generations (anyone born after 1906) privatized.

You can then search for your pedigree and deduce your results (with a little bit of effort), but SMGF does not send them to you directly, and your results will not be as fast as a commercial company. Here's an example with my husband's Y results -- he has no close matches, so I'm hoping more Turners will test

http://tinyurl.com/3aqnx7

SMGF tests a somewhat different set of markers than FTDNA, and you can't send SMGF results to FTDNA. However, many FTDNA project administrators maintain their own websites, and some of those will accept results from SMGF as well as other commercial companies. There is enough overlap for useful comparisons.

SMGF is beginning to collect more samples in various places around the world. There's a map of their current progress here:

http://www.smgf.org/maps/collections.jspx

African Americans can make a big contribution to the research project, even if they don't know their exact origins in Africa. For this type of research, it's helpful to have participation from extended family members (siblings, parents/children, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins). For example, if a cousin on your father's side matches some of your autosomal markers, you can tell which side of the family they came from. If you test all by yourself, you can't tell. That's what makes autosomal research so tricky, but it's the next frontier.

Ann Turner
co-author (with Megan Smolenyak) of "Trace Your Roots with DNA"

Western PA Family History Centers

2007-10-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

The Family History Library, located in Salt Lake City, is the main repository for most of the genealogical information the Church has collected. Family history centers (more than 3,500 around the world) are branches of the Family History Library. These centers eliminate the need to travel to Salt Lake City to use the record collection. Most of the microfilm and electronic data collections are accessible at centers around the world. There is no charge for use of the Family History Library or family history centers.

Volunteer staffs are on hand to lend assistancehowever Center staff members will not do research for you. Instead they will help you use center resources so that you can do your own research. Some lineage-linked family history information is available in computer databases at the center.

When you go, bring the name of an ancestor you wish to research and information you know about the person (such as birth, death, or marriage information). The more information you have about your ancestor, the better your chances for successful research. It may also be helpful to bring a completed pedigree chart.

There is no fee to visit a family history center or to use most of its resources. Research outlines and resource guides may be sold at cost. There are small fees for:

Photocopies
Computer printouts
Microfilms or microfiche loaned to the center from the Family History Library to cover postage

Here is a list of the Family History Centers in our Pittsburgh Area:

Beaver Valley Pennsylvania

114 Church DrMonaca, Beaver, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 724-774-3670Hours: W-Th 10am-9pm

Cranberry Twp Pennsylvania

2771 Rochester RdCranberry, Butler, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 724-742-0922Hours: Sept-May: T, W, Th 9am-3pm; W, 6:30-8:30pm June-Aug T&Th 9am-3pm; W 6:30pm-8:30pmClosed: Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22 November. Last week of December & first week of JanuaryAttention: In the winter months, our hours may be impacted by delays or closures in the Seneca Valley School District. Please call ahead.

Greensburg Pennsylvania

Twin Run RdGreensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 724-836-0648Hours: T 1pm-3pm; W 7pm-9pm, Sat 10am-12noon

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

46 School StreetPittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 412-921-2115Hours: T,Th 10am-8pm; Sat 10am-1pmClosed: August, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas & New Year's Weeks

3rd 710 New Texas RoadPlum Borough, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 724-327-1818Hours: T 9am-2pm; Th 6pm-9pm; Sat 8am-12pmClosed: when weather is snowy or icy.

Washington Pennsylvania

525 Fairway DriveWashington, Washington, Pennsylvania, United StatesPhone: 724-222-9474Hours: T,Th,10am-3pm; W 12pm-3pm & 6:30pm-8:30pmClosed: Mon, Fri, Sat

Note: These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries

2007-10-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

Western Pennsylvania Genealogy and Historical Resources
Beaver County
Beaver county Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation
699 5th Street
P.O. Box 1
Freedom, PA 15042-0001
724-775-1848

The Beaver County Genealogical Society
C/o Nancy Y. Lindemann
3225 Dutch Ridge Road
Beaver, PA 15009
www.rootsweb.com/~pabecgs/history.htm

Clarion County
Clarion county Historical Society
17 south Fifth Avenue
Clarion, PA 16214-1015
814-226-4450
www.cspm;ome.net/cchs/

Clarion Free Library
644 Main Street
Clarion, PA 16214
814-226-7172
www.clarionfreelibrary.org/

Crawford County
Crawford County Historical Society
(located at the Meadville Public Library)
848 North Main Street
Meadville, PA 16335
814-724-6080
http://ccfs.org/historical/

Meadville Public Library
848 North Main Street
Meadville, PA 16335
814-336-1773
www.meadvillelibrary.org/

Erie County
Erie County Historical society and Museums
419 State Street
Erie, PA 16501-1106
814-454-1813

Erie County Public Library
160 East Front Street
Erie, PA 16507
814-451-6900
www.ecls.lib.pa.us/

Erie Society for Genealogical Research
P.O. Box 1403
Erie, PA 16512-1403
www.pa-roots.com/~erie/

Fayette County
Fayette County Historical society
P.O. Box 193
Uniontown, PA 15401-0193
724-439-4422

The Pennsylvania room at the Uniontown Public Library &
The Fayette County Genealogical Society
24 Jefferson Street
Uniontown, PA 15401
412-437-1165
www.fforward.com/gene/pennroom.htm

Greene County
The Greene County Historical society and Museum
P.O. box 127 Waynesburg, PA 15370-0127
724-627-3204
www.greenepa.net/~museum/

Cornerstone Genealogical Society
(located at the Bowlby Public Library)
P.O. Box 547
311 North West Street
724-627-5653
www.pa.roots.com/~greene/society.htm

Lawrence County
Lawrence County Historical Society
P.O. box 1745
408 North Jefferson Street
New Castle, PA 16103-1745
724-658-4022
www.ilovehistory.com

Somerset County
Historical And Genealogical Society of Somerset County
10649 Somerset Pike
Somerset, PA 15501
814-445-6077
www.rootsweb.com/pasomers/schs/

Washington County
Citizens Library
55 College Street
Washingotn, PA 15301
724-222-2400
www.citilib.org/

Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania
(located at the Citizens Library)
P.O. Box 894
55 College Street
Washington, PA 15301-0894
724-222-2400
www.citilib.org/

The Washington County Historical Society
LeMoyne House
49 East Maiden Street
Washington, PA 15301
724-225-6740
www.wchspa.org/

Washington and Jefferson Library
East Wheeling and Lincoln Streets
Washington, PA 15301
724-223-6070

Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County Historical Society
951 Old Salem Road
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-836-1800
www.wchspa.com

Greensburg Hempfield Area Library
237 South Pennsylvania Avenue
Greensburg, PA 15601
www.ghal.org

Family History Centres in the British Isles

2007-10-29T17:41:00.000-04:00

Most Family History Centres (FHCs) are located in church buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and are staffed by volunteers. Each FHC offers the possibility of ordering resources from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. By this means you can have access to over two million microfilms and hundreds of thousands of fiche through a loan programme between the Family History Library and FHCs.

Use of every FHC is available to everyone. There is no charge for use of a Family History Centre, although there are modest charges for copying or ordering loans of microfilms or fiche.

Click Here For the Long List!

Using Batch Numbers in the LDS International Genealogical Index

2007-10-29T17:17:00.000-04:00

Using Batch Numbers in the LDS International Genealogical Index

Kimberly Powell's Genealogy Blog
From Kimberly Powell,
Your Guide to Genealogy.
Stay up to date!

I've been doing a lot of English research lately which, of course, means a lot of time spent sorting out families in the International Genealogical Index (IGI) online at FamilySearch. To take full advantage of this database of transcribed parish records, however, it really helps to understand and make use of batch numbers.

Using a batch number in conjunction with the Custom Search page allows you to limit your name search to a particular locality or parish, something not available in the standard search options. It also allows you to search by surname only, which is only available at the countrywide level using the standard search feature. In other words, the batch number allows you to easily search the IGI for all occurences of your family surname within a specific parish.

So, what is a batch number?
Entries in the IGI come from two major sources of information:

individual submissions submitted by members of the LDS church and
information extracted by volunteers from parish records and other vital records of birth, marriage and death from around the world.

Each group of records submitted is assigned a specific batch number. Records from a specific parish will generally be grouped into anywhere from one to several batches. If a batch number begins with an M (marriage) or C (christening), then it usually means the information was extracted from original parish records.

It is important to understand that a "batch" doesn't always include all records from the original source or even the LDS microfilm copy of the source - it may only cover a specific range of years. All parish records were not fully included as part of the official LDS extraction program. Batched records for Sapcote parish in Leicestershire, for example, include christenings from 1807-1852 and marriages from 1754-1842, while the original source microfilm references Sapcote parish registers from 1564-1875.

Read More....

2007-10-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

Requesting Genealogists/Researchers/Historians Lobbying Participation

People For Better Access To Pennsylvania Historical Records (PBAPHR)

We are asking for your help in a grassroots lobbying campaign to make older Pennsylvania state death certificates available on-line. As you may already know, all death certificates recorded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1906 have restricted access and require the knowledge of when and where the person died, the expenditure of $9 and a wait of 5 weeks or longer for each and every death certificate, regardless of how long ago the person died. Because of the restrictions, the public is not able to use these historic records as much as they should be able to. And we’re sure many of you have experienced the frustration of either being told they couldn’t find the death certificate or being sent the wrong death certificate.

We understand the concerns about privacy, identity theft and terrorism. However, there is no reason to keep all of these records restricted indefinitely. Therefore, our basic proposal is that the death certificates that would be accessible on-line would have to be at least 50 years old (and, if necessary for extra security, only for persons born more than 100 years ago). Currently that would mean only persons who died before 1957 (and if necessary were born before 1907) would be made accessible on-line. As each year passes the next year in line would be added to this on-line database.

Several other states have already made their older death certificates available on-line, including Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Utah and West Virginia. But Pennsylvania continues its outdated and costly process of issuing these older death certificates one at a time.

Federal census records are available after 72 years. The Social Security death index (with dates, places and numbers) is very recent. There are already numerous other records available on-line that are far more worrisome than our proposal could ever be.
We are asking you to contact certain Pennsylvania state officials, preferably in writing or in person since it will have the most impact, but at least by phone or email. As we understand it only the Pennsylvania State Legislature can change the law. The governor would have to approve this change and the Pennsylvania Department of Health would have to implement any change. If you live in Pennsylvania please contact your representatives in the state legislature in person, by letter, by phone or at the very least by email. Everyone, including out of state residents, should write, phone or at the very least email the governor and even the Division of Vital Records. Naturally the more letters and other forms of contact that are made and the more people involved the better.
Talking points:

In the long run, having older death certificates available on-line would be a cost savings to the state and the state gets away from the antiquated system of searching for each record one at a time.

The public would be much better served and easier access would allow far greater utilization of these historic records by the public.

Year of birth and death guidelines will prevent identity theft and guard against terrorism.

There is no practical reason all of these records should be kept confidential indefinitely especially after a fairly long lapse of time.

Other states have already made death certificates available on-line. Why not, Pennsylvania?

Contact person for People For Better Access To Pennsylvania Historical Records (PBAPHR)

Tim Gruber: timarg@rcn.com

2007-10-22T11:17:00.001-04:00

So far, no sign he's related to Hillary

September 9, 2007

BY SCOTT FORNEK Political Editor

It sure would be an awkward family reunion. But, believe it or not, Barack Obama is related to both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

OK, distantly related: Obama and Bush are 11th cousins.

That's because they share the same great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents -- Samuel Hinckley and Sarah Soole Hinckley of 17th century Massachusetts.

That means Obama and former President George Herbert Walker Bush are 10th cousins once removed.

Obama is related to Cheney through Mareen Duvall, a 17th century immigrant from France.

Mareen and Susannah Duvall were Obama's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents and Cheney's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents.

That makes Obama and Cheney ninth cousins once removed.

Cheney and Bush are related to one another by a completely different common ancestor.

We leave it to you to figure out their relationship.

SOURCE: The Chicago Sun Times

Interview Tips!

2007-10-18T17:53:00.000-04:00

http://www.genealogy.com/95_carmack.html

TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE HISTORY PROJECT (TST)

2007-10-17T18:18:00.000-04:00

UNESCO

-THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVENT IS TO CONTINUE THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNSECO TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE (TST) PROJECT THAT WAS STARTED IN 1998.
THE TST PROJECT EMBODIES A PROVEN CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK WITH A DEMONSTRATED LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPACT IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES.
WE AIM TO ENRICH THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF HISTORY THROUGH THE INCLUSION OF A MORE THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE FOUNDATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR CURRENT SOCIETY.

ROOTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

2007-10-17T07:23:00.000-04:00

TV One’s 30th anniversary telecast of the epic mini-series Roots will be a week-long television event hosted by cast members of the award-winning production.

The Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Peabody Award-winning miniseries, which follows several generations of an enslaved family from Africa in the 1700s to emancipation during the Civil War, will air in six parts from 8-10 PM Sunday, April 8-Thursday, April 13, repeating each evening at 10 PM and the following day at noon, with the finale airing on Sunday, April 15, at 8 and 10 PM, repeating on April 16 at noon (all times ET).

The hosts for the week-long event are LeVar Burton (Kunta Kinte) on Sunday, April 8 and Monday, April 9, Lou Gossett, Jr. (Fiddler) on Tuesday, April 10, Richard Roundtree (Sam Bennett) on Wednesday, April 11, Leslie Uggams (Kizzy) on Thursday, April 12 and Ben Vereen (Chicken George) for the final episode on Sunday, April 15. The five former cast members will all be on hand Sunday, April 15 for a closing tribute to the late author and creator of Roots, Alex Haley.

Leading up to and through the week of the Roots telecast, TV One is also airing vignettes from notable African Americans of all ages about the significance of Roots in their lives and African American culture. Among those featured in the vignettes are the hosts mentioned above, as well as Rev. Al Sharpton, Quincy Jones, Queen Latifah, Alex Haley’s brothers George and Julian Haley, Regina King, Dick Gregory, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Jermaine Dupri, Jasmine Guy, Vanessa Williams and Malinda Williams, among others.

This historic series, based on the late Alex Haley’s best-selling book about his ancestors, begins with the harrowing story of Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton), a young West African who is captured by slave traders in 1750 and sold into slavery in America, and the saga continues through the emancipation of Chicken George (Ben Vereen), Kunta Kinte’s grandson.

Still the top-rated mini-series of all time, Roots in its initial airing on ABC was watched - in full or in part - in 85 percent of U.S. homes, a staggering number even in an era when there were only three television networks. The mini-series captivated the American television audience and became a social phenomenon unlike any other program of its time. Roots served as a catalyst for national discussions about race, the legacy of slavery, African American history and launched a new passion for family history and genealogy, especially among African Americans.

Aside from its social impact, Roots established the mini-series as a format and featured a distinguished cast, many of whose careers were launched by the mini-series. Featured in the all-star cast are LeVar Burton, Ben Vereen, Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Uggams, Ed Asner, John Amos, Maya Angelou, Cicely Tyson, Georg Stanford Brown, Moses Gunn, Richard Roundtree, Olivia Cole, Ian McShane, Lorne Greene, Lloyd Bridges and Todd Bridges, among others.

An award-winning producer and director, Burton, who portrayed Kunta Kinte in the mini-series, is working with TV One on developing original content to support TV One’s telecast of the mini-series, including interstitial vignettes, online elements for www.tvoneonline.com and content designed for the education community.

“I’m thrilled that TV One has become the new home for Roots,” said Burton. “Roots is part of our common history, and is as relevant today as when it was first broadcast 30 years ago.”

“Roots was landmark television for all of American society, but especially for African Americans, for we had never before seen our story on television, and rarely even seen ourselves portrayed as multi-dimensional individuals,” said TV One President and CEO Johnathan Rodgers. “While a lot has changed in 30 years, Roots continues to be powerful television and an important lesson in our country’s history. We are delighted to bring it back to viewers who remember it as children and young adults, as well as introduce this groundbreaking saga to a whole new generation of viewers of all ethnicities.”

Black Star News

Resorces by State

2007-10-16T19:06:00.000-04:00

Ancestors--BYU

2007-10-16T19:03:00.000-04:00

"FamilySearch and the Georgia Archives announced today that Georgia's
death index from 1919 to 1927 can be accessed for free online. The online
index is linked to digital images of the original death certificates. This
free database will open doors to additional information for family
historians and genealogists with Georgia ties. The index and images can be
searched and viewed at www.GeorgiaArchives.org .

15 YEAR OLD GIRL, GETS SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR PUSHING A TEACHER!!!

2007-09-08T15:43:00.000-04:00

By Tracy Stokes, BET.com News Staff & Wire Services

Posted March 28, 2007 - In Paris, Texas, last year, a 14-year-old White girl burns down her family's home. Her punishment? Probation. In the same town three months later, a 15-year-old Black girl, Shaquanda Cotton, is sentenced to seven years in prison for pushing a hall monitor at her high school.
Shaquanda had no prior arrests, and the monitor, a 58-year-old teacher's aide, was not hurt, according to Black leaders in the northeast Texas town of about 26,000 residents. But in March 2006, the same judge, Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville, who let the White teenage girl go on probation, convicted Shaquanda of "assault on a public servant" and sent her to prison at least until she turns 21.
Officials at the Texas Youth Commission declined to discuss the case with BET.com, citing Texas law.
"State law forbids us from acknowledging whether we have any youths are in our system, despite the 50 million issues of print that's been run," said Jim Hurley, a spokesman for the Texas Youth Commission. "We'd have to break the law to talk about it."
Civil Rights Uproar
While the U.S. Department of Education is investigating the incident, the case has civil rights groups in an uproar.
"I don't understand the judge's rationale for his decision," Dr. Howard Anderson, president of the San Antonio Branch of the NAACP, told BET.com.
In highlighting what he called an egregious miscarriage of justice in a town with a long history of civil rights abuses, Anderson pointed to the case of the 14-year-old convicted arson (whose name was not released because of her age), who was slapped with probation, and the case of a 19-year-old White man in Paris, convicted of killing a 54-year-old Black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck. The latter, he said, was also sentenced to probation and told to send the family a Christmas card every year.
"Then you have Shaquanda's case," Anderson said. "She pushed a hall monitor, and she gets seven years confinement? If I look at all three of these sentences, and I'm not a lawyer, I have to wonder what the judicial system is doing. In this particular case, what is this judge doing?"
Gary Bledsoe, an Austin attorney who heads the state NAACP branch, told BET.com that Shaquanda was merely trying to defend herself.
"All she (Shaquanda) did was grab the aide to prevent a strike," Bledsoe said. "It's like they are sending a signal to Black folks in Paris that you stay in your place in this community, in the shadows, intimidated."
Sad History
And keeping Blacks in their place is nothing new in Paris, say leaders, who remind that it's the site of the first highly publicized lynching of a Black by a large White mob. In 1893, fugitive Henry White was captured in Arkansas and brought to Paris, where he was tortured and burned alive on a train bed as more than 10,000 angry townsfolk cheered and jeered.
Activists say that the Shaquanda sentence is nothing more than a modern-day lynching.
Cotton has been incarcerated at a youth prison in Brownwood, Texas, for the last year on a sentence that could run until her 21st birthday. But like many of the other youths in the system, she is eligible to earn early release if she achieves certain social, behavioral and educational milestones while in prison.
But according to The Chicago Tribune , officials at the Ron Jackson Correctional Complex repeatedly have extended Shaquanda's sentence because she refuses to admit guilt and because she reportedly was found with contraband in her cell - an extra pair of socks.
"She's not admitting any guilt, because she doesn't feel that she did anything," Anderson told BET.com . "Not to mention, who saw the pushing, if it did occur?"

Cotton's mother, Creola, who Anderson describes as "strong-willed," said her daughter was singled out because she accused the school district of racism on several occasions.
In fact, 12 discrimination complaints have been filed against the Paris Independent School District in recent years. District officials dispute the charges, but the U.S. Department of Education, which is still investigating the case, has reportedly asked the U.S. Department of Justice to get involved.
In 1998, Paris, Texas, was named the "Best Small Town in Texas" by Kevin Heubusch in his book The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.

New E-Mail

2007-09-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

Please contact me regarding genealogy work and this blog's content at this email address:
genecamp.blogspot@gmail.com

On Line Search fo Vital Records:

2007-08-30T23:09:00.000-04:00

Thank you Harnett County!

add WARREN to my list of surnames

2007-08-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

I am just realizing that Elouise's John and Cora were probably not twins after all. The 1870 census depicts the Elouise raising 3 children who are all at school: James, John and Cora. Cora and John are the same age.
However according to The 1920 Census, Elouise had 7 children, or which two are still living at that time. In addition, The 1880 Census names Corra as Elouise's grand child. She then has a new baby of her own: Charlie WARREN.
James marries Julia, and John my ancestor "works about" until he eventually becomes married to Laura.

Elouise GIBSON
b. abt 1825
children:
James b. 1856 unk death
John b. 1858 unk death
Cora b. 1858 d. before 1900, grand-daughter

Paternal Grands

2007-08-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

According to the Social Security Index, my great grandfather died in South Hackensack, Bergen County, NJ. My father's memories dictate that he lived in New Brunswick, NJ; while my great Aunts' both testify that he lived in Philadelphia.
Oh how I wish the stories matched. However it is positive that both locations are closer to what seems correct--rather than something very far from here....

George Clarence GIBSON
b. 1893
m. Louise CLEMONS
c. 1920
children: George Clarence GIBSON II
b. 1921
m. Beatrice GIBSON
c. 1945
children: Joseph GIBSON
Aunt Linda GIBSON

Mail To: Baldwin County Court

2007-08-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

I am writing today to request proof of marriage for my paternal great grandparents. Because I am not sure of her birth, I will inquire first of his county seat of Milledgeville, Baldwin County GA. These African American Ancestors raised my grandfather in Milledgeville. He was born in 1921; so it seems that the reasonable course of action would be to secure his birth certificate, and look for a marriage certificate for the couple in the year prior.

Baldwin County Probate Court
121 Wilkinson Street
Suite 109
Milledgeville, GA 31061

birth certificates begin in 1855

IPL

2007-08-27T04:16:00.001-04:00

The Internet Public Library on Genealogy

Finding Death

2007-08-26T22:35:00.000-04:00

The Social Security Index is a good source for seeking the death and greater details on those searches for ancestors. What's is more is the information that can be had from applying for the application.
A copy of the original, as well as computer generated abstracts are available from the Social Security on Line site, as well as the guidelines for requests and the explanation of the Freedom of Information Act that makes this all possible.

2007-08-25T07:38:00.000-04:00

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

Our volunteers have agreed to do a free genealogy research task at least once per month in their local area as an act of kindness. While the volunteers of Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) have agreed to donate their time for free, you MUST PAY the volunteer for his/her expenses in fulfilling your request (copies, printing fees, postage, film or video tape, parking fees, etc.).

RAOGK is a global volunteer organization. With over 4000 volunteers in every U.S. state and many international locations, we have helped thousands of researchers. Our volunteers take time to do everything from looking up courthouse records to taking pictures of tombstones. All they ask in return is reimbursement for their expenses (never their time) and a thank you.

2007-08-24T18:25:00.000-04:00

The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc.

Becoming a Registered User at CAAGR and access Heritage Quest for free!

Registration is simple and takes only a few minutes to complete. It is important that the information you provide is accurate as our funding is based upon the communities we serve. All fields must have an answer in order for you to have immediate access to the census records online.

All information will be kept confidential and will not be sold under any circumstances.

2007-08-23T23:12:00.001-04:00

USF Africana Heritage Project and WeRelate.org to Collaborate on Groundbreaking Slave Genealogy Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Contacts:
Toni Carrier
USF Africana Heritage Project
www.africanaheritage.com
toniheadr@aol.com
813-246-2201

Dallan Quass
President, Foundation for On-Line Genealogy
www.werelate.org
dallan@WeRelate.org
(801) 319-1770

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - The USF Africana Heritage Project and WeRelate.org announced today that they will collaborate on groundbreaking historical research sponsored by the Magnolia Plantation Foundation of Charleston, SC. In the first-ever project of its kind, Magnolia Plantation is funding genealogical research in the plantation journals of the Drayton family of Charleston. The USF Africana Heritage Project will reconstruct the lineages of enslaved communities on Drayton family plantations, and build family files which anyone may access for free on the Internet.

WeRelate, the world's largest genealogy wiki, will host the family tree files, provide technical support and share expertise to make the research results easily accessible and user-friendly. "We feel strongly that WeRelate's collaboration in this project will bring talent and expertise to the effort, and will make the work product truly special," said Toni Carrier, Founding Director of the USF Africana Heritage Project. "The folks at WeRelate have poured an enormous amount of time and technical skill into making an innovative, free website where genealogists and scholars may collaborate on research. We look forward to collaborating with them on this historic research."

A "wiki" is a new type of website that makes it easy for people to collaborate on research projects. Anyone can edit pages and build upon others' work. A history of changes is kept so that information is not lost and people can see who changed what. "Wiki's like Wikipedia and WeRelate demonstrate the effectiveness of wiki technology in helping people share information. We are excited to participate in this important and historic effort to reconstruct slave family lineages and make them freely available online," said Dallan Quass, President of the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy, the sponsor of WeRelate.

The USF Africana Heritage Project is an all-volunteer research project sponsored by the Africana Studies department at the University of South Florida. Their research mission is to rediscover records that document the names and lives of slaves, freedpersons and their descendants, and share those records on the free Internet site www.africanaheritage.com.

For more information about Magnolia Plantation's sponsorship of this historic research, please follow the link Magnolia Plantation Foundation to Sponsor Internet Archive of Plantation, Slave Records. For more information about the USF Africana Heritage Project please follow the link USF Africana Heritage Project Press Kit.

WeRelate is a free public-service wiki for genealogy sponsored by the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy, Inc. in partnership with the Allen County Public Library. It is the world's largest genealogy wiki with pages for over 400,000 people and growing. Their goal is to be the number one community website for genealogy. At WeRelate you can connect with other researchers and cooperatively work on web pages for your ancestors. Your research can be documented completely online. You can upload GEDCOM files, upload and annotate scanned documents and photos, include family stories and biographies, and generate maps of your ancestors' life events. WeRelate is currently in beta and is funded by tax-deductible donations.

For more information please visit WeRelate.org or follow the link WeRelate video tour.

Getting Started!

2007-08-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

Online Tutorials and Guides

Here are a few web sites with good sections on how to begin your research:

Getting Started on line guide at Afrigeneas.com

Help for Genealogy Researchers and Getting Started from the USGenWeb Project

How to get started in Genealogy, from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS)

Finding Your Ancestors, online course (free, but requires registration)

Genealogy Learning Center from Genealogy.com

Genealogy Classes, free online classes on beginning genealogy, internet genealogy, and tracing immigrant origins.

Getting Started page from National Genealogical Society

Where to Begin, Rootsweb Guide to Tracing Family Trees

Genealogy 101, from HeritageQuest.

my GIBSON lineage revised

2007-08-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

GIBSON PEDIGREE

After working with the prior lineage format a bit, I sorta morphed it into generational categories. Adding children into the format as well will create a pedigree record/family group record form in chronological order. How do you like it?

6^th Generation: Eloise

b.1825

d. (unk)

& GIBSON

5^th Generation: John GIBSON

b.1858

m. (unk)

d. (unk)

& Laura

b. 1848

d. (unk)

4^th Generation: George GIBSON

b. 1893 Milledgeville, Baldwin GA

d. (unk) Philadelphia, PA

& Louise CLEMMONS

b. 1901 Milledgeville, Baldwin GA

d. (unk)

3^rd Generation: George GIBSON

b. 8 SEPT 1921 Milledgeville, Baldwin

d. 1 SEPT 1996 Dorchester, MA

& Beatrice CLARK

b. 6 OCT 1920 Harnett, NC

d. 23 Aug 1998

2^nd Generation: Joseph GIBSON

& Juanita PEELER

1^st Generation: ME

my Gibson lineage so far....

2007-08-06T15:03:00.001-04:00

This method as advised by a mentor at Afrigeneas allows me to pinpoint the unknown information in my pedigree:

Eloise

b.1825

d. (unk)

& GIBSON

l John GIBSON

l b.1858

l d. (unk)

l Laura

l b. 1848

l d. (unk)

ll George GIBSON

ll b. 1893 Milledgeville, Baldwin GA

ll d. (unk)

ll & Louise CLEMMONS

ll b. 1901 Milledgeville, Baldwin GA

ll d. (unk)

lll George GIBSON

lll b. 8 SEPT 1921 Milledgeville, Baldwin, GA

lll d. 1 SEPT 1996 Dorchester, MA

lll & Beatrice CLARK

lll b. 6 OCT 1920 Harnett, NC

lll d. 23 Aug 1998

llll Joseph GIBSON

llll b. Philadelphia, PA

llll & Juanita PEELER

llll b. Philadelphia, PA

lllll Autumn GIBSON

the PEELER brothers of Washington County, GA

2007-08-04T19:12:00.000-04:00

Much of my focus of late has been on the patriarch of my maternal father's family tree: Reverend Tump Peeler.
Two PEELER brothers married two TEMPLE sisters and settled in Washington County Georgia where they both raised their families.
The PEELERS are known as doctors of the herbs, and a spiritual family. Tump preaches for Mt. Sinai, Beaulah and Pleasant Grove. His wife Sussie is a midwife. Her name-sake and grand-daughter Sussie PEELER-JONES recalls her being called on by white folk to wait on them during time of labor. She was so proud, Cousin Sussie tells me, "She would stroll around the house say'n, I'm a doctor!"
Soloman (Sol) and Mariah had 8 children, while Tump and Caddie had 11--9 of which survived into their own birthing years. Their oldest was Walter.
Walter PEELER (1879-1921) married Rosa DIXON on November 2, 1902 by the blessings of Rev. James Veal in Washington County, GA. The children began with Izora (1902-1965), then came Isadore (1903-1985), Douglas (1910-1984), and finally Amos James (1914-1985) Walter would move to Dauphin County, PA and work on a steel mill. Like hundreds of thousands of blacks during the era of the great migration. Arriving as early as 1915, my great-grandfather never appears to have a place of his own with no mention of him in the area directores. However he registers for WWI in 1918 from Swatarta, PA, and is listed in the 1920 census as a boarder of the home of Adam and Annie MCKINNEY.
In March of 1921, two days before good Friday, my great-great grandfather is killed third degree burns and internal injuries when an explosion of furnace #7 at Bethleham Steel pins 6 men for 6 hours under firey rubble and ash. His body along with the others is found. And apparently by way of rail is sent back home to Sandersville. There his youngest son, A.J. sees his father for the first time to his own memory, and remarks that "his father is dark, like himself" Recalls Aunt Eve when I spoke to her last-- Uncle A.J.'s wife.
Walter Peeler is laid to rest probably in the county cemetery.

Please if you should have any information concerning the lineage of the PEELER Boys, leave a comment or e-mail me!

2007-07-28T12:35:00.001-04:00

Why Pennsylvania still had slaves until the Civil War

2007-07-21T12:43:00.001-04:00

Critics constantly take me to task for stating that Pennsylvania still had a few slaves up until the Civil War, and actually had hundreds in the decade prior to the war. Armed with rudimentary knowledge of the Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act of 1780, they apply simple arithmetic to conclude that slavery disappeared in this state by the late 1820s or early 1830s.

What they forget to do is factor in human greed.

The 1780 Gradual Abolition Act set March 1, 1780 as the cut-off point. Anyone born prior to that date would remain a slave for the rest of their life. Anyone born of a slave mother after that date would be enslaved until their twenty-eighth birthday. It sounds very simple, and it was intended to phase out slavery within a generation, while protecting the human property interests of slaveholders.

So, assuming that a slave born just prior to the cut-off date bore children into her mid-twenties (let's say in the year 1805), those children, indentured until age 28, would be freed no later than the year 1833. Decreasing numbers of slaves enumerated in the federal censuses in Pennsylvania for 1830 and 1840 seem to support these calculations.

This is where the first point of contention usually arises. I count the children of slaves, those held to servitude for 28 years, as slaves. The term favored by the courts of the time, indentured servant, doesn't cut it. To me, an indentured servant is someone serving a term, usually less than seven years, to pay off debt or to learn a trade. It was the second lowest class of labor in colonial America, next only to slavery, and to all of those, white and Black, who suffered through an indentured servitude, often the difference in treatment from slaves was negligible. Still, it was not quite slavery; the terms were significantly shorter and usually the servant was erasing a debt, or learning a trade.

Legally, however, those Blacks who were manumitted under the 1780 law were considered indentured servants. But what did they have to show for it? Twenty eight years at hard labor generally used up a person's best years and often destroyed their spirit. Three decades of forced labor, with no power to control your own life, to me, is slavery. The accepted terminology for this class of labor now is "term slave," to distinguish it from lifelong slavery. Because census takers were instructed to record these term slaves as servants, their true numbers are lost to us. They recorded as "slaves" only those aging persons who were born prior to 1780. Naturally, then, the number of slaves in the official records were dropping rapidly.

In 1850 the ability of census takers to record slaves in Pennsylvania was cut to zero: for the first time there was no column for slaves on the census form. Most other states had columns to records slaves, but not Pennsylvania. As a result, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recorded zero slaves for the first time in its history. Of course there were still slaves around--this was only 70 years after passage of the Gradual Abolition Act. Most county histories have anecdotes about aged former slaves dying at grand old ages well into the 1880s. Regardless of the truth in those stories, it is clear that the existence of slaves in Pennsylvania during the two decades prior to the Civil War was ignored or, worse, covered up.

The second point of contention stems from a failure to understand how, in the 1830s and 1840s, there were still so many term slaves around. By my estimate, there were still thousands of Pennsylvania term slaves in the early 1830s and at least several hundred through the 1840s. If you take the example in the paragraph above and assume most slaves were freed by 1833, my estimates seem preposterous. But wait! We must still factor in human greed.

Slaveholders registered, as required by law, the children born to their slaves for life. But when that generation of term slaves grew up and began bearing children, many slaveholders then kept on registering those children as term slaves as well. This was clearly illegal, as it violated not just the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well. By this practice, slaveholding in Pennsylvania could be sustained indefinitely with each generation.

Fortunately the courts eventually caught on and put a stop to the practice, but not before many hundreds of children had been unjustly condemned to years of slavery. The courts also addressed only the cases that were brought before them. How many legally free Black children were enslaved by unscrupulous slaveholders because their parents and family were ignorant of the law?

More than forty years ago this subject was well researched by Penn State college professor Stanley I. Kutler for an article published in the scholarly journal Pennsylvania History. "Pennsylvania Courts, the Abolition Act, and Negro Rights" documented case after case of slaveholders who attempted to keep their human property well beyond what the law allowed. Writing in 1963, in an era when African Americans were fighting to establish their constitutional rights, Dr. Kutler showed the painfully slow development of Black legal and human rights in an earlier century.

Among the abuses documented by Dr. Kutler was the practice of bringing young slaves from other states into Pennsylvania, manumit them into a term of servitude until age 28, and sell their terms to Pennsylvania owners. It's a practice I have documented several times on the pages of the website. It also greatly increased the numbers of young slaves in the commonwealth, slaves who were not counted as such on census forms, for reasons already explained.

There were other ways to keep a person beyond the original limit, some legal, some very illegal. In all, they highlight the very dark and seamy side of our early history; a side that is more comfortably left unexamined, for many folks.

George Nagle
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US

Carribean Genealogy Search--here we come!

2007-07-20T14:37:00.000-04:00

Sources Specific to Caribbean Ancestry

Caribbean GenWeb

http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/

Cyndi's List

http://www.CyndisList.com/hispanic.htm

AfriGeneas Carribean Research Forum

http://www.afrigeneas.com/forum-carib/

Afrolumens

2007-07-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

The Afrolumens Project exists to promote the collection, study and interpretation of African American history in Central Pennsylvania, and is dedicated to the idea that all Pennsylvania residents share a common history regardless of race, belief or gender. A vital part of our mission is to encourage the participation of individuals, groups and organizations in this project by contributing stories and materials from their own experiences.

In addition to being a repository and interpreter of historical data, the Afrolumens Project seeks to facilitate communication among scholars, educators and researchers by making the collection accessible on the Website without cost, to everyone interested. We also strive to be a forum in which persons and organizations may ask questions, post comments, provide details about their work, and post contact information.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY Societies and Archives

2007-07-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society,
224 East 7th Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084-1513;
telephone (724) 224-7666,
http://www.akvhs.org
e-mail: akvhs@salsgiver.com

Elizabeth Township Historical Society,
Coates House,
5811 Smithfield Street, Boston, PA 15135
telephone (412) 754-2030
http://www.15122.com/ETHS
e-mail: eths@icubed.com

Historical Society of Carnegie Pennsylvania,
1 West Main Plaza,
(mailing: P.O. Box 826), Carnegie, PA 15106
telephone (412) 276-7447
http://www.rootsweb.com/~pahsc

Historical Society of Green Tree,
Green Tree Municipal Center,
10 West Manilla Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15220
telephone (412) 921-8013
http://www.einetwork.net/ein/greentree/histsoc.html

Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222;
telephone (412) 454-6364;
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/hswp/
e-mail: library@hswp.org

Homestead and Mifflin Township Historical Society
c/o Carnegie Library of Homestead
510 Tenth Avenue, Munhall, PA 15120
http://www.hmths.org

Jewish Genealogical Society of Pittsburgh,
c/o Julian Faulk,
2131 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
telephone (412) 471-0772, fax (412) 471-1004;
http://feefhs.org/jg/frgjgspi.html

McKeesport Heritage Center
1832 Arboretum Drive, McKeesport, PA 15132
telephone (412) 678-1832, fax (412) 678-7130
http://www.15122.com/MckHeritage/info.htm

e-mail: mckheritage@yahoo.com

Monroeville Historical Society
2700 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146
telephone (412) 856-1000
http://monroevillehistorical.com

Sewickley Valley Historical Society
200 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA 15143
telephone (412) 741-5315
http://www.sewickleyhistory.org/

e-mail: sewickleyhistory@verizon.net
fax (412) 741-8806 "call ahead!"

Tarentum Genealogical Society,
c/o The Community Library of Allegheny Valley,
315 East 6th Avenue,
Tarentum, PA 15084;
http://www.einpgh.org/ein/alvalley/society.html

Tarentum History & Landmarks Foundation
(mailing: P.O. Box 1776)
Tarentum, PA 15084-1776
Tarentum Times

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society
4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
telephone (412) 687-6811
http://www.wpgs.org
e-mail: info@wpgs.org

Jots from the Point

Wilkinsburg Historical Society
605 Ross Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
telephone (412) 244-2940 (WPL)

God puts the lonely in family....

2007-07-16T11:08:00.001-04:00

I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree where thirsty mouths are pressed Against the earth's sweet flowing breast. A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair. Upon whose bosom snow has lain Who intimately loves the rain. Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a tree.

Joyce Kilmer

Name Dropping

2007-07-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

Following the name through the Black family tree can be a tricky thing.
Since the day of Adam and Eve, the authority to name another living thing is the exercise of subjective power and authority.
During the diaspora, Blacks were stripped of their original names and labeled by people who considered them property. Renaming could come about at anytime by way of sale or designation of particular behavior.
Black slaves may still have name their own, giving their children the only thing they could. Such names would not be used for the masters, but reserved as a hint for connecting families despite separation and sales.
Following emancipation, now freeman choose their names. Frequently, we assume those names came from their owner's. But sometimes they didn't.
Lincoln and Freeman became particularly desirable. As did names of neighbors or whites who had left an impression on those previously enslaved.
Censuses and other records which record names are often recorded according to the phonetic spelling of the clerk. Check for you names under every possible spelling--then look for variations. Names sometimes drop syllables, or take on new forms.
Look intently at the date of birth and time line to help verify identity. Also, pay attention to the location, other family members and friends of your subject. Consider nic-names and abbreviations too.
My great-great grandfather's name changes in three consecutive census from Tump to Tuck, to Trump. His son, and my great-grandfather Walter becomes Arthur in some of the local directories. His son and my grandfather, is born Douglas Peeler, marries and Bick Peeler and enlists as Walter Peeler.

2007-07-14T00:11:00.015-04:00

from Black Genealogy, by Charles L. Blockson

Black genealogy is the ultimate puzzle, an adventurous journey through a very personal history. For that reason alone, it's probably infinitely more rewarding if you decide to "do it yourself." Each puzzle, insignificant by itself, takes on an added meaning as part of the emerging whole. The "parts," in this case, are the genealogical chart you're going of learn to construct, tracing your family from you father and mother, through their fathers and mothers and so on, as far back into history as you can go. But the sum of your search can be far greater tan the parts alone.

Pennsylvania Department

2007-07-10T17:02:00.000-04:00

Since its conception in 1895, the Library has made an effort to build an extensive collection of materials on the history of Pennsylvania. In 1928 these materials were consolidated to form the Pennsylvania Department.

I've often made the trek down to the Pennsylvania Room at the Oakland branch of the Carnegie library for some of my research. I enjoy working in an area where I am surrounded by resources and folks eager to assist in genealogy searches.

Only recently have I noticed that the Ancestry library is available at other Carnegie locations. So if you are looking to use the Ancestry.com online site, you do not have to go as far as Oakland.
Contact your local library for details.

What to Look for in Genealogy Software

2007-07-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Whether you're a weekend genealogist or a professional researcher, selecting the right genealogical software can make all the difference in how much satisfaction and information you will derive from your research. Accessing, recording and reviewing data should be easy, as well as fun. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate genealogy software.

Ease of Use – One of the most important features in genealogy software is its user-friendliness, meaning it's easy for beginners and experienced computer users alike. The program should be well organized and easy to navigate.
Ease of Installation & Setup – The software should be straightforward and simple to install and setup on your computer, without any errors or confusing steps.
Feature Set – Genealogy software should include all of the features necessary to research and organize your family tree including reports, charts, searching capabilities, web access and insightful ways to store data.
Help/Documentation – The genealogy software developer should provide ample help in the form of FAQs, and phone support, online course and product tutorials so anyone can learn to use the program and conveniently access customer support.

Check it all out at the genealogy software 2007 report.

Post Gazette: Sunday, July 1, 2007

2007-07-06T23:24:00.000-04:00

Sunday Forum:

Pittsburgh's shame

African Americans here have fallen behind even our most recent immigrants, and it's long past time to do something about it, say social scientists LARRY E. DAVIS and RALPH BANGS

Larry E. Davis is the dean of the School of Social Work and founding director of the Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh (ledavis@pitt.edu). Ralph Bangs is the associate director of the Center on Race and Social Problems (rbangs@pitt.edu). The center's report, "Pittsburgh's Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities," can be found at www.crsp.pitt.edu.

...click here for the full story.

President Lincoln freed the Slaves; George Pullman hired 'Em!

2007-07-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

When a Pullman Palace Car was leased to a railroad, it came staffed with highly trained porters to serve its travelers. Pullman Porters worked graciously receiving passengers, carrying their luggage, making up their rooms, serving foods and beverages and keeping the guests happy throughout every excursion. Emancipated blacks found work with the newly formed Pullman Palace Car Company as porters immediately following the civil war. By the year 1920, Pullman Company employed more black workers than any other corporation in the United States.

The Pullman Porter was a highly respected within his neighborhood. His steady income, travel and exposure to the rich and famous made him an icon among his peers. He was a source of information for the black community as he carried culture, stories and opportunity from the north to south, and east to west. However his 400-hour per month work schedule and increasingly degrading working conditions drove him to seek better treatment.

In 1925 the Pullman Porters formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; the nations first black labor union. Over the next several decades, the Brotherhood would work on behalf of the porters for higher pay and better working conditions. Labor rights gave way to the Civil Rights Movement; the Labor Rights Movement empowered Blacks with the money to do the things that the Civil Rights Movement made legally possible. The same leadership from Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters would years later help to plan the March on Washington of 1963 where Martin Luther King delivered his immortal speech, “I have a Dream.”

Have a Pullman Porter in your family tree? Please register them at the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Musem.

Census Search

2007-07-04T13:57:00.001-04:00

Census searches are available through on closed records from 1910-2000. For about $65 you can request a transcript plus $10 more for a schedule.

  An official census transcript will list the person’s name, relationship to household
       head, age at the time of the census, and state of birth.  Citizenship will be provided
       if the person was foreign born.  Single items of data such as occupation for Black Lung
       cases can be provided upon request.  If a person is not found, a form will be sent with
       that information.

You must know the street your ancestor lived on in that time period.

Please go to US Census website for more information.

Independence Day!

2007-07-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

Some say that the brewing of the Civil War began when Americans sought freedom and independence from the British through the Revolutionary War. In a few short weeks Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, which in its original draft, included the freedom of all. However in order to gain the support of the founding fathers, that idea was scratched yet it still encompassed the liberty and freedom beginning with the infamous first lines:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Though himself a holder of 187 slaves (including Sally Hemmings--his wife's half sister who mothered at least one of his children), Jefferson would encourage the abolition of slavery through the government. Yet still he held to the belief that blacks were in no way equal to whites. And in the event that freedom would come to them, could not exist within one government.

Jefferson's words would become the banner by which this government was founded, and the motto by which America became its own.

Gradual emancipation acts and manumissions would sweep across the northern states at a slow pace, with age contingencies and laws of discouragement and fear. Freedom for all would not be legal until the union was reinstated with the return of each southern state.

Minority Report on Tavis Smiley

2007-07-01T23:23:00.001-04:00

MINORITY REPORT
Tavis Smiley: Blacks too 'emotional' to obey rules
Democrat debate host says audience couldn't control itself

________________________________________
Posted: June 29, 2007
6:50 p.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

The moderator of Thursday's Democrat presidential debate said he did not ask the mostly black audience to refrain from applauding candidates' answers, because blacks are too "emotional" to obey such a rule.
Asked by C-Span host Brian Lamb why he didn't enforce a no-applause rule for his PBS-sponsored debate like other debate formats, moderator Tavis Smiley explained: "Because black people are an emotional people. I know it wouldn't have worked."
Smiley says the black audience attending the 90-minute session at Howard University would not have listened or complied with such a request for silence, suggesting African-Americans are unable to control themselves.
He made the remarks on Friday morning's Washington Journal program aired on C-Span.

The nationally televised debate featured eight Democrat candidates, including Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.
Smiley, a black talk show host and liberal political activist, made the observation in the wake of widespread violence during Juneteenth celebrations across the nation.
Police reported stabbings, shootings and beatings – including the fatal mob beating of a Hispanic man – at festivals commemorating the black holiday in Milwaukee, Wis.; Austin, Texas; Syracuse, N.Y.; and other cities

Western Pennsylvania Genealogy and Historical Resources

2007-06-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

Beaver County

Beaver county Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation

699 5^th Street

P.O. Box 1

Freedom, PA 15042-0001

724-775-1848

The Beaver County Genealogical Society

C/o Nancy Y. Lindemann

3225 Dutch Ridge Road

Beaver, PA 15009

www.rootsweb.com/~pabecgs/history.htm

Clarion County

Clarion county Historical Society

17 south Fifth Avenue

Clarion, PA 16214-1015

814-226-4450

www.cspm;ome.net/cchs/

Clarion Free Library

644 Main Street

Clarion, PA 16214

814-226-7172

www.clarionfreelibrary.org/

Crawford County

Crawford County Historical Society

(located at the Meadville Public Library)

848 North Main Street

Meadville, PA 16335

814-724-6080

http://ccfs.org/historical/

Meadville Public Library

848 North Main Street

Meadville, PA 16335

814-336-1773

www.meadvillelibrary.org/

Erie County

Erie County Historical society and Museums

419 State Street

Erie, PA 16501-1106

814-454-1813

Erie County Public Library

160 East Front Street

Erie, PA 16507

814-451-6900

www.ecls.lib.pa.us/

Erie Society for Genealogical Research

P.O. Box 1403

Erie, PA 16512-1403

www.pa-roots.com/~erie/

Fayette County

Fayette County Historical society

P.O. Box 193

Uniontown, PA 15401-0193

724-439-4422

The Pennsylvania room at the Uniontown Public Library &

The Fayette County Genealogical Society

24 Jefferson Street

Uniontown, PA 15401

412-437-1165

www.fforward.com/gene/pennroom.htm

Greene County

The Greene County Historical society and Museum

P.O. box 127 Waynesburg, PA 15370-0127

724-627-3204

www.greenepa.net/~museum/

Cornerstone Genealogical Society

(located at the Bowlby Public Library)

P.O. Box 547

311 North West Street

724-627-5653

www.pa.roots.com/~greene/society.htm

Lawrence County

Lawrence County Historical Society

P.O. box 1745

408 North Jefferson Street

New Castle, PA 16103-1745

724-658-4022

www.ilovehistory.com

Somerset County

Historical And Genealogical Society of Somerset County

10649 Somerset Pike

Somerset, PA 15501

814-445-6077

www.rootsweb.com/pasomers/schs/

Washington County

Citizens Library

55 College Street

Washingotn, PA 15301

724-222-2400

www.citilib.org/

Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania

(located at the Citizens Library)

P.O. Box 894

55 College Street

Washington, PA 15301-0894

724-222-2400

www.citilib.org/

The Washington County Historical Society

LeMoyne House

49 East Maiden Street

Washington, PA 15301

724-225-6740

www.wchspa.org/

Washington and Jefferson Library

East Wheeling and Lincoln Streets

Washington, PA 15301

724-223-6070

Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County Historical Society

951 Old Salem Road

Greensburg, PA 15601

724-836-1800

www.wchspa.com

Greensburg Hempfield Area Library

237 South Pennsylvania Avenue

Greensburg, PA 15601

www.ghal.org

some standard interview questions:

2007-06-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

I have been on the phone so much in the last week as I have been asked to record the descendants of Walter (1879-1922) and Rosa Peeler (1884-1955).

These conversations have been amazing. Not only have I gleaned much of the information I need, but I have connected with family and have been given colorful stories to those names on my chart.

I'd say allow yourself a good amount of time to spend, be open for any surprise information you might be given, if you can tape it then--write later and listen, listen, listen.

Here are some basic questions:

Ask for their full names, plus any nicknames they have or have used in the past.
Ask for their date of birth and marriage as well as the location for each.
Ask about their parents and their grand-parents names, and nick names.
Ask for those ancestors birth and marriage dates and the locations as well.
Ask what growing up was like for them where they lived?
Were there any moves during their childhood? From and to where.
Ask them to describe their house and where they stayed.
Describe the foods they enjoyed and who cooked them?
Ask about what clothes were worn to school/work?
Ask about how holidays were spent?

Next Stop: the Carnegie Library at Lawrenceville

2007-06-26T18:50:00.001-04:00

The ge.'ne.al.o.gy workshop will be held at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh--Lawrenceville. On Saturday, July 21 from 2-4pm, come jump-start your journey to the past as we come together to share about the fundamentals, tools and resources for genealogical research. The workshop is free and open to all ages and stages of research. Please call 412-682-3668 to reserve your seat!

Oral Histories

2007-06-25T10:54:00.000-04:00

As Mr. Frank shared, "we are cut off from our history." And such continues to be perpetuated simply by the course of life and death.

Once we have put onto paper a bit about ourselves, the next step is to begin reaching out to family and friends to tell us more....

I have reached some great genealogical heights lately by pulling out the phone book (well, really the white pages on line) and calling down the lists of names. While a bit tedious, these random conversations have put me in touch with the communities where my ancestors thrived.

The oral histories fulfill a goal which is 3 fold:

Names and Dates for filling in your pedigree chart/family group record or relationships chart.
Simple details and colorful stories which help to round the picture out about what their life was like.
Make the connection, and let others know that you honor them.

Reparations

2007-06-23T21:33:00.000-04:00

"The Civil War was the greatest and most successful slave uprising in the history of the county;" and only second in in the world to the Haitian Revolution! Professor Rashid M. Sundiata spoke passionately at the Juneteenth Commemoration held tonight by The Langston Hughes Poetry Society of Pittsburgh.
"We won the war, and saved the county. Abe Lincoln had no plans of freeing us until 100,000 Union Troops deserted the battle fields--that's where emancipation came in."
Professor Sundiata was the last to present, following the sobering readings of 5 slave narratives, and a poignant presentation surrounding HIV and AIDS in Africa to honor Juneteenth, the day that has come to symbolize complete abolition of slavery in America.
Lincoln reasoned black troops were now necessary for the Union benefit of the Civil War, but that they "weren't going to fight if we don't free them," he said. "When those brothers got in--it was over; we won that war.
According to Sundiata, reparations are virtually undeniable.
"It is our birthright."
"We won that war and build the economic foundation of this county," which came with much loss and pain and tears and death.
"For 246 years, from 1619-1865 years, working from when you can't see in the morning 'til you can't see at night. Brothers: bought and sold; Sisters: bought and sold; Mothers: bought and sold; Fathers bought and sold.... Between 22 and 23 generations of slave labor made this country what it is.
"After reconstruction, our people rose up very quickly! Had we been left alone, we would be the most wealthy and powerful ethnic group in this nation--until the 1877 Hayes/Tilden Compromise.
That set us back another 100 years; we lost 100 years.
But people wonder how this country became so rich, "We're the most powerful Nation in the world. How did it happen? Did the dollars fall from the sky" asked Sundiata?
"We built the economic foundation of this country. We built this thing and there is no solution that doesn't include reparations. It is at the very heart of all of our issues economical, cultural and political. All these things center around reparations.
Reparations are at the very heart and are in no way peripherial.
"It'is like synergy: it's your birthright.

Professor Rashid Sundiata is a professor and educator at Community College of Allegheny County, Homewood-Brushton with a focus on African American History.

Teenie Harris at The Warhol

2007-06-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

Carryin’ On

June 16 -- September 2, 2007

A three-part exhibition of work exploring gender identity and exploration during the era of family values. Charles “Teenie” Harris shots during the 1930’s and ‘40’s are highlighted in Carryin’ On. The photographer’s vision of the Black queer experience in Pittsburgh’s Hill District during this period and similar themes are also observed with African photographer Samuel Fosso, and Andy Warhol’s 1975 series, Ladies and Gentleman.

The Autobiography Comes First

2007-06-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

During our workshop at the August Wilson Center for the Arts last week, we heard some strong, eloquent writings from women in our group who shared their biographies with the class. I personally was moved as they each described their inner thoughts and feelings about themselves and their family with poetic description and certainty.

I do hope that those recollections will be re-written (on something other than the back of that pedigree chart) and honored, and cherished.

We all need to write about ourselves first. Write your autobiography and try to give the reader an idea of who you are, and what a normal day is like for you. Where do you live and with whom? What do you do for a living? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your hobbies, and means of worship? How do you eat?

These may seem like random ideas--because they are. Sometimes it helps to have a trigger question posed for you, or a sentence stem to begin your writing.

I also enjoy the exercise of creating a time line of your life. Beginning with your birth simply identify events that have impacted you, such as big moves, admittance to schools or graduations; the birth of a stepsister or the death of a friend.

You may also choose to create a parallel line during your years that highlight community news or national events. Doing this not only illustrates how we all influence one another, but also helps you to see how your ancestors’ lives will likewise be impacted by what was going on in the world for them.

Thirdly, I like to ask workshop participants to write down their outlook and future goals. What do we want to be known as and how do we want to put our stamp on America. We are history in the making. What we do today will be history tomorrow.

Bekezela commented that, "we spend so much time looking outward, we don't often take the time to reflect on ourselves."

So please pause before continuing on your life-long journey through your family tree, and take some time to identify yourself to the world, by writing down who you are.

Tony Burroughs on African American Genealogy Research

2007-06-20T14:08:00.001-04:00

from Ancestry.com

Phase I — Gather Oral History and Family Records

We've said genealogy starts with ourselves and proceeds backward. You are the first link in your family tree. So genealogy begins with recalling and recording things about yourself and beginning to write your autobiography. Next you'll need to interview your parents and other older relatives, pumping them for information. You'll then look at things lying around the house in trunks, attics, basements, bookcases, and shoeboxes that can add to knowledge of your family tree. Things like family papers, records, photos, and souvenirs. To sort out all this data, you'll organize it into genealogy charts that trace bloodlines and group people in family units. All these things are parts of beginning genealogy.

Phase II — Research the Family to 1870

After you exhaust sources at home, you'll venture out to locate records in the community. The objective is to research your family back to 1870. This is a key date because most African Americans were enslaved prior to the Civil War. But not all African Americans were enslaved before the Civil War. There were more than 200,000 free Blacks in the North and another 200,000 free in the South prior to the Civil War. Unfortunately, many genealogists assume their ancestors were slaves and run into a brick wall because their ancestors were actually free prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. In addition, 1870 is the date of the first U.S. federal census that listed the names of African Americans. The census will list the last-known residence and surname of your earliest emancipated ancestor.

Additional beginning sources include records in cemeteries and funeral homes, birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce records, obituaries, published biographies and family histories, old city directories and telephone directories, Social Security records, and U.S. Census records.

Intermediate sources include records of wills, probates, estates, real estate, taxes, voter registrations, schools, churches, places of employment, military service, and civil and criminal courts. The intermediate phase also includes studying U.S. history, African American history, local history, and military history.

Phase III — Identify the Last Slave Owner

Once researchers have thoroughly searched the above records and traced their pedigree to 1870, they've arrived at the advanced stage of research. Unfortunately, many people think they are there before they actually are. Just because you have identified an ancestor who lived in 1870 or earlier does not mean you have qualified for the advanced stage. Only after you have thoroughly exhausted the records and historical research listed above have you progressed to the advanced stage.

Once here, if your ancestors were enslaved, you have to identify the name of the last slave owner. This may sound unusual because we've all been led to believe our surnames came from the slave owner. But remember, genealogy is based on fact, not assumptions and rumor. Most African Americans are not as fortunate as Alex Haley to have the name of the slave owner passed down from generation to generation. They will have to look to specific sources to identify who was the last slave owner prior to emancipation. Even if the name of the slave owner has been passed down through the oral history of your family, you'll need to search for documentary evidence to verify it. Slave genealogy cannot be done without the name of the former slave owner.

You'll need to study the history of Reconstruction and then research Reconstruction-era sources for evidence of your ancestors and records that identify the name of the last slave owner. You'll also need to study Civil War history and records generated by the Civil War.

Phase IV — Research the Slave Owner and Slavery

Once the name of the last slave owner is identified, the next step is to research the history of slavery and understand the conditions, laws, customs, and practices that governed slavery and enslaved Africans. Then you need to research the slave owner to see what he did with his property, because slaves were property — bought, sold, and traded like hogs, cattle, and tools. At this point you are doing the genealogy of the slave owner as well as the genealogy of the slave. It's double work.

Phase V — Go Back to Africa

The next phase is to look for clues and mentions of slave origins in Africa. Again, you will have to look for bits and pieces of evidence. You cannot rely on family rumors or facial features that have been altered through several generations and many years of intermixing with other races. Many people of African descent have been here for over three hundred years. You'll need to study the slave trade and the Middle Passage, which brought slaves from Africa to America.

Phase VI — Research Canada and the Caribbean

Some of you will discover your ancestors did not come to America directly from Africa; they came from the Caribbean. So you'll need to study the migrations of enslaved Africans from Africa to the Caribbean to America. You'll then search for records indicating origins in the Caribbean and then from Africa to the Caribbean.

You may discover your ancestors came to the United States from Canada. You'll have to study the Underground Railroad and trace your ancestors back and forth across the border and then to Africa or the Caribbean. But you must study the history before searching for your ancestors.

About the Author

Tony Burroughs is an internationally known genealogist, and teaches genealogy at Chicago State University. He lectures throughout the United States on all aspects of genealogy, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Professional Genealogists as well as other national boards, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Genealogical Society. He has traced two family lines back seven generations. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

genealogy: the science of the word

2007-06-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

Genes are the basic units of heredity. A gene is a short piece of DNA, which tells the body how to build a specific protein. There are approximately 30,000 genes. The combination of all genes makes up the blueprint, or plan, for the human body and its functions. A person's genetic makeup is called a genotype.

logy taken from the Greek word logos is a prefix meaning the study of oral or written expression as in phraseology; or doctrine, theory, or science as in ethnology.

When these two parts are combined, it is clear that genealogy is the study of a person's ancetory:

ge·ne·al·o·gy
1 : an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms
2 : regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor or older form : PEDIGREE
3 : the study of family pedigrees
4 : an account of the origin and historical development of something

Juneteenth

2007-06-18T12:46:00.001-04:00

Reading Juneteenth

Come Juneteenth
by Ann Rinaldi

My daughter came home from the library with this book for me! And I thought, "What a great component of the Juneteenth Spirit--to read novels written explicitly surrounding our Emancipation Holiday."

This historical fiction is written to young teens from the perspective of a young white girl of a slave holding family in Texas. Although they knew of Lincoln's proclaimation, they kept the news supressed from their plantation's slave labor force.

Harcourt Children's Books

Historical Fiction

ISBN-10: 0152059474

ISBN-13: 9780152059477

Juneteenth: A Novel
by Ralph Ellison
with Preface by Charles Johnson

Publisher: Vintage (June 13, 2000)
ISBN-10: 0375707549
ISBN-13: 978-0375707544

Island of Color:

Where Juneteenth Started

by Izola Ethel Fedford Collins

Publisher: AuthorHouse (August 25, 2004)
ISBN-10: 1418469742
ISBN-13: 978-1418469740

Definition Please

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19^th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

NPR reports on Juneteenth

Imagine: freedom bound in a 2x3 inch book

Civil War Troops' Mini Emancipation Book on Display

All Things Considered, June 18, 2007 · The Miniature Emancipation Proclamation was the first book edition of the declaration that freed American slaves. As many as 1 million of the miniature books were distributed to Union soldiers during the Civil War, and only a few copies remain.

As the Emancipation Proclamation is celebrated in many parts of the United States on June 19, or "Juneteenth," the Miniature Emancipation Proclamation is on display in an exhibition at the Grolier Club in New York.

Andrea Seabrook interviews Harold Holzer, author and historian.

Embracing Freedom: Juneteenth Celebrations

Tell Me More, June 19, 2007 · June 19 marks the anniversary when slaves in Texas received word that they had been freed — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Author Mark Anthony Neal and comedian Paul Mooney offer a lively take on why the holiday is still worth celebrating.

taking the pedigree out of the pedigree chart

2007-06-17T00:35:00.000-04:00

2 important forms in the world of genealogy research are the pedigree chart and the family group record. The word pedigree, however can easily sets off negitive ideals surrounding the breeding of animals like dogs and horses, and can be read as offensive and belittling. More familiar terms of like full-blooded [Indian] or mixed [white and black] do not seem to so easily bother us.

But it is the pedigree chart which seeks to illustrate ancestral lineage by generation. This chart is a standard in genealogy research and can be found without the word pedigree on it. These reproducible charts are available by clicking on the highlighted links.

The family group record creates more detailed documentation of each ancestral pair and their children. By filling in one of these for each couple on your pedigree chart, you can further develop your research and more documentation of your family history.

Types of Records

2007-06-16T23:58:00.000-04:00

Vital, census, military records? What do they all mean? Listed here is an explanation of the types of records which explore each of the major genealogy records in-depth. This list includes:
Oral histories, Family Records, Genealogy and Technology, Vital Records, Religious Records, Cemetery Records, Census Records, Military Records, Newspapers and Probate Records.

A.) A vital event in the life of a person includes birth, death and marriage.

B.) A biographical event or personal description and relationship of a person include events such as adoption, burial, citizenship, city or parish of foreign birth, debt, divorce, illness, imprisonment, living relatives, migration, military service, naming customs, occupation, orphaned, place where lived, property, public or legal transactions, religious activity, school, servitude, personal descriptions, characterizations and relationships (such as age, relatives, maiden name and physical descriptions.)

C.) Background information about a place, group or subject includes history, geography, culture, language, facts, record repositories and instructions

When approaching your record search, choose first a record from category A for vital information, secondly B for biographical information and thirdly, C for background information.

Research Sites

2007-06-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

I failed to bring a list of resources to our workshop on Saturday. Here are a few sites to work with throughout your research. Please click on the link for direct access .

a ccessgenealogy.com
African American Genealogy records are much more difficult to find due to the scant nature of record keeping for blacks prior to the Civil War. We have modeled this center much like we have for Native Americans, whose research can also be hampered by the available records. The links below provide an accurate reflection of what African American genealogy is available online .

www.Afrigenes.com
AfriGeneas is a site devoted to African American genealogy, to researching African Ancestry in the Americas in particular and to genealogical research and resources in general. It is also an African Ancestry research community featuring the AfriGeneas mail list, the AfriGeneas message boards and daily and weekly genealogy chats.

RootsWeb
The oldest and largest genealogy site supported by Ancestry.com.

Ancestry.com
A great way to get a jump start on collecting historical records. Ancestry.com also archives slave narratives according to state and name, has a message board and a word tree database to help make your family connections.

GenaLinks
Genealogy resources for African American Genealogy research and African American history. Many African American resources are included here.

Juneteenth Genealogy Workshop

2007-06-16T21:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all who came out today to share your passion for diving deeper into discovering your family tree.

I believe that we all showed tribute to the spirit of Juneteenth and the freedoms the date projects by pursuing the benefits of knowledge and understanding of our ancestors and their lives.

I have set up this small site to post resources, links, tools and articles as well as offer a community of support for your ongoing search.

Please feel free to comment, offer feedback or contact me anytime through this site or by email at aredcross@hotmail.com!

Autumn Redcross
the ge.ne'al.ogy workshop
aredcross@hotmail.com

the ge.ne.'al.o.gy workshop

Slavery in Pennsylvania

Mounting a Curricular Revolution: An Interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

African American Story Telling

Images of Bethlehem Steel

Rosa PEELER (a.1885-1962)

African American Genealogist for Hire

Digital Library on American Slavery

African American Civil War Memorial 10th Anniversary Celebration

Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Museum of Slavery

conversations with the slave owning famiy

Meeting David Wilson

‘Not the descendants of victims but victors’

Film traces one man’s journey to track down his family’s past in slavery

Request for Decesed Individual's SS Application

Who is Grandma Rose?

Historical Christian University Archive Holdings

Free Access to Civil War Research Database

Alright, alright

New Findings

SMGF DNA testing project

Western PA Family History Centers

Family History Centres in the British Isles

Using Batch Numbers in the LDS International Genealogical Index

So far, no sign he's related to Hillary

Interview Tips!

TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE HISTORY PROJECT (TST)

ROOTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Resorces by State

15 YEAR OLD GIRL, GETS SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR PUSHING A TEACHER!!!

New E-Mail

On Line Search fo Vital Records:

add WARREN to my list of surnames

Paternal Grands

Mail To: Baldwin County Court

IPL

Finding Death

Getting Started!

my GIBSON lineage revised

GIBSON PEDIGREE

6th Generation: Eloise

my Gibson lineage so far....

This method as advised by a mentor at Afrigeneas allows me to pinpoint the unknown information in my pedigree:

the PEELER brothers of Washington County, GA

Why Pennsylvania still had slaves until the Civil War

Lumenarium

Carribean Genealogy Search--here we come!

Afrolumens

ALLEGHENY COUNTY Societies and Archives

God puts the lonely in family....

Name Dropping

Pennsylvania Department

What to Look for in Genealogy Software

Post Gazette: Sunday, July 1, 2007

Sunday Forum:

Pittsburgh's shame

African Americans here have fallen behind even our most recent immigrants, and it's long past time to do something about it, say social scientists LARRY E. DAVIS and RALPH BANGS

President Lincoln freed the Slaves; George Pullman hired 'Em!

Census Search

Independence Day!

Minority Report on Tavis Smiley

Western Pennsylvania Genealogy and Historical Resources

Beaver County

Crawford County

Erie County

Fayette County

Greene County

Lawrence County

Washington County

some standard interview questions:

Next Stop: the Carnegie Library at Lawrenceville

Oral Histories

Reparations

Teenie Harris at The Warhol

The Autobiography Comes First

Tony Burroughs on African American Genealogy Research

genealogy: the science of the word

Juneteenth

Embracing Freedom: Juneteenth Celebrations

taking the pedigree out of the pedigree chart

6^th Generation: Eloise