Genealogy and History Advanced Concepts What we call history, our ancestors called current events! Laws defined type and content of records! Laws indicated when and how events occurred in our ancestors lives! Historical events and geography guided or limited our ancestors movement! Historical context can be used to tell stories! Watch for historical inaccuracies 81 83 Genealogy and History I don t need to know history in order to do genealogy Genealogy and History [An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. Article 1, Section 2, The Constitution of the United States 82 84
Genealogy and History The Meaning of Everything Katherine son, daughter of and b. 26 Feb 1833, Clark Co., Ohio d. 18 Oct 1893, Boise, Ada, Idaho Husband: Jonathan Winters m. 6 July 1851, Cass Co., Illinois 1. Winters, b. 1852 2. Emma Winters, b. 1855 3. Albert Winters, b. 1857 4. Grace Winters, b. 1859 85 87 The Meaning of Everything Everything Every Record I already know everything about that generation. 86 Administrator Records Biographies Biographical/Historical indexes Birth Certificates Birth Registers Carded Military Records Cemetery Records Church Bell Tolling Lists Church Records City Directories Civil Court Cases Civilian Personnel Files Compiled Histories Compiled Indexes Confirmations County Histories Court Journals Criminal Court Cases Customs Lists Dawes Commission Records Death Certificates Death Registers Declarations of Intent Departure Lists Divorce Records Draft Records Emigration Indexes Employment Records Estate Accountings and Settlements Family Bibles Family Files Family Letters Federal Agricultural, Manufacturing, Industrial Schedules Federal Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Schedules Federal Directories Federal Land Records Federal Mortality Schedules Federal Population Schedules Freedman s Bureau Funeral Cards Funeral Home Records Gazetteers Guillon Miller Rolls Household Examinations Indian Schedules Insurance Records Land Deeds and Indexes Local Histories Manuscript Collections Marriage Applications Marriage Banns Marriage Bonds Marriage Licenses and Returns Meeting Minutes Military Service Records Mortgage Books Certificates Newspapers Obituaries Online Cemetery Indexes Online Databases Online Pedigrees Parish Registers Passenger Lists Pension Records Periodicals Petitions for Picture Collections Plat Books Plat Maps Probate Journals Probate Packets Probate Petitions Receipts Sexton Records Social Security Death Records Southern Claims Commission State Census Schedules Tax Lists Telephone Directories Vertical Files Will Books 88
Everything Every Locality Everything Every Repository 89! City and County Libraries! Local Genealogical Societies! Historical Societies and Museums! Cemeteries! Town Halls and Archives! County Courthouses and Archives! Regional Archives 91 Everything Every Jurisdiction Everything Every Repository TOWN Vital Records (NE) Church Records Newspapers Directories COUNTY Court Cases Land Records Probate Records Marriages COUNTRY Census Records Military Records Land Records Immigration STATE Tax Records Birth Records Death Records States Censuses 90! University Libraries! States Libraries and Archives! State Genealogy Societies! Specialty Libraries! Church Archives! Library of Congress! National Archives and Branches 92
The Stories We Tell The Stories We Tell I m sure that didn t happen. Mom and Dad died in Kansas before The family was poor? 18 1860 1870 1880 93 95 The Stories We Tell 1860 1870 1880? The Stories We Tell What if! Dad homesteaded in Kansas?! Dad died before but Mom remarried! The family moved to California before?! Dad left a probate file in Kansas? Mom and Dad died in Kansas before The family was poor 94 96
The Stories We Tell! Consider all possibilities! Think outside the box! Ask What if! Evaluate your assumptions! What documents support your conclusions! Don t let your assumptions limit your research! Let your conclusions evolve based on sound research and valid sources! Start by researching your family! When you hit a brick wall, expand your search to include the community o Friends may have come from the same town in another country or state o Witnesses may be siblings or in-laws o Neighbors may mention your family in their records 97 99 I really only focus on my ancestors no need to worry about their community 98 100
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! Collect the names of everyone in your ancestor s community (in a table or list)! Start with people whose names appear more than once on your list! Research the lives of each of those individuals 1830 United States federal census, Lawrence County, Alabama 105 107 1860 United States federal census, Pontotoc County, Mississppi and Templeton!"#$%&'()*#+,-).(/* 0,.12,34/ 2. 0,.12,34/ 3. Nehemiah son Templeton 4. Templeton 5. Roseann Templeton 106 108