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Know your roots.(genealogy tips)(Brief Article)
Author/s: Ann Brown
Issue: Oct, 1999
Suggestions on how you can trace your family tree
Are you interested in researching our family's roots? If so, you're not alone. Genealogy is the second fastest-growing hobby in the U.S., points out John Logan, co-founder of the African-American Genealogy Group of Philadelphia (AAGG). Here are some suggestions on how you can get started:
"Start with yourself," notes Barbara Dodson Walker, national president of the Afro American Historical Genealogical Society. She recommends you record whatever information you can about your family. Then ask each family member to write down as much history as they can. You'll want to know parents' names and dates and places of marriages and deaths.
Research one side of your family at a time, says David A.G. Johnson Jr., a New York City high school teacher who also teaches genealogy workshops. You should speak to any family member who had a relationship with deceased relatives. "I grew up with my grandmother, who passed history down to me," Johnson explains. "I may know more than the oldest living person in my family."
Participating in workshops or genealogy groups is also important because they allow for an exchange of information and techniques, Johnson contends. His next set of workshops will be offered in the spring at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture (212-491-2200) in New York. If you're looking for a national genealogical organization, consult any one of the 23 chapters of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (202-234-5350 or log on to www.rootsweb.com/~mdaahgs). Annual membership is $35 for individuals, $40 for families and $45 for organizations.
On a local level, AAGG (215-572-6063) offers newsletters, general meetings, field trips and workshops for $25 annually. For additional listings, check the black press or libraries in your area.
The Internet is a great resource for posting family reunion information, finding relatives or locating African American genealogy sites and organizations: Two sites that contain an extensive selection of resources are Cyndi's List (www.cyndis list.com) and that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (www.family search.org). African Americans may also find Christine's Genealogy Website (www.charity.com), AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy (afrigeneas.com) and the Ultimate Family Tree (uftree.com) particularly helpful. Just remember that an Internet search can't replace hands-on research, especially since some organizations on the Web are no longer in business.
Other sources include churches, local professional or social organizations and cemeteries. Military documents and wedding, birth and death certificates are useful too. And consult the National Archives and Records Administration (www.nara.gov) for government records. Plus, review the archives of black newspapers in the area your family lived, advises Johnson. "They give details on church functions and social gatherings ... and also [offer insight] on the climate of the times and how your ancestors viewed the world."
COPYRIGHT 1999 Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
Surname Databases/Search Engines
Normal search engines are only part of a genealogist's arsenal when hunting for surname information. The internet is now home to large amounts of free and subscription-based surname databases and search engines.
Below is a list of some of the best free and subscription-based surname databases/search engines on the net. Just remember the rule of thumb to follow when dealing with online data is to view it with an element of suspicion until it can be properly verified. Too many people still think "if it's on the internet it must be true".
This is a searchable list or registry of over one million surnames from around the world. Associated with each surname are dates and locations and the contact information of the person who submitted the information. You can search the RSL by surname or look through the monthly update section for new additions.
Once you arrive at the site scroll down until you see the heading "Search the RootsWeb Surname List".
From there simply type your surname into the "Surname" search field and click "Submit".
You will then be presented with a table of results. You will see the headings "From", "To", "Migration", and "Submitter".
The "From" and "To" columns contain dates. These dates tell you that the person researching your surname has information that covers those dates.
The "Migration" column shows a submitters info about the areas the family lived in.
By clicking on the names in the "Submitter" column you can obtain the email address of the person who submitted the information.
Click Here to browse the Rootsweb Helpdesk.
Ancestry.com is a subscription-based geneology site. For a monthly fee you can search a multitude of records including census indexes and marriage records. Ancestry.com also has a free-to-use surname search service called World Tree. The World Tree database contains over 75 million names that are contained in GEDCOMS.
This database includes over 1.7 million records from over three thousand cemeteries worldwide.
Click Here for tips on searching this database.
Surname Web provides a searchable registry from which you can perform a surname search through over three billion genealogy records and over one hundred thousand geneology web sites.
Simply enter your surname into the search field at the top of the page and click "Search".
One of the largest geneology databases on the net, the World Connect Project currently contains over fifty six million names in over one million databases that can all be searched free of charge. You can also submit your own family tree information in GEDCOM format for free.
Simply enter your surname into the "World Connect" search field and click search. You will then be presented with a list of all the GEDCOMs that contain your surname. You can further refine your search by entering first name, place of birth or death.
You will also find the email address of the person who submitted the GEDCOM, so you can contact them directly.
Another great feature of "World Connect" is the electronic "post-em" note. You can leave a "post-em" note so other researchers will see you are researching that family.
Click Here for further help on using World Connect.
A daily index of published obituaries worldwide. This index grows by about 2,500 entries per day and goes back to 1995.
Provides passenger lists of it's own as well as links to other passenger lists on the net. You can find passenger lists from ships sailing from the 1400's right through to the 1900's. Countries represented are New Zealand, Australia, South America, Canada , South Africa, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland and the United States.
Each region, province, state, country has a page on WorldGenWeb with links to genealogy information, and often, transcribed records.
Once you arrive at the site simply click on the country you are interested in.
Or you can link directly to the region specific GenWeb sites below.
The East Europe GenWeb Project
The Middle East GenWeb Project
The North American GenWeb Project