Family Locket

RLP 124: Researching African American Ancestors Part 4

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about the Southern Claims Commission. This record set was created for loyal southerners to seek redress for supplies seized by the Union Army during the Civil War. Many free people of color filed claims. Many witness and personal statements of former slave owners and the formerly enslaved are included. To access the records, use the index at Ancestry.com and follow the ideas at the FamilySearch Wiki article about the Southern Claims Commission. Links Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 4: Southern Claims Commission To The Letter DNA Southern Claims Commission...

By Nicole Dyer November 23, 2020 Podcast No Comments

Caring for Your Family Tree: How to Prune and Graft Branches Based on Sources and Analysis

What is your confidence level in your family tree? Have you been carefully adding new branches - or have you added extra ancestors based on hints and suggestions from online programs without much analysis? How about past research - is it up to current standards? If you are like me, some of the branches of your family tree might need pruning out and perhaps some new ancestors grafted in. How can we be more prudent in working with our tree? It all starts with sources and analysis. The Problem - Incorrect Family Branch When Nicole and I first started...

By Diana Elder November 21, 2020 Research Like a Pro, Research Tips 2 Comments

RLP 123: African American Research Part 3

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about records created during the New Deal in the 1930s that can help research African American ancestors. This is the third part in our series on researching African Americans in federal government documents. Diana shares more record groups she learned about during her IGHR course, including the 1940 census, WPA Personnel records, CCC Enrollee Records, the American Guide Series, Slave Narratives, and the Historical Records Survey. Links Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 3 : WPA Projects and Slave Narratives RLP 121: African American Research Part 1 The Living New...

By Nicole Dyer November 16, 2020 Podcast No Comments

How to Evaluate an AncestryDNA Thrulines Hypothesis

Are you wondering how to tell if an AncestryDNA Thrulines estimate is reliable, or even possible? The Thrulines algorithm works by comparing your DNA matches, their trees, and all the searchable trees in the Ancestry public member tree database. If the algorithm can make your tree and your DNA match's tree connect somewhere, the hypothesis shows up in Thrulines. One problem with this is the many errors in the public member trees database. Also, Thrulines is a computer algorithm, not a genealogist. Sometimes it merges identities that should not be merged. Also, most of us have thousands of matches in...

By Nicole Dyer November 15, 2020 DNA, Research Tips 6 Comments

RLP 122: African American Research Part 2

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about researching African American ancestors in United States federal records using land and military records. We discuss laws that impacted free black people and freedmen in the reconstruction era. Many records were created because of the Homestead Act of 1862 and Southern Homestead Act of 1866. We go over a brief history of African American involvement in wars beginning with the Revolutionary War up until the Vietnam War, and conclude with a strategy for finding military records for ancestors. Links Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 2 : Land and...

By Nicole Dyer November 9, 2020 Podcast No Comments

How to Write and Publish a Proof Argument with DNA Evidence

Updated 11 November 2020 Have you solved a case using DNA evidence and want to write a proof argument? Selecting an organizational structure, preparing figures and tables, requesting permissions, and reviewing DNA standards are important steps in the process. Perhaps you are finished with your proof argument and wondering how to submit it for publication in a genealogical journal. Several authors whose DNA cases were published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) shared insights and will be quoted throughout the article.1 To see a list of articles including DNA evidence in the NGSQ since 2001, see: DNA Case Studies...

By Nicole Dyer November 8, 2020 DNA, Research Tips 4 Comments

How to Prepare DNA Research Reports for Sharing

After you write about your DNA research results, you may want to share your report. What should you do to prepare your report for sharing and/or publication? When your research includes living people and their DNA match information, how does that impact the steps you take? There are several considerations, including private vs. public sharing, permission, and safeguards against separation. Once your document is ready to share, how do you post it? Ancestry trees, the FamilySearch Family Tree, and personal websites are simple and effective. Private Sharing vs. Public Sharing What kind of sharing do you plan to do? Private...

By Nicole Dyer November 6, 2020 DNA, Research Tips 5 Comments

RLP 121: African American Research Part 1

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about researching African American records in U.S. Federal government documents. This is part one in the series. We discuss the Freedmen's Bureau, the Freedmen's Bank, and the U.S. Federal Census. Join us as Diana shares what she learned from the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in Deborah A. Abbott's course, “Researching African American Ancestors: Government Documents and Advanced Tools" and from exploring these record sets. Links Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 1 : U.S. Federal Census, Freedmen’s Bureau and Freedman’s Bank Records - by Diana at Family...

By Nicole Dyer November 2, 2020 Podcast No Comments

Ten Takeaways from a DNA Practicum

Are you actively working to incorporate DNA into your documentary genealogy research? Interested in how other people would solve the same DNA challenge? You might be interested in participating in a DNA practicum. I recently completed the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) All-DNA Practicum sponsored by the Utah Genealogical Association. Each week throughout October we met online and discussed the cases after doing our best to solve them. Four different instructors gave us a variety of challenging DNA problems and we had to complete the research and report summary by the next class. What did I learn? Here are...

By Diana Elder October 31, 2020 DNA, Research Tips No Comments

RLP 120: Identifying and Preserving Photographs with Maureen Taylor

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about identifying family photos and using family photos as a genealogical source. Learn how to use clues in the photo to figure out the date and the people in the picture. Maureen shares expert tips from her experience working with old photographs. She also shares a little about some of her photo projects, including the Last Muster project and Old Providence. Links The Photo Detective Podcast https://maureentaylor.com/ How to Date an Old Photograph by Maureen at her blog Stop. Look. Listen to Your Family Photos by Maureen at her blog Last Muster...

By Nicole Dyer October 26, 2020 Podcast No Comments

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RLP 124: Researching African American Ancestors Part 4

Caring for Your Family Tree: How to Prune and Graft Branches Based on Sources and Analysis

RLP 123: African American Research Part 3

How to Evaluate an AncestryDNA Thrulines Hypothesis

RLP 122: African American Research Part 2

How to Write and Publish a Proof Argument with DNA Evidence

RLP 121: African American Research Part 1

Ten Takeaways from a DNA Practicum

RLP 120: Identifying and Preserving Photographs with Maureen Taylor

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