Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2025 från Family Tree

A LOT HAS BEEN SAID about the benefits of digital storage over physical. If all your genealogy research lives in the cloud, the advice goes, you don’t need to worry as much about natural disasters, deteriorating paper, or simply losing track of items. But in the past year, we’ve been reminded of the ways in which that reliance on digital media often gives us a false sense of security. Digitization cannot be a “set it and forget it” task. The promise and peril of Big Tech For one thing, many of the online services that we take for granted are owned by for-profit companies. Like any others, these companies are subject to the whims of their executives and shareholders. Their ultimate goal is to make and maintain profits, not to keep…

The 25th anniversary of Family Tree has our staff thinking about all the ways genealogy has changed since our first issue in 2000. Today, we find ourselves in a new era of family history—the way we do research has changed dramatically in the past few decades (and even in the past few years). For many, the era of “modern genealogy” began in 1977. That year, the TV miniseries “Roots” premiered, inspiring a new generation of family historians. By portraying an oft-neglected part of history (the lives of an enslaved African and his descendants in the United States), this pivotal series—and the novel by Alex Haley from which it was adapted—showed that genealogy was not just a hobby for royalty, the rich elite, or academics. Instead, it could celebrate the lives and…

LIKE MANY OF ITS SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS, GEORGIA is comprised of distinct geographic regions that make a significant impact on research. Plus, many of our ancestors only had a passing acquaintance with the state. Researching Georgians without understanding the state’s diversity can make genealogy seem intimidating. Instead, study your Georgians and their unique place in the state’s history—a rewarding experience unlike any other once you’re aware of the sources available. This guide can help. GEORGIA (HISTORY) ON MY MIND Indigenous peoples have been documented in what is now Georgia for thousands of years. By the time Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the area around 1540, notable groups included the Muscogee (called “Creek” by the Europeans), Cherokee, Hitchiti, Yamasee and Guale. Early in its colonial history, Georgia was claimed by both…

With a name likely derived from the Arawak language for “where fertile land is abundant,” Cuba depended heavily on the sugarcane crop in the 18th century. Slavery was abolished in 1886, and Cuba declared its independence in 1898. After the Spanish-American War, Cuba began a tumultuous relationship with its neighbor (and one-time occupier) the United States. A revolution in 1959 installed Communist leader Fidel Castro. Many Cuban-Americans live in Florida (Miami, in particular). When researching Cuba, expect the majority of sources and online conversation to be in Spanish. (Cuba was a Spanish colony for nearly 400 years.) Cuba is a predominantly Roman Catholic country; different parishes correspond to areas throughout the island. tip Social media groups hold valuable resources for researching Caribbean ancestors. Most of the countries listed here has…

The Taíno called the island Xaymaca, “Land of Wood and Water.” The Spanish arrived in 1509 and stayed for nearly two centuries, bringing with them disease and African slaves. In 1655, the English captured Jamaica from Spain and effectively held control of the island until the 20th century. For several decades, Britain encouraged piracy in the area to keep Spain in check. During this time of chaos, some former Spanish slaves escaped to the mountains. Called the Maroons, they managed to persevere in remote locations, some marrying the remaining Taíno. They also rose up against both the British and Jamaican colonial forces. Over the next two centuries, Britain held on to Jamaica, bringing in hundreds of thousands of slaves and turning the colony into a valuable sugar producer. Though the…

1 Decide what cards to save or toss. Roughly 75% of Americans continue to send holiday cards by post. After weeks of displaying and enjoying them, you’ll now need to decide which will be archived. Those from close relatives or friends (or with quirky images) are a good start. Others worth saving might announce weddings or new babies, houses or pets. Use a pencil or archival-safe pen to add names and the year to cards that don’t already have that information, then store in an attractive box or archival scrapbook. 2 Handle ornaments carefully. Those made of vintage glass are especially vulnerable! Guard against fading colors and breakage by wrapping them individually in acid-free tissue paper. (Avoid newspaper, which easily transfers ink to other surfaces.) Buy dedicated, divided ornament boxes…

As we discussed in our article on the history of genealogy (page 20), the convenience of online research tools comes with a price: the proliferation of sketchy information and the potential for bad actors. In the July 2008 issue of Family Tree Magazine, former editor Diane Haddad shared some best practices for being a conscientious genealogist. Despite the almost 17 years that have passed, her recommendations still reflect the concerns of many researchers and some concrete ways of addressing them. See the web version of this article at <www.familytreemagazine.com/general-genealogy/online-genealogy-etiquette>. New York genealogist Mary Todisco responded to a post on a surname message board. To her delight, the gentleman who posted was a cousin. The two exchanged research—Todisco’s was thorough; her cousin’s was bare-bones. Two months later, a woman looking for the…

A LABOR OF LOVE I just received the latest issue [November/December 2024] and loved the article about writing [“First Words,” page 12]. I belong to my genealogy society’s writers’ group and started writing about our family history in summer 2020. Our first and only grandchild was born a week before everything shut down. Even though they live close to us, we didn’t get to see them or cuddle our adorable granddaughter much. In July of that year, it occurred to me that if I got COVID and died—too many people did—then she would have no memories of me and her grandpa. She would never get to hear all the dozens of family stories that I heard from my grandmothers (both of them) when I was a little girl. So I…

As a child, Joshua Grayson loved hearing his grandparents’ stories. His grandfather told him about rescuing other German Jews from the Nazis via a covert operation called the Aliyah Bet. And his grandmother talked of being evacuated as a child on the Kindertransport. Now a professional genealogist specializing in Jewish research <www.lostrootsfamilyhistory.com>, Grayson grew up surrounded by their stories of heroism and sacrifice. “Stories of doing their part to help fellow Jews survive their precarious positions in prewar Germany,” he says. “And later on, stories of dodging explosives and being inspired by radio broadcasts of Winston Churchill.” His grandparents married in London during the Blitz—an eight-month terrorbombing campaign. Years later, while pursuing a Ph.D. in historical musicology, Grayson dug into family history research. A language barrier presented one of his…

There’s a lot of emphasis on digital photo-organizing these days. It’s justified. After all, when was the last time you took a photo on film, then had it developed? But that emphasis on digital photography and managing digital files can leave us wondering what to do with all those photo prints, both those we’ve created ourselves and those that we’ve inherited. These treasures capture the history of our family before the digital age. Renowned photographer Dorothea Lange wrote that “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” Those snapshots, both color and black–and–white, preserve the past and the lives of our ancestors. And caring for them is not as simple as setting up a desktop backup routine. Damage can occur to prints due to storage…

THE OTOE TRIBE HAD A NAME FOR THE meandering river that empties into the mighty Missouri: Nebraskier, or “flat water.” The descriptor survives in the French-named Platte River, and in the name of the Cornhusker State through which it flows. You might know Nebraska only for its flat terrain or its agriculture. But that view belies a rich geography and history, peopled by pioneers, entrepreneurs and (yes) farmers. Read on for how to research your Nebraska ancestors. GREAT PLAINS OF HISTORY Modern Nebraska has been inhabited by various Native American groups for thousands of years. By the 1700s, notable tribes included the Omaha, Otoe, Pawnee and Ponca, with the Teton Sioux (Lakota), Arapaho and Cheyenne also active in the area. Spaniard Francisco Vasquez de Coronado claimed much of the Southwest…

1 Trace Your Family Back to 1865 In some ways, researching the descendants of the formerly enslaved is no different than researching anyone else in the United States. Use oral histories, vital records, censuses and more to learn about your family through the 20th and late 19th centuries. Using vital records, oral histories, deeds and other documents, Floyd and I discovered Nancy Atkins Guiles and her husband Harris, plus their children. We took advice from trusted sources Black Roots by Tony Burroughs (Touchstone) and Finding a Place Called Home by Dee Palmer Woodtor (Random House), which helped us create a checklist of records to search. That laid a solid foundation for our research. 2 Study Local History of Slavery and Reconstruction Learn about the social, political and cultural context where…

Columbus’ arrival in December 1492 began a two-century history of Haiti as a prominent trading post. The French, seeing an opportunity to undercut their rival Spain, established a foothold on the western part of La Hispaniola. The French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) was split off from the rest of Hispaniola in 1697. France brought many African slaves to its new colony, resulting in the enslaved outnumbering free citizens 10 to 1. Slave results ensued by the 1750s, ultimately leading to civil war. Inspired by the French Revolution, Haitians rose up against the French in 1791 and declared independence in 1804. Haiti became the first (and to date, only) country to win its independence through a slave revolt. As an independent nation, Haiti has continued to see its share of tumultuous…

Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost country in the Caribbean island chain; Trinidad is just 7 miles from the coast of Venezuela. The indigenous people are believed to have called the islands Caeri (“the Island”) and Urupaine (“Large Snail”), respectively; Trinidad (Trinity) and Tobago (possibly related to Tobacco) were the names used by the Spanish. Columbus made contact with the Arawakan- and Cariban-speaking peoples of Trinidad in 1498. Spain ruled the island but settled it only sparsely until 1783, when it encouraged Catholic settlement on Trinidad. Many who came at the time were French, who began to dominate the island alongside African slaves and arrivals from other Caribbean islands and even the East Indies. Spain ceded Trinidad to Great Britain in 1802. Tobago, for its part, was home to Caribs…

Q My mother told me my great-grandfather fought alongside Garibaldi for the unification of Italy. Is there any way to verify this? aGiuseppe Garibaldi is the best-known of the “fathers of the fatherland” who battled for Italian unification (Risorgimento).In 1859, he led the Cacciatori delle Alpi (Alpine Huntsmen) in a war that ended with Piedmont acquiring Lombardy. He then set out to conquer Sicily and Naples with about 1,000 men known as the Mille (Thousand) or Redshirts. A list (ruolo) of these troops was published in 1886 <www.myitalianfamily.com/resources/“mille”-giuseppe-garibaldi>. His army grew, enabling Garibaldi to be the first to hail Victor Emmanuel as king of a united Italy. Even after unification in 1861, Garibaldi led several campaigns that might have recruited your ancestor. Because of the quasi-official nature of Garibaldi’s various…

The Basics BY THE NUMBERS • Founded in 1983• 60 billion digitized genealogy records, organized into 33,000 collections• 130 million family trees, with 1.9 billion profiles ș 25 million DNA kits in database MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION @2024 YANKEE PUBLISHING INC. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT <WWW.FAMILYTREEMAGAZINE.COM> RECORD HINTS Ancestry.com makes it easy to find records in its vast collections and attach them to profiles in your tree. The famous “shaky leaves” are static now (and the tool only covers certain collections of records), but Ancestry.com’s Hints feature can save you valuable research time if properly understood and used. 1 Find record hints. You can access these from the Hints tab of a person’s profile or by clicking the green leaf icon next to a person in a family tree. Find hints for…

In many ways, family trees are like the real trees you’d find in your backyard or local park. When you plant a tree, you don’t expect it to sprout overnight. A seedling requires years of rain, sunshine, and careful cultivation to blossom into a sturdy, shady sycamore. And like trees, your research can outlast you—maybe even for hundreds of years. If properly conserved, they can stand the test of time and be enjoyed by generations of your descendants. In honor of Family Tree’s 25th anniversary, we’re going back to the basics of family tree-gardening. These six steps of good genealogy research will help you plant a family tree in healthy soil. Even if you’re already a master gardener, you can share these tips with the budding genealogists in your life.…

Should I wear gloves when handling photos? For years, advice leaned towards wearing cotton gloves for handling your precious images. But that has changed—gloves are no longer the best-practice. Why the switcheroo? Cotton gloves transfer dirt to images and make handling images clumsy. They also provide a false sense of security, leading to more careless mistakes with photos. It’s safe to touch even old photos without gloves, provided your hands are clean and dry. Hold them by the edge only, and use copies (rather than originals) for sharing and displaying. Avoid eating, drinking or smoking around photos. Can I take photos out of albums? Photos often have writing on their backs, making it tempting to remove them from albums to investigate. But try to resist, as albums tell a story…

Known as Quisqueya (“Mother of the Lands”) to the Taíno and many of its current citizens, the Dominican Republic has seen both French and Spanish colonizers. After their arrival in 1492, the Spanish put most of their colonization efforts to the area of the island now known as the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. In 1795, the Spanish ceded the Dominican Republic to France. The colony returned to Spain in 1809, but declared independence as “Spanish Haiti” in 1821. The following two decades saw Haiti occupy the fledgling nation. Dominicans ousted Haiti and achieved nominal independence in 1844—after the destruction of much life and infrastructure, and the diminishment of the Catholic Church’s role in public life. The Dominicans finally removed Spain in…