Genealogy Adventures

Mary L. Beal (author) and centenarian Mother Lucille D. Shazier joined the show to talk about Beal's book "How to Live Well Past 100 Years" - a book about Mother Lucille's life.Beal has been intrigued, amazed, fascinated, and stunned by the wisdom, strength, and tenacity of mature women. Their lives and experiences span the gamut of obstacles, triumphs, successes, and "ups and downs." Born to Georgia sharecroppers, Mother Lucille D. Shazier's life epitomizes, exemplifies, and summarizes this profound truth through tales Beal and Mother Shazier, who joined us halfway through the programme, shared on the show.Book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RSB5XKQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1&fbclid=IwAR1wj-r_J49_mbCt3azY1XM1xzjRmPUyMM09DtIJrm8MUgfWH6gLmKXNHAw Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Say their names... Anarcha, Lucy, Betsy! Without these three women, the study of Gynecology would not be where it is today. Join us as we talk about the 3 enslaved mothers of Gynecology and learn about the wonderful way they are being honored.Our scheduled guest unfortunately could not join us for the conversation. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you have a family member disappear during slavery? Do you think they ran and went into hiding? As we close out Black History Month we always have to throw a little genealogical research in the mix. Dr. Shaun Wallace (Bristol University, UK) joined the show to talk about a project he has been working on for the past few years: The forthcoming Fugitive Slave Advertisement Database. The database will host United States newspaper “runaway ads” enslavers posted to try and locate enslaved people who made their bid for freedom. Dr. Wallace spoke about the history behind these ads, as well as the types of information the ads contained - including genealogically useful clues. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor William Horne of Villanova University walked us through the least discussed time period in African American history. It should have been the start of the U.S.A. version 2.0. It was a brief time period when African Americans were on the road to attaining equity and a seat at the table before the Jim Crow Era stripped that progress away in terms of Black legislative policymaking.In this episode, we spent the hour discussing aspects of Reconstruction that have not been publicly discussed. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ja'el "YaYa" Gordon returned to the show to share, teach and explain slavery in Louisiana. Get ready for another knowledge-dropping show while learning ways to research in Louisiana.Below are links to the 2 maps shown during this episode:1. Map showing the distribution of the slave population of the southern states of the United States. Compiled from the census of 1860 via https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3861e.cw00132002. La Tourrette's reference map of the state of Louisiana: from the original surveys of the United States, which show the townships, sections, or mile squares, Spanish grants, settlement rights & c., also the plantations with the owners names engraved thereon via https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4011g.ct001895 Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, and Fried Chicken, these foods are associated with what most call soul food. Tonya Hopkins, the Food Griot joins the show to talk about why African American food has had such an influence on American culture.The conversation was so good, Tonya will be joining us again for a Part 2! Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Fountain is the Lead Genealogist and the History and Research Subcommittee Chairperson on the Natchez USCT Monument Committee. We talked about the steps taken to get these USCT Army and Navy troops honored with a memorial, her family's connection to this history, and ways you can research whether your ancestors fought with the USCT in Natchez. Deborah also discussed the steps that were taken to be a part of something as simple as the Wreaths Across America ceremony. This is a ceremony that happens every Christmas where wreaths are placed on the graves of soldiers throughout the United States. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Congress ended the United States’ participation in the international slave trade in 1808, enslavers and would-be-enslavers could no longer import additional slaves from Africa or the West Indies. There was only one practical way of increasing the number of enslaved laborers: through "natural increase".By the 1820s, established enslavers and prospective enslavers relocated to places previously unavailable for settlement in large numbers. Places like lands cleared of Native Americans in Georgia. The nascent European and New England textile industries were starting to thrive: an expanding Cotton Kingdom required new laborers. So too did Louisiana's Sugar Empire. These economic developments needed an increased enslaved labor force. Human beings known as breeders, enslaved men and women, were the answer to forestall any potential shortfall in the labor required to feed these burgeoning industries.We are taught almost nothing about the breeding farms whose function was to produce as many slaves as possible for the sale and distribution throughout the South.In this episode, we talk about how to recognize a breeding farm when reviewing Slave Schedules and other slavery-related business records – and how to formulate a research strategy to research the children of breeders.Resources referenced in this episode:"American slavery as it is; testimony of a thousand witnesses": https://archive.org/details/americanslaverya00weld/page/182/mode/2up?q=breeding"A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry in the United States":https://kottke.org/16/02/a-history-of-the-slave-breeding-industry-in-the-united-states?fbclid=IwAR3WsQ0xuuKyKlBGdKUQjJhw0si1V2QJknsAKKXV2YA8mPXrch9P9k7GBcESlave Valuations: https://www.sciway.net/afam/slavery/flesh.html?fbclid=IwAR3U9i4zti2Apfn56XulItcQpVQaA5RnNJbcxYvGhOTyur4rBKy-bA0W80I Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a rare episode that mostly used visuals on-air. You may prefer to view the tv episode to see the maps and records that were discussed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vZPu0_KMceQThe global demand for cotton set off a forced migration of enslaved people with close to one million being transported to the Deep South between 1790 and 1860. The importation of captured Africans ended by 1808, which meant that much of the demand for labor within the United States was met by selling slaves who were born in one of the slave states. The colonial period saw enslaved people from the upper colonies shipped to the lower colonies.Each voyage required documentation like a ship manifest. Thousands of these manifests have survived to the present day.In this episode, we talk about:- How important these records are;- How to use ship manifests in your research; and- Where to find them in physical and digital formats Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Original surviving slave cabins and tenant farmer cabins have largely disappeared from the United State’s landscape. The humblest of dwellings, they stand as a poignant and powerful reminder of a time that the United States would rather forget. These buildings stand as a testament to the strength and resilience of the enslaved, and then oppressed, people who once lived out theirs within them. Jason Church joined the show to talk about the preservation of slave and tenant farmer cabins. He is currently engaged in creating holograms of surviving structures. He shared his passion for the work, its importance…and what goes into creating and managing such a unique preservation project. This project is part of The National Center for Preservation Technology, which falls under the National Park Service.Jason is the Chief of Technical Services at NCPTT. He coordinates and works to further develop the Center’s national cemetery training initiative and related research. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poignant and moving beyond measure: the newspaper advertisements placed by formerly enslaved people looking for loved ones from all over the United States can be packed with genealogical researchable information. The names of family members left behind, the names of enslavers, and places of enslavement often feature in these adverts. The emotion and longing behind their desire to re-connect with long-lost family due to slavery leap out in so many of the adverts that were placed.In our research, we have found ads which date from 1863 to 1902. Newspapers like Philadelphia's Christian Recorder, the newspaper of the AME Church; New Orleans' Black Republican, Nashville’s The Colored Tennessean, Charleston's South Carolina Leader, the Free Men's Press of Galveston, Texas, and Cincinnati's The Colored Citizen represent a handful of papers which ran these advertisements.While the language used is sometimes sparse, the ads represent the deep family ties that endured through slavery, the Civil War, and beyond slavery - despite the best effort of enslavers to sever those ties. In some instances, the ads were placed decades after the family members had last been in contact.In this episode, we talk about the genealogical importance of these ads for African American genealogists…and where to find them.We were so pleased to welcome Prof. Judy Giesberg of Villanova University to the show. She is the director of the Digital project "Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery". We are excited to have her join the conversation.The Information Wanted website: http://informationwanted.org Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our book clubs have become so popular that we can't wait for our third book chat!Black narratives of the Civil War are few. Susie King Taylor’s 1902 slender volume, "Reminiscences of My Life in Camp", is written with earnest simplicity. Her account records the wartime camp experience of a woman born into slavery who was a regimental laundress and nurse in the Thirty-third United States Colored Infantry for 4 years. Like our other book clubs, this book will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. And there are some surprising things Taylor says about the lived Black experience in America at the time of publication (1902) that directly link to events that have occurred in the very recent past. You can download the book for free via https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofm00tayl Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Society of the First African Families of English America is a lineage organization that seeks to inform its members and the public of the historical significance of the first Africans who arrived in English America, and how they forged the beginnings of our country’s democracy. The Society of the First African Families of English America promotes the relevance of these early beginnings and connects them to the present day.Ric Murphy joined us to answer questions about the Society as well as share the Society’s mission and strategic vision - and why this is so important. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered what goes into a county archives digitization project...you won't want to miss this show!Rosemary McFarland joined the show to talk about a records digitization project that is currently happening in Kentucky. This promises to be an interesting glimpse into how a state or a county prepares to digitize its history public records and other genealogically useful documents and resources. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Those who have taken a DNA test know the initial thrill that’s felt when the results come in. We know the excitement in talking about our results with others…as well as sharing other family members’ results with them if we are managing their DNA test kits.Imagine taking our excitement about our results, or our family members’ results, to an entirely different level. How would you feel if you could see a virtual DNA result for an ancestor who lived long ago?Kevin Borland joined the show to talk about a company that has this as a feature: Borland Genetics. Kevin talked about other Borland tools, small cMs and DNA matches, and more.Borland Genetics is a unique autosomal DNA database where users create public DNA profiles for their deceased ancestors, using the tools and methods provided on the site. Subscribers will not only be matched against the DNA kits of living donors – they will typically find user-sourced reconstructed DNA kits for individuals who lived long ago. Kevin is the company’s Founder and President. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Evelyn McDowell joined the show to talk about this special African American lineage society and the work that it does. Founded in 2011, it is a society for descendants of individuals enslaved in English colonial America and the United States of America from 1619-1865. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of our freed and enslaved ancestors.Sons & Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage: https://sdusmp.org/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louisiana-native Ja’el Gordon is a historian and genealogist who specializes in interpreting antebellum history, genetic genealogy, and conducting oral history interviews. Always staying true to her Louisiana Creole and Cajun heritage, Ja’el has over fifteen years of experience as a professional researcher with a special focus on the Deep South plantation history. Her expertise also includes repository research, collection curation, exhibition installations, transcribing and indexing, cemetery preservation, database management, and conducting genealogy and history-related workshops. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth’s DNA Journey began in 2016. After her mother was diagnosed with cancer, she decided to take a DNA test. She hoped the results would expedite the search for her ancestors. This was a journey she wanted to share with her mom. After sending DNA samples for herself and her parents, she discovered she had a different biological father. Over the next four years, her journey would have her find her birth father, nine siblings, and a living aunt and uncle. Elizabeth’s approach to engaging her new tribe was both a blessing and inspiring. Elizabeth is a Maryland resident. She is a retired Administrator in the industries of Public Accounting and Law. Since retirement, she commits much of her time in public service as a community leader and serves on the Board of Directors for the Park Heights Renaissance CDC in Baltimore Maryland. She enjoys coaching acquaintances of Generation X. She also aids many Baby Boomers on transitioning to Medicare. Her story will be the subject of a forthcoming book. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were so pleased to welcome Regina Griffin, Jasmine Redden, and Romona Burns to the show to talk about Mischlingskinders (Brown babies) - the children of African American servicemen and German women."Brown Babies: The Mischlingskinder Story" reveals the tragic lives of biracial, bicultural children who were unwanted, ignored and forgotten by enemy nations.Imagine being born in a place and time where racism and hatred run rampant. Your mother is white and German and your father is a black American serviceman."Brown Babies" tells the painful and personal story of a forgotten piece of world history through eyes of the people who suffered most: those who lived it.Emmy award-winning TV News Executive Producer Regina Griffin is the director, writer and producer of "Brown Babies". Regina and Romana are Mischlingskinders who talk candidly about their life experiences.Documentary link: https://www.brownbabiesfilm.com/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcomed Lalita to the show to discuss her new book "Circumcision of a Wounded Heart: An Unjust Journey Due to Systemic Racism, Classism, & Oppression"Lalita Yeldell was in for the ride of her life when a terrible head-on collision ended in tragedy. With two people dead, one injured, and Lalita fighting for her life and unconscious for almost a month; she woke to a complete nightmare. With broken arms, legs, memory lost, a shattered pelvis, and a ruptured liver, it was just the beginning of her world being turned upside down. While the worst was yet to happen, Lalita had no idea of the hell she was about to face. With crooked cops, prosecutorial overzealousness, and an unjust legal and judicial system, Lalita landed in prison for crimes she did not commit. After trying to overcome obstacles of racism, classism, and oppression, she looked to God for answers through prayer, which led her to truth and understanding... helping her to find peace.We talked about the brokenness of the U.S. Judicial System - especially were women and women of color are concerned. And we discussed ways that this systemic injustice can be addressed pro-actively.Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Circumcision-Wounded-Heart-Systemic-Oppression/dp/1736672312 Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.