Happy New Year! Thank you for subscribing to The Family Jewel’s monthly newsletter! When you make your resolutions for the new year, we hope researching your family’s history is on that list!
If you would like us to discuss a specific topic or have a genealogical question, send me a message and I will feature it in the next newsletter.
I’M TEACHING A MASTERCLASS!
I’m teaching my first Genealogy MasterClass for beginners on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 7pm-8:30pm. Have you always wanted to research your family tree but didn’t know where to start? Sign up for this class! I promise to keep it interesting and fun. When you sign up, you will receive a free Family Matters Genealogy downloadable workbook plus entry into three big giveaways during the class. Additionally, the first person to sign up will have the opportunity to have a free family tree reveal live during the Masterclass! Only 25 spots available so click here to sign up today!
Researching the 1910 Census
Some things change as some things stay the same. This goes for census records too. In previous newsletters, we’ve examined how each census record contains different information. The 1900 and 1910 federal census records were similar except for three additional columns.
Column 30 – Civil War Survivor
The enumerator questioned all men 50 years old and older, whether native or foreign-born, about their involvement in the Civil War. Union Army (UA), Union Navy (UN), Confederate Army (CA), and Confederate Navy (CN) were the official designation for this column. A blank column meant no military service.
Columns 31 & 32 – Disabilities
The federal government began reporting infirmities and disabilities. Column 31 reported totally or partially blind persons as “BI,” and subsequently Column 32 reported both deaf and dumb as “DD.” Originally, a disability question appeared on every census starting with the 1840 census except for 1900. Could this be a precursor to social service programs for the disabled? Possibly. In 1812, parents in Connecticut solicited church ministers to take a census of deaf individuals in their area. Through their efforts, The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons opened in 1817.
Native American Census Records
Additionally, the 1910 census included a questionnaire for the Indian population. The federal census only included taxed citizens, excluding Native Americans living on reservations or as tribal groups. The 1910 Indian Schedule included Native Americans living on reservations and had tribal affiliations. It also included counties within states that had large Native American populations.
WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!!The winner of the free Ancestry DNA kit for a lucky Family Matters Genealogy newsletter subscriber was bootneylee2000@gmail.com. Congratulations! Your kit will be sent to you as soon we receive your mailing address!
FEATURED ARTICLE
Mount Zion cemetery in Washington, DC Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
The Fate of HBCUs – Historically Black CemeteriesUnearthed
With new interest in genealogy, family history, and African American history, Historically Black Cemeteries are being unearthed, sometimes with shocking results. Access has been denied to family members whose cemetery property is near a company that limits access. This is the case in Thoroughfare, VA. A locked gate barred access to a family because the nearby brewery owned access to the property, but not the cemetery. The brewery has allowed the family to visit but they must enter through the brewery entrance to gain access to the cemetery.
In other cases, Black cemeteries have been neglected. Developers have built shopping centers on top of largely African American burial grounds in Maryland and Florida. A former slave cemetery was discovered in the 1980s beneath a gas station in Virginia. Owners walked away from their cemeteries as in St. Louis. Due to no available spaces for burials, income dried up and so did the landscaping and maintenance. The owner declared bankruptcy and the property became the responsibility of the county. The county did nothing and it fell into disrepair. A non-profit historical preservation association took over and restored the cemetery to the beauty it once was. They mobilized volunteers to remove garbage, upright headstones and fix it up. How does this happen? Let’s examine the history of how this could happen.
History of Cemeteries
The word ‘cemetery’ is derived from the Greek word,koimeterion, which means ‘sleeping place.’ Colonial families buried their dead in the ground with a cloth wrapping and a prayer. There was no fanfare, pomp and circumstance, or gravemarkers. It wasn’t until the late 1600s that people engraved tombstones to mark the burial place of their loved ones. The religious buried their loved ones on the church’s grounds (graveyards). Those that owned property buried their family members in private plots on family land (cemetery). The invention of the casket came in the late 19th century. Oftentimes, the local undertaker was also the local furniture maker who made the caskets by request. During the Civil War, there was a need to ship the dead back home and the easiest way to do so was in a casket. From then, it became the norm.
Official cemeteries started around the 1830s. As cities and individuals’ wealth grew, people bought plots of land specific for burial within the city limits. But this became a problem too. These burial grounds were small and could not contain the number of burials. Church graveyards and city cemeteries often stacked coffins 5-6 deep. Extremely heavy rains would cause the coffins to rise and float above the ground, sometimes spilling decomposing bodies onto the streets (picture it: zombie apocalypse before it was a thing). Landscape architects created cemeteries as beautiful, park-like spaces on larger pieces of land outside city limits in more rural areas. Diseases and epidemics such as yellow fever and cholera made this necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. It wasn’t until the 1900s that cemeteries became a big business, incorporating funeral homes, insurance, and family burial plots.
Racism in Death
Before the Civil War, the enslaved buried their dead on the land of their enslavers, marking their burial with a yucca plant, wooden board, household items like a toy or bowl, or a large rock. After Emancipation, African Americans buried their dead wherever they could. Unfortunately, racism and segregation followed, even after death. With the creation of Jim Crow laws in the South, African Americans could not be buried with whites. As separate but equal became the law of the land, segregation included cemeteries. African Americans and benevolent white purchased or gave land to African Americans to use as a burial ground. These deeds often went undocumented or were misrepresented so ownership became questionable. In the North, cemeteries had “black sections.” In some cases, prominent African Americans bought land and created cemeteries run by a society or board of trustees.
The Problem
Families would volunteer to maintain the cemetery if it was a small family plot or a local cemetery. The problem became generations later, when family members either forget about the cemeteries or took no interest in maintaining them. The Great Migration of Blacks from the south meant that something had to be abandoned to make a new way of life in a more racially accepting location. This meant leaving their ancestors behind. The move diminished their ties to the ancestral burial grounds because most never returned. Many are not aware of the history of their ancestors and there is less care to maintain their family burial grounds.
Since the 1950s, people are more transient and often do not live in the same area where they grew up. Because of this, family cemeteries on private land or in small city and county cemeteries are not maintained and are eventually abandoned. Municipalities or private companies maintain bigger city cemeteries. Black Cemeteries were always vulnerable, suffering abuse, neglect, and destruction. African American cemeteries flourished until urban renewal came into play and developers needed the land for transportation or housing. Developers were SUPPOSED to reinter the bodies. Sometimes this happens, sometimes not. Sometimes all bodies are moved, sometimes not.
The threat from developers is constantly looming unless something is done. What often happens on newly developed land is bones or bodies are found on the property. Digging must halt until the developer performs a land survey and investigates the property. Developers research the original owners of the property to contact them to discuss previous land usage. Many of the societies and trustees that were responsible for these African American cemeteries have either disbanded or declared bankruptcy. City and county municipalities have the option to take over the maintenance but many do not because of the high cost of landscaping and irrigation.
The Solution
A Congressional bill sponsored by Alma S. Adams (NC-D-12) establishes the creation of a database of African American Cemeteries in the United States. This bill would make the National Parks Service (NPS) responsible for establishing the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program. This program would include funding education and preservation programs (H.R. 6805 was introduced on 2/2/22 and is in the subcommittee for review). This bill needs to pass! Take a moment and write your Congressional representative to show your support.
We can document every African American cemetery across the United States but the main problem of getting more people involved remains. Everyone has to give a helping hand and be a stakeholder in this effort – historians, preservationists, landscape architects, municipal governments, community members, and the descendants of the deceased. They must all come together to evaluate the worthiness of the location’s restoration. They can fix it up but without the stakeholders, they won’t be able to maintain it. It will fall into disrepair later on down the road.
Client Corner – Marion Patricia McPherson McLean
I had been given a written history of the Lee Alton McPherson (my father’s) family; however, there were some missing links that I was unable to connect. My family had roots in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina.
I needed to know the names of my paternal grandparents and their links to other families that are connected to us. My great grandfather, Daniel McPherson who was a slave and my grandfather was married twice who had no children with the first wife.
Tanya discovered our connection to the McDonald Family, which shows that we are interrelated with folks whom I had no idea were so closely related.
Tanya did an excellent job researching my roots and I would highly recommend her to anyone who is trying to research their family history. She is very thorough with her research. As she was researching my family, she met a cousin who lives in Maryland which added a little excitement for me. Tanya is exciting and loves what she does.
LOOKING FOR LONG LOST ANCESTORS?
If you want to research your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), let me know and I can assist you. I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs. If you are an amateur genealogist/family historian, I can create a research plan to guide you in the right direction. I am always willing to help. Send me a message!
Did You Know That You Need A Plan for Your Family Research?
Most people plan for the inevitable like buying life insurance, creating a will or taking care of our own final arrangements. However, what happens to the family photo albums, memorabilia, digital pictures or the years of research done after our death? WHAT?!?! Surely, you’ve thought about this. No?!?! Well, it’s time!
“By Failing to Prepare, You Prepare to Fail”
This is a very important quote from Benjamin Franklin that can be parlayed into many things in life. If you are the family historian (like me), certainly you understand the importance of making a plan after your demise. Is there someone in the younger generation that will take up the cause? Does someone in the family show an interest in continuing the family research? Is there anyone who cares at all?? That’s what you need to find out NOW. Seek out the current family historian at the next family reunion. Make sure they know your interest in taking over after they have gone. Talk to your children to see who might take on this task because making a plan is the first and most important step. It guarantees that your family photos and records will be passed on after your death.
Make a Plan
If your Auntie/Grandpa/Mom/Dad agree to pass the family history torch to you, make sure they state it CLEARLY in their wills. Please make sure they let their heirs know NOW! We do not want surprises when the end comes and you try to unsuccesfully retrieve items promised. I would highly recommend that you ask your relatives to pass it down to you NOW, including their online family tree passwords.
Also, have them go through the family photo album with you. Have them tell you stories of the family members in the pictures (make sure you record it as oral history so you can write it down later). Additionally, make sure they go through their phones and computers to transfer any photos they might have stashed there. Encourage them to upload to a cloud service like Google Photos, Dropbox, shared drive, etc. If they are willing, ask them to share the usernames and passwords with you so you have access to it at all times. It’s the best gift you can give your future descendants and continue the family forward.
Editor’s Note – Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year!
The new year means new beginnings and new commitments. Last year on New Years Day, I committed to starting Family Matters Genealogy! It was the best decision that I could make. I’ve helped several clients discover their family histories. Sometimes the information isn’t so pretty but I present the information (the good, the bad and the ugly) with discretion and sensitivity.
For 2023, I committed to teaching three MasterClasses! I have scheduled the first class for February 1st, the first day of Black History Month which is significant for me. Several years ago, I posted genealogy tips which inspired many of my family and friends. They, in turn, inspired me to start my business. I want all African Americans to know and understand where we came from, that we can trace our ancestors and although our history is a hard pill to swallow, it’s significant and should be celebrated.
The December newsletter is full of great genealogical and historical information. Thank you for subscribing! If you want us to address a specific topic in upcoming newsletters, send a message to tanya@familymattersgenealogy.com.
Researching the 1900 Census
We touched on the 1900 census in the October 2022 newsletter but I received a request to go into it in depth. So let’s have an extensive conversation about the 1900 census. Go!
The years between the 1880 and 1900 censuses proves to be a painful gap for genealogists. We get frustrated trying to track down ancestors and their migration patterns during this period in history. We have many unanswered questions because families disappeared, migrated or life events occured (birth, marriage, death) and only census records are the evidence to their existence.
A few records from the 1890 census survived a fire (see September 2022 newsletter), therefore the 1900 census is very important to us. As mentioned, each census gives more information than the previous one. The 1900 census is a treasure trove of information. Many categories continued from the 1880 census to the 1900 census (i.e., marital status, relationship to head of household, occupation and literacy). However, there were several additional categories, making it easier to track our ancestors.
Column 7 – Date of Birth
The 1880 census only gave us the ages of the enumerated, forcing us to estimate the birth year. The 1900 census gave us the month and year of birth plus the age. Because the date of birth is more precise than previous census records, it can eliminate people with similar names.
Column 10 – Number of Years Married
This helps researchers estimate the marriage year to find marriage bonds and licenses. These are significant because they often contain the names of both the bride’s and groom’s parents. This assists researchers by giving parental names from another generation.
Column 11 & 12 – Mother of How Many Children/Number of Living Children
Due to the lack of information between 1880 to 1900, it was possible that children were born and/or died between these years. The pain of losing a young child might be concealed from extended family members. These columns record the number of children born and number living. The difference would be the death of a child, causing a researcher to look other places for records of the child’s existence through birth or death records.
Columns 16, 17 & 18 – Immigration Information
These are very important columns to review, especially if you know your family members emigrated from another country. These columns prompt you to search for passenger manifests, naturalization documents, and border crossing information. Knowing this information can help you determine your family’s country of origin and/or ethnicity.
Columns 25, 26, 27 & 28 – Ownership of Home
Home ownership information can help you understand the economic status of your family in 1900. The type of dwelling (farm or house) and farm schedule allows the researcher know if the family income was based on an occupation or agriculture. Most families living on farms worked their own land as income. If you can find the farm schedule, you would see what crops your ancestors grew and sold.
An owned or rented dwelling could mean a sharecropping/tenant situation or contract farming (especially with African American farmers). An owned home, especially owned free and clear of mortgage, could mean family land. A mortgaged or home owned free and clear could indicate an upper middle class status of the family.
BIG GIVEAWAY!!!! We will give away one DNA test kit* from one of the BIGGEST family genealogy companies between 12/1/22 and 12/31/22. Anyone who signs up for the Family Matters Genealogy newsletter will receive an entry to win. If you are already signed up for my newsletters and blogs, you will automatically be entered. The drawing will be held New Years Day! Tell your family and friends! Don’t let them miss out! The DNA test kit has a $99 value.
A Blast from the Past: The Phone Book
Surprisingly, I remember the excitement when the mailman delivered the phone book to our apartment. The dictionary and encyclopedias were fun to read and I learned a lot. I would grab the phone book and hurry to our third-floor apartment and devour it like a novel, looking for my parents’ names, friends’ parents’ names, and the names of my favorite places. Perusing the yellow pages intrigued me and kept me busy for hours. There was interesting information in the front and middle of the book – population information, county maps, zip codes by city, political information, etc.
The First Telephone Directory
The New Haven District Telephone Company in Connecticut first issued the first telephone directory on February 21, 1878. It listed 50 names, not alphabetized, and contained mostly businesses, and no telephone numbers! By November 1878, the same telephone company, renamed The Connecticut District Telephone Company of New Haven, Connecticut, upgraded the directory to a telephone book that included 391 subscribers that paid $22 per year to have their name and address listed. Businesses paid to place ads in the back section of the phone book (designated with yellow paper). Still, the book did not contain phone numbers! The Connecticut phone book finally published phone numbers in 1889!
Phone Book vs. City Directory
Genealogical research sites make a distinction between the phone book and city directory. What is the difference? Phone directories/books contained a subscriber’s name, address and telephone number. City directories came about 1786, nearly 100 years before the telephone book. It contained a subscriber’s name, residential address, occupation, business address. Also, city directories listed everyone in the city or town, not just those that had a telephone.
The Phone Book is Good for Genealogy
I’m sure you are wondering…how it’s good for genealogy? Either directory can fill in the gap between censuses by pinpointing the movement of your relatives with a city, county or state. It also listed other important locations within the area that are important to your research – churches, cemeteries, schools and social organizations.
The Fate of the Phone Book
Why did the phone book become extinct? Two reasons – the environment and the internet. The manufacturing and distribution of phone books produced approximately 1,400,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses and accounts for 600,000 tons of paper per year. Lessening the world’s carbon footprint have aided in the demise of the phonebook. The internet makes having a phonebook obsolete. Google can give you any information you need to know within seconds. Beside, contacting people is much easier today than it was hundreds of years ago.
Client Corner – Ellen Lovett Reaves
Tanya Foreman performed genealogy research for my family. I have known Tanya Foreman for over 20 years and had no doubt her work would be excellent. What I was not expecting was the stellar results I received. I volunteered when she asked if anyone would be interested in finding out more information about their Ancestry.
My father’s side of the family had been somewhat of a mystery to me for years and this was my opportunity to find out anything at all. I did not have high expectations that information was available but Tanya was able to uncover such in depth information about not only my father’s side of the family but some of my mother’s as well. I shared her research with my aunt, brother, and several cousins.
I am eternally grateful to Tanya who has helped me unlock this mystery for my family. It feels wonderful to have such a connection now to my family history.
Looking for Long Lost Ancestors?
MASTERCLASS ALERT!
GENEALOGY 101: LEARN THE BASICS! If you are interested in researching your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), I will be conducting a Masterclass on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 called Family Matters: Shaking Your Family Tree. You will learn how to get started performing your own genealogical research. More details to come in the January 2023 newsletter. Those currently receiving the newsletter will be the first to have the information!
If you don’t have the time to do your own research, I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs.
Did You Know about the Grandfather Clause?
Did you ever wonder where the phrases “grandfather clause” or being “grandfathered in” came from? This phrase came up in conversation recently with a friend who did not know the origin of the phrase. Merriam-Webster defines this phrase as “a clause creating an exemption based on circumstances previously existing.” I know a few situations in which the grandfather clause applied to me because the rules of engagement changed AFTER I had been a member or had a job or a law had passed, etc. Very few know that the grandfather clause has a racial history.
The Post Civil War South
The 15th amendment prohibited disenfranchisement based on “race, color or previous condition of servitude.” However, Southern whites did not want Blacks to have the power to vote. They had to get creative in order to circumvent the amendment and encourage racial discrimination. Unfortunately, this creative measure was in place for nearly a century.
After Reconstruction, the southern states created requirements for all its citizens to vote, hoping to prevent the Black vote. Boards of Elections used literacy tests, poll taxes and constitutional quizzes to determine who could register to vote. African Americans, fresh from slavery and uneducated, were unable to pass these bias test. However, this created a problem for poor Southern whites could not pass these test either due to lack of education. Thus, the southern governments created the grandfather clause. It simply stated that you were allowed to vote if your grandfather was able to vote. African Americans had no previous ancestors vote, therefore they were forced to take the tests and/or pay the tax.
The grandfather clause disenfranchised eligible African Americans while making it easier for previously disenfranchised whites to vote. It created a political imbalance that favored white supremacy, paving the way for Jim Crow laws to rear its ugly head.
I love Christmas. One daughter was born 3 weeks before Christmas and the other was born 3 weeks after Christmas. Also, people seem nicer and more forgiving during this season. I’m not sure if it’s because they want to get nice gifts or if this time of year brings out the best in people. I do wonder when we stopped celebrating Kwanzaa. In the 1990s, there were so many parties, festivals and celebration that I could not keep up! I want to make more of an effort to celebrate Kwanzaa this year and contribute more to African American history. It’s great to read about history but it’s also important to create and celebrate it too. You can quote me on that!
Enjoy the season, spend time with your family, talk to your elders and learn about your family.
Know and love your family history. Peace, Love and Genealogy.
I always wondered how people found their relatives that fought in the American Revolution. I know people who families have been members of SAR/DAR (Sons/Daughters of the American Revolution) for generations. How did they find them? I was curious to know how they found these military records to prove a colonial ancestor.
Daughters of the American Revolution
Many years ago, I was invited to attend a DAR meeting because they were looking for members. I did not understand the “assignment” so I turned down the invitation. They were a nice group but they never explained to me how they worked and what I had to do. I had limited knowledge about the organization. I knew that membership was based on your ancestor having fought in the American Revolutionary War. Why would I think I had an ancestor who fought in that war? I’m African American! My people were enslaved in 1776. From what I learned in elementary school, only one Black person fought in that war. His name was Crispus Attucks and he was the first person to die.
What I thought I knew: The criteria for membership is that you must be 18 years old and “can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American Independence.” What I know now: I now understand that membership is not just based on your ancestor’s participation in the Revolutionary War. I learned that there were other types of military, civilian or patriotic services that the organization encompassed. DAR will assist with your research because they have over 190,000 members with proven documentation. If you can connect your information to another member, you will have the necessary paperwork to apply.
Why Research Military Records?
Membership to patriotic societies like DAR is one reason why people seek their ancestor’s military records. African Americans want to know if their ancestors served as members of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), Buffalo Soldiers, Montford Point Marine or Tuskegee Airmen. Military records can also tell you about the servicemen’s family members. Military records, especially pension records, from the American Revolution to the Spanish American War contained information about the service member (including rank, unit, muster dates and medical info), their widow’s name, members of his family and a physical description. The file might also include marriage certificates, birth and death records, deposition and affidavits from witnesses and appeal letters from widows attempting to get their husband’s pensions.
Military records could also tell you if your ancestor owned land. During the American Revolution, War of 1812, the Indian Wars and the Mexican War, service members received land in place of a pension or salary. These bounty land warrants required an application and contained valuable information from your ancestor. It could also track their migration throughout the United States.
How do you look for these military records? If you pay for a genealogical subscription service like Ancestry.com or Fold3.com, they have extensive records (national and international) available to search. The free genealogy sites have military records too; unfortunately, some collections are not indexed so they are not easily searchable.
If you’re interested in knowing your family history but you don’t have the time or resources to do so, I have affordable packages to do the research for you. Click here to contact me.
Thank you for subscribing to our monthly newsletter! We hope that you enjoy this month’s information. November celebrates Veterans Day and National Native American Heritage Month. If you want us to address a specific topic, send a message to tanya@familymattersgenealogy.com. We will discuss it in upcoming newsletters.
Honoring Veterans – The Meaning of the Holiday
Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, began in 1921 with the burial of an unknown World War I (WW I) American Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The chosen day of November 11th celebrated the end of WW I at 11:00 am on November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). A congressional resolution officially recognized Armistice Day in 1926. It became a national holiday in 1938. Parades and other festivities honored those that fought in the war. In 1947, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized a National Veterans Day in Birmingham, Alabama. It was to celebrate those that fought in all wars. Congress passed a resolution proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day in 1954.
They Arrived, They Served, They Lived
Montford Point Memorial, Jacksonville, NC
Montford Point Marines
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established Executive Order 8802 in 1941 that barred racial discrimination among government workers and contractors. It also required that all branches of the Armed Forces recruit, enlist and train African Americans. Until this time, the Marine Corps was the last branch of the military that did not allow Blacks, Native Americans or other minorities to enlist. Due to this order, the Marine Corps started recruiting Black Marines on June 1, 1942. Their training center stood outside the gates of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A segregated base named Montford Point was the only base that would train these Black Marine recruits.
Segregation in the South
Unfortunately, the executive order did not disband or discourage the segregationist practices that were prevalent in the military and in North Carolina. Jacksonville was not a welcoming town for the new black recruits. Many places in the town were off-limits to Blacks because of segregation. The railroad tracks divided the races and the Montford Point base. Recruits and Marines that ventured outside the gate only went across the tracks to the Black section of Jacksonville; they could not go downtown.
Camp Lejeune cleared the land for the Montford Point base; however, the recruits had to build their base themselves, constructing all the buildings and huts they lived in. Blacks could only go through the front entrance of the main base if escorted by a white officer. Begrudgingly, white officers trained the Black Marines until 1945, when all drill instructors were Black.
Between 1942 and 1949, Camp Montford Point trained over 20,000 African American Marines. They faced racism and discrimination but surprisingly it did not distract them from serving their country. Approximately 12,000 Montford Point Marines had duty in the South Pacific but never saw combat. The ammunition and depot companies (51st and 52nd Defense Battalions) saw action in the Battles of Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Integration of the Military
President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 that eliminated segregated military units in 1949. The government deactivated Camp Montford Point but it still remained a part of Camp Lejeune military base. Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California and Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina accepted Blacks recruits therefore intergrating the military.
On April 10, 1974, Montford Point was renamed Camp Johnson. Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson, was one of the first Montford Point Marines and one of the first African American drill instructors. The Montford Point Marines exhibited strength and courage, not just as members of the military but by being the first to combat racism, discrimination, unfair practices and violence to pave the way for others to follow. I had the honor of volunteering at the Montford Point Museum this summer. It closed in 2018 due to severe damage from Hurricane Florence but recently reopened in April 2022.
Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month
The acknowledgement of Native American Heritage began on the 2nd Saturday in May as American Indian Day in 1915. Although not nationally recognized, New York celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of May in 1916. Starting in 1986, many celebrated Native American Heritage Day during the last week of November to coincide with Thanksgiving, calling it American Indian Week. In 1990, President Bush designated the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. It became fully accepted sometime after 1995.
Native American Records
There are several documents that can be used for researching your Native American ancestors. The National Archives have several collections for finding individuals, families, and tribes. These include Indian census rolls, treaties and laws, school records, and Bureau of Indian Affairs records. Here are a few of the most significant:
Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation Rolls (1848-1970) – this collection contains census records and rolls listing members of the Cherokee Nation. It lists the Cherokee and Council numbers, includes the Native American and English names, residence, individuals living in the household with their ages and genders, number of slaves (pre-Civil War) and type of livestock.
Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs (1824-1881) – this collection contains letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs between 1824 and 1881. This office was formed in 1824 to help broker relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans. If you are researching your Native American ancestors, knowing your family’s tribal affiliation and where they lived will help.
Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes (1898-1914) – The government established the Dawes Commission that negotiated agreements with the Five Civilized Tribes – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The agreements provided for the dissolution of the tribal governments and the allotment of land to each tribal member. The Commission prepared tribal membership rolls and oversaw applications for tribal citizenship. The Dawes Rolls contain approved and denied applications.
On Ancestry, there are over thirty databases, including seven free indexes of Native American records. If you need assistance with finding and reviewing specific records, contact us.
They Were the Wampanoag Indians
As a child, we all learned the “history” of Thanksgiving. It always bothered me that the name of the Indian tribe was never mentioned. The history books somehow erased the name of the specific tribe. This is a common scenario in American history books. From what I remember, the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the harvest between the Pilgrims and Indians. The Indians brought a cornucopia filled with corn and maize to welcome the Pilgrims to their lands. Allegedly, they sat at a long table and at some point they smoked a peace pipe.
As I got older and took history courses, this grammar school recollection forced me to evaluate what I had learned and question the obvious. It was on a visit to my grandparents home in Massachusetts, I visited a Wampanoag Museum and became intrigued with Native American culture. The things I remember from that visit – his native attire, his story about the first Thanksgiving, how his people were left out of the story and that the Thanksgiving story told is not what really happened.
As I got older and read more, I discovered that the perpetrators became the storytellers who reconstructed the historical narrative. The truth from the Native American community, specifically the Wampanoag Indians who participated in that first Thanksgiving, has been reduced in elementary school social studies books. As with many erasures of historical facts about Native Americans, the truth about hostile land takeovers and brutalities against tribes would not make a good story for future generations of how this country came into existence…so changing the story and the outcome was necessary.
Client Corner – Cara L. Breaux Michel
I highly recommend Tanya Foreman as a genealogist! She started posting regular tips on how to preserve your family history. I mentioned to her that her timing was great because the theme for Black History Month that year was the Black Family. She offered to help anyone who was interested in getting their family tree started and I took advantage of that offer.
I had always thought about my family history. While I was always curious, I didn’t really take that leap until Tanya made that offer. I am extremely grateful that she did and I was so excited every time she shared something new. I would update my dad and siblings every time Tanya shared new information. As a result of this journey, I reached out to one of my aunts and found out that she had started a family tree on my mother’s side. She and I communicated more because of this.
One of the loveliest benefits that came out of this search was that I found out that Tanya and I have a family connection. How cool is that??? Tanya is thorough in her research. She asked questions that helped me communicate more with my family and find out answers to questions that I never knew I wanted to know. She did not let roadblocks stop her from continuing the search. I was totally and happily amazed at the results she was able to get (especially with my limited information). Tanya gets the top rating in my book and I would highly recommend and encourage anyone who wants to know about their family to use Tanya’s services. She is the best!
Looking for Lost Ancestors?
If you are interested in researching your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), let me know and I can assist you. For the month of November 2022, I will allow you to 2 FREE HOURS of research as a consultation BEFORE signing you on as a client! What does that mean? I will research your family for free up to 2 hours. After you receive my Fact Finding Report, you can decide if you want to hire me for further research. I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs. If you are an amateur genealogist/family historian, I can create a research plan to guide you in the right direction.
Did you know?
Neither Rain no Sleet nor Stormy Weather Could Stop the 6888th Battalion!
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-African American, all-female postal military unit that delivered mail across England and France to American troops, government personnel and Red Cross volunteers during WWII. A warehouse in England stored millions of pieces of mail considered undeliverable. Mail improperly addressed or the shifting locations of troops made them hard to find. This affected the morale of servicemen because they could not receive packages or letters from loved ones. The Army estimated that it would take six months or more to deliver the backlog.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) to include women in the war effort. First Lady Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt along with civil rights leader Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune advocated for African American Women to have a place in WAC despite segregation. By late 1944, about 817 African American women enlisted and trained in Oglethorpe, Georgia to serve overseas.
The Army established the 6888th battalion in February of 1945 and chose Major Charity Edna Adams to lead these women. They understood the perils of delivering mail in a war zone. The women of the “Six Triple Eight” worked three eight-hour shifts seven days a week around the clock to sort and deliver the backlog. Using this method, they created a new tracking system and managed to process the backlog in three months instead of the estimated six.
The British and the French celebrated and praised the 6888th but the United States ignored their valor and tenacity when they arrived back home. They returned to the United States in February 1946 without a parade, fanfare, or a hero’s welcome and the Army deactivated the unit shortly thereafter. On March 14, 2022, President Joe Biden awarded the 6888th the Congressional Gold Medal, 76 years after they disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Editor’s Note – HAPPY VETERANS DAY AND THANKSGIVING
The story of Montford Point resonates with me. Several years ago, my 90-year-old aunt asked me two questions to find out about her father: where did he learn to do masonry work? what happened to his World War I medal?
Of course I had to dig into full research mode. Both answers were connected to his enlistment in the Army. He was stationed at Camp Green in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a brand new training base that transported soldiers to the front lines in France. My grandfather was part of a 348th Labor Battalion.
Labor battalions often resembled a “slavery-like” work type. Black servicemen performed labor intensive work in the camps (building barracks, digging foundations, etc.), chain-gang like labor outside the camps, and contract labor by some officers.
My grandfather did manage to go overseas, arriving in France two weeks before the Armistice. He stayed in France for an additional six months, most likely to disinter soldiers to be sent home to the United States or to “clean up” after combat units. Between requesting his DD214, dealing with a backlog and COVID, the process took almost two years. I finally received his medal, the Victory Medal, and gave it to my aunt. His medal should have been given to him at the end of his service in World War I. Unfortunately, many African American servicemen did not receive their medals; they weren’t allowed to have them and the servicemen didn’t insist on it.
As you sit down and fellowship with your family this Thanksgiving, talk to your family about your ancestors. You might have had relatives that created a family tree or you have a famous relative. Maybe you had a Civil War vet in the family or your great grandmother was a suffragette. Every family has a story. Record these stories and pass them along to your children – that’s how you guarantee that your family history never dies.
Welcome to the last blog post for Family History Month! I hope you have enjoyed our discussions about learning how to research your family tree and learn your family history. There are certain misconceptions prevalent in genealogy. Many either misunderstand or misuse certain genealogical terms. I just want to take some time to set the record straight for a few things.
Plantations and Estates vs. Farms
The American South had approximately 46,000 plantations at the height of slavery. The sprawling plantations in the movies Roots, Gone With the Wind or DjangoUnchained are what we think of when we hear that word. However, the 46,000 count included smaller farms. So, what is the difference between a plantation and a farm?
A plantation was a large acreage of land whose main economic source was commercial crops. Plantation crops were sold strictly for profit. A farm was a small acreage of land whose crops were for commercial and private use. Many assume that the enslaved were only on plantations. This is not true. The enslaved worked on both plantations and farms. If you get a chance, review the 1850 and 1860 Federal Census Slave Schedules on the National Archives website. You will find plantations with over one hundred enslaved people as well as small farms with two or three enslaved people.
The Term ‘Slave’ vs ‘Enslaved’ and ‘Slaveowner/Master’ vs. ‘Enslaver’
Historians and genealogists have worked hard to transition people’s verbiage when it comes to slavery. There has been a push from saying ‘slaves’ to ‘the enslaved;’ the new term separates the person’s identity from their circumstance. Those that use the term ‘slave’ feed into the dehumanization of Africans who were seen as property. Instead, they should view those enslaved as people who had to have slavery imposed upon them based on racism and prejudice. For that same reason, the shift from the terms ‘slaveowner’ and ‘master’ have the same connotation, giving power and dominance to the enslaver and dehumanizing the enslaved.
Libraries vs Archives
I did not realize the difference between these two repositories until I visited the North Carolina State Archives while working on my Masters in History about four years ago. Well, I quickly discovered that there was a HUGE difference. Libraries are buildings that contain published materials to which the public has direct access. Visitors to libraries can review these materials either in-house or have the ability to check out items for a limited period of time. Archives are buildings that contain unpublished materials that are preserved because of their historical, genealogical or cultural value. Depending on the age and condition of the materials, the public has in-house access only under the watchful eye of an archivist. These materials include financial records, diaries, family bibles, newspapers, and other sensitive items that are incredibly old.
A Middle Initial for Women Does Not Always Mean There Is a Middle Name
Nowadays, most people have a middle name. Middle names became popular in the 1700s among the rich. Then, everyone liked the idea, especially when family members named their children after a relative. However, not everyone is graced with a middle name at birth.
Recently, I had a client that wanted me to find out her great-grandmother’s middle name. There were documents that had an “R” as an initial. I looked at multiple records and could not find anything to say about her middle name. Finally, I found a picture of her headstone with her full name written on it. After marriage, she used her maiden name (Reagan) as her middle name! She abbreviated the maiden name to an initial on official documents. I should have known this! My April 2022 newsletter addressed this same thing as I stated that women from wealthy families kept their maiden names after marriage because it was their status symbol for recognition in high society. I could have saved myself some time.
Family History vs. Genealogy
Did you know there was a difference? Well, your family history contains the colorful stories that your family members have passed down from generation to generation (see the blog post, Legacy, Legends, and Lies). These stories might include how your ancestors came to America, war stories from Grandpa, recollections of elementary school years, or participation in a protest march. These are stories that might be true or might be exaggerated. Genealogy is the study and research of your descendants in your family tree. The original documentation and evidence of your research prove your ancestors’ relationship with you and are 100% true. The two can mix and match – genealogical research can prove your family history.
Direct Ancestors vs. Indirect Ancestors
This is my biggest inquiry. Clients want to find a particular ancestor in their family tree. When I ask if the person they are looking for is a direct or indirect ancestor, they do not understand what I mean. Direct line ancestors are the people that are related to you through a parent-child relationship such as mother-grandmother-great grandmother, etc. Your indirect ancestors are the other people in your family tree – aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins. Think of it this way – you are the tree trunk. The trunk splits into two branches, your maternal and paternal branches. The aunts, uncles, and cousins are the twigs that grow from the branches. Those twigs extending out from the branches are your indirect ancestors.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!
If you’re interested in knowing your family history but you don’t have the time or resources to do so, I have affordable packages to do the research for you. If you book the Kati or Kubwa packages TODAY before 11:59 pm, you will get a 10% discount plus a free gift! You must book and pay the 50% non-refundable deposit before 11:59 pm TONIGHT in order to receive the discounted services and free gift. Click here to contact me.
