Family Tree Research....

[Im The Truth]

I'm attempting to compile information about my family and I can see already this is not going to be easy especially consider some of the certain deaths in my family were some of the eldest people in my family.

Has anyone who ever created a family tree and have advise?

[AfroNinpo]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

I'm attempting to compile information about my family and I can see already this is not going to be easy especially consider some of the certain deaths in my family were some of the eldest people in my family.

Has anyone who ever created a family tree and have advise?

Yeah, I created mine through Ancestry.com. It's good to have access to their records database too. You'll find some good info there.

[Fenix]

Originally Posted by AfroNinpo

Yeah, I created mine through Ancestry.com. It's good to have access to their records database too. You'll find some good info there.

I went through ancestry.com also. I'm actually still working on it but that's where I got my start.

[Im The Truth]

Ok, I'll try that too for some reason I didn't even think about them. I downloaded a program for it hopefully I'll be able to upload all the data into it.

[Sun Ship]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

I'm attempting to compile information about my family and I can see already this is not going to be easy especially consider some of the certain deaths in my family were some of the eldest people in my family.

Has anyone who ever created a family tree and have advise?

I’ve been working on my family’s genealogy off and on for quite a long time. Now I’m not going to necessarily talk against Ancestry.com, but I don’t think they are a good source, and a lot of people think they are a rip off when it comes to serious genealogical research.

Let me give you a few pointers, for one, go to your local main public library, for most of them have a history and genealogy research department or room. Also, since you’re in Atlanta you so happen to be in one of the few cities with a National Archives and Records Administration regional center, this is an A-1 source for genealogical research.

Also, if the LDS Mormons didn’t get anything else right they do have the most extensive and thorough genealogical records in the world regardless of race, creed, or color (as they say), they also should have a regional research center in Atlanta, and they also have a good search engine online (Alex Haley used them extensively for, Roots), I found several hard to find marriage records from their online search engine.

You can search for social security records also after going back so far. You can search the US Federal census records going back 70 years as a start (the 1930 and before right now) all the way back to 1870, before then all we have useable are Slave schedules when it comes to census records. There are mortality records and state census records to be searched. You can also get old birth and death records at the state level, or at any cities local vital records dept.

Doing our research (Black folks) is tough, but in the end you get a good view of diasporan African life that is more rich and complex than from any other approach. And let me not forget, find out about every old living cousin, distant cousin, or relative you have and contact them, many times they will have photographs, stories, and facts that no one else even knew existed.

Good luck…

[M.Panther]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

I'm attempting to compile information about my family and I can see already this is not going to be easy especially consider some of the certain deaths in my family were some of the eldest people in my family.

Has anyone who ever created a family tree and have advise?

I agree with all of what sunship said and then some, talk to the oldest relatives that you have contact with if you can and keep copies of pictures,etc.

[MsLioness]

Uh, yeah....I got as far as the plantation, then got lost because the owners of the plantation would not give the info I needed.

This is on my dads side, and I went father to father....

The plantation owners were actually seeking their family tree to allocate land and money from the plantation. Its in South Carolina....originial owner was Absolom Bostick... and I asked a few of them about where their slaves came from, but they did not want to talk about it. They did provide a list of about 89-109 slaves though...

And I am not sure if my ancestors names were Sally and Thomas and Abraham..but those were the names on the list.

I did come to find that my family tree, father to father, is short... my papa was telling me, before he passed, that his mother was a slave (and his mother was related to his father, so I've heard. My parents are actually distant cousins). I am not sure if he was speaking from the Jim Crow type slavery or actual chattel, but... its not hard to believe he was speaking about chattel.

On my mothers side, my great great grandmother, whom I met, was a slave..for sure, plantation feild and all.

It kind of confuses me, makes me wonder when slavery really ended.

Good Luck, Truth!

[Im The Truth]

I do know this slavery didn't end in 1865 because I've have two friends who's fathers picked cottons in the 1970s in the country of MS and LA.

[MsLioness]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

I do know this slavery didn't end in 1865 because I've have two friends who's fathers picked cottons in the 1970s in the country of MS and LA.

Maybe 1865 was the date that the slaveships stop coming over.

[YorubaQueen]

Peace...

Originally Posted by MsLioness

Maybe 1865 was the date that the slaveships stop coming over.

I think you are right MsL....I also think that was when they stopped the "taxation" of the importation of slaves as well...

YQ

[Im The Truth]

1865 was the "official" end date for slavery because of the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery in the u.s. except for punishment but slavery didn't end that year or the next.

some slavery legal history in the u.s.
A LEGISLATIVE & JUDICIAL HISTORY
13th Amendment/Word Play/Tricknology/Propaganda (modern day slavery in mississippi)
3/5 of a man

[tyydae]

I know my mother's entire family history, dating all the way back to 1865. This is true for both her paternal and maternal side. I can not say the same about my father's side of the family though.

***kinda ironic that the year 1865 holds great weight for many different things***