Using examples from NEHGS's publications, this writing guide outlines how to write your family history clearly and accurately -- from building a genealogical sketch to adding images to indexing. An appendix on genealogical style covers alternate spellings of names, when and how to use lineage lines, how to include adopted children and stepchildren, aspects of double dating, and other issues faced by genealogical writers.
The quest for roots has been an enduring American preoccupation. Over the centuries, generations have sketched coats of arms, embroidered family trees, established local genealogical societies, and carefully filled in the blanks in their bibles, all in pursuit of self-knowledge and status through kinship ties. This long and varied history of Americans’ search for identity illuminates the story of America itself, according to François Weil, as fixations with social standing, racial purity, and national belonging gave way in the twentieth century to an embrace of diverse ethnicity and heritage. Seeking out one’s ancestors was a genteel pursuit in the colonial era, when an aristocratic pedigree secured a place in the British Atlantic empire. Genealogy developed into a middle-class diversion in the young republic. But over the next century, knowledge of one’s family background came to represent a quasi-scientific defense of elite “Anglo-Saxons” in a nation transformed by immigration and the emancipation of slaves. By the mid-twentieth century, when a new enthusiasm for cultural diversity took hold, the practice of tracing one’s family tree had become thoroughly democratized and commercialized. Today, Ancestry.com attracts over two million members with census records and ship manifests, while popular television shows depict celebrities exploring archives and submitting to DNA testing to learn the stories of their forebears. Further advances in genetics promise new insights as Americans continue their restless pursuit of past and place in an ever-changing world.
Author Brenda Dougall Merriman takes readers through the genealogical process of research and identification, while examining how the genealogical community has developed standards of evidence and documentation, what those standards are, and how they can be applied.
"Genetic Genealogy in Practice covers the basic knowledge needed to apply DNA evidence to genealogical questions and then reinforces this foundation with practical applications. Each chapter ends with exercises that include real problems that researchers encounter. Answers allow complex concepts to be reviewed and mastered. As well as covering the basics of DNA testing for family history research problems, Genetic Genealogy in Practice includes discussions of ethical issues, genealogical standards, and tips on how to incorporate genetic evidence into a written conclusion. Researchers of all levels will gain a better understanding of genetic genealogy from this book."--Page [4] of cover.
The Delaware Genealogical Research Guide contains detailed descriptions of how and where to find information about Delaware ancestors. Well organized and easy to use, the guide covers more than 20 types of records; offers suggestions for further research; and features a comprehensive compendium of more than 100 local, regional, and national record repositories and resources. In addition, discussions of Delaware's history and geography add important context and explain how competing claims to the land and protracted boundary disputes affect where records might be located. Meticulously compiled and fact-checked by members of the Delaware Genealogical Society, this guide is a valuable asset for experienced as well as novice researchers.
You know that Ancestry.com is the #1 website for family history research. Now, let author and family history lecturer George G. Morgan take you on a detailed tour through the site's many exciting features. Learn how to search for your ancestors, explore thousands of databases, organize and share your research in dynamic family trees, and join a worldwide community of family historians.
This textbook teaches the principles of genealogical documentation. There are exercises at the end of each chapter with answers at the back of the book.
