My Blogs & Other Free Content
Genohistory on Purpose
Genealogists have long been counseled to examine the “historical context” as they seek the facts of their ancestors’ lives. And, admittedly, the field of history depends upon some historians who take a wide telescopic approach to the human story. But the big stories crumble into inaccurate uselessness if not borrowing from skilled historians who take the microscopic approach–the up-close analysis of real people living everyday lives. So we have genealogists using history and historians using genealogy. But what might emerge if some chose on purpose to do a sort of research and analysis that seeks the intersection of the two, sidelining neither? This blog explores the intriguing place where genealogy and history meet—a place I am calling “genohistory.”
Zotero for Genohistory, Genealogy & History
I have blogged about my favorite research tool a number of times. Zotero got me through graduate school and has since become my constant assistant in my work in genealogy, genohistory, history, and daily life. The blog button below gathers all Zotero-related topics for your review. The Zotero forum allows those who share our interests to share knowledge, solve problems together, and expand the value of Zotero to our work. I have also written two books on Zotero, which can be purchased in my online store.
Video Library
I have only recently begun to create videos to support the educational and inspirational content of Genohistory.com. Make sure you are on the Genohistory.com mailing list to get notified when new content is available. Many of the videos that will be produced will become content within blog posts, to serve those who learn best from watching a procedure step-by-step. If you have requests, get in touch through the Contact page.
The Golden Egg Genealogist
My first foray into blogging was “The Golden Egg Genealogist,” a metaphor for the pursuit of excellence in genealogy. It was an excellent exercise in learning by teaching others and continues to be popular with genealogists. While my interests have become more targeted toward genohistory, it is important that this material remains accessible. I may also occasionally add new genealogy-specific posts. I have added a link here to a product that emerged and has evolved from my “GEG” blogging. The 90-60 Census Workbook is the newest generation of what I originally called the Early Federal Census Worksheet. It makes research in the censuses between 1790 and 1860 sensible at last.
The Beyond Kin Project
When my own DNA revealed my descent from Africa, I became intrigued with this ancestral line more than any other. But I soon realized how incredibly difficult African American genealogy is—particularly in the period of American slavery. I realized that the rare documents that can help, if they have survived, tend to be with the white families. And I realized that our family tree software is not designed to document people who have had their names and family relationships erased. It became clear that the descendants of slaveholders may hold the answers and can make a huge difference by documenting the whole plantation. The Beyond Kin Project is the method I developed with expert Frazine Taylor, and a very active Facebook forum connects people working on this type of research.
