Everything changed this week. I’m not exaggerating. Finally, I gave artificial intelligence (AI) a serious look, and it is already transforming my genohistorical research, my business, and my life.
…Unveiling the Past: A Genohistorical Journey into AI Handwriting TranscriptionRead More »
Unveiling the Past: A Genohistorical Journey into AI Handwriting Transcription Read More »
If you have been doing ancestral research for some time, and taking it seriously, you know the glorious victory of tumbling a brick wall or two. You broke through to a piece of historical or genealogical knowledge that had eluded you. But some of us will eventually find our research path impeded by something bigger and much harder than a brick wall. What do you do when your path is blocked by a landslide of granite boulders ten times your height? The information you need is not just elusive. It’s gone.
…Boulder Demolition for Genohistorians: Uncovering Ancestral TrailsRead More »
Boulder Demolition for Genohistorians: Uncovering Ancestral Trails Read More »
Why were young men named Hanna starting to show up in multiple households of the sons of James Crook, the hub person of my current genohistory project? Getting an answer meant facing the PIP censuses, but with the 90-60, bring them on.
…A 90-60 Census Workbook Case Study: Mystery of the Hanna MenRead More »
A 90-60 Census Workbook Case Study: Mystery of the Hanna Men Read More »
I felt reasonably smart as I began my genealogy education. Not MENSA smart, mind you, but at least a bit above average. My ego took a bashing though, when I first hit the infamous roadblock—the PIP censuses (often mislabeled “pre-1850”) that only name the head of household with a string of tally numbers. It mystified me that anyone found them useful. An old spreadsheet had bested me until the PASSED Method emerged, made viable by an alignment tool I call the 90-60 Census Workbook.
…Passably Equipped: Conquering PIP Censuses with the PASSED MethodRead More »
Passably Equipped: Conquering PIP Censuses with the PASSED Method Read More »
I left my dentist’s office today with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. This, after having a crown replaced. Was it free, you wonder? Not even close. Was it painless then, you ask? There was pain. But something beautiful happened, as needles and drills entered my mouth: I remembered Sarah Gayle and her dental terrors.
…Dental Terrors: How Sarah Made Me SmileRead More »
Dental Terrors: How Sarah Made Me Smile Read More »
The rules our ancestors lived by mystify us, at times. They horrify us, on occasion. In a hysteria, citizens executed neighbors accused of witchcraft. One human could own another. A woman’s children could be placed under a guardian’s control upon her husband’s death. And children born to unwed parents were shamed and impeded in life. We ask of our ancestors, “How could they?” and “Why would they?” In most cases, you find the beginnings of the answer by asking a more fundamental question: “What were they afraid of?”
…Illegitimate Law: What Were Our Ancestors Afraid Of?Read More »
Illegitimate Law: What Were Our Ancestors Afraid Of? Read More »
Update Jan. 20, 2023: A new generation of this tool is now also available, using a Google Sheets foundation. See the 90-60 Census Workbook.
We love the U.S. federal censuses, don’t we? We need them. Right back to 1850, they’re our bedrock — or 1870, if you descend from enslaved persons. Earlier than that, however, we dread them. Fear them, maybe. Avoid them, to our peril. While limited in value individually, however, the early federal censuses become gold when compared to each other. Comparing them is a hassle, though, right? Not any more. I have designed an Excel-compatible spreadsheet tool that makes early federal census tally-matching a game you actually want to play. Let the Early Federal Census Worksheet restore your sanity.
…Early Federal Census Drama: A Tool for Your SanityRead More »
Early Federal Census Drama: A Tool for Your Sanity Read More »
Happy holidays to you all! As I planned for this post, I intended something quick and simple about our ancestors’ holiday traditions. I thought it would be fun to pick a Christmas, any mid-nineteenth-century Christmas in my region of interest, and discuss how the local newspaper treated the holiday. I was in for a surprise.
…‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Unfolding Ancestral TraditionsRead More »
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Unfolding Ancestral Traditions Read More »
My 2nd-great-grandfather Jacob Dennis Mayberry, widowed in 1917, desired a fresh start. In 1919, he purchased a 440-acre farm in Chilton County, Alabama, 24 miles northeast of his former residence in Bibb County. He built a large and rambling house around the old cabin that stood there. His daughter, Clara, her husband, Otha Payne, and their baby, Clara Thomas Payne (my grandmother), and his unmarried daughter Mary Thomas Mayberry moved with him to the new place. And on this property, they all lived out the rest of their lives, though you would not know that by a basic family tree.
…Born Here, Died There: The Life between BookendsRead More »
Born Here, Died There: The Life between Bookends Read More »
An earlier edition of this post appeared in my blog, The Golden Egg Genealogist, in April 2019. Genohistorians are encouraged to see the link to our discussions of “the now of then” in recent posts. A “Call to Action” and “Zotero Notes” have been added to the original post.
Hindsight will never be 20/20. The further back we look, the fuzzier the view gets. In looking back past our own personal experience—that journey we call “studying history”—we become strangers in a foreign land. Observing what we see there can be immensely valuable. Evaluating the effectiveness of our ancestors’ choices can enhance wisdom. Morally judging ancestors through the eyes of the 21st century, however, is a destructive misuse of hindsight.
…Judging Ancestors: The Distortions of Hindsight (A Cannibal Story)Read More »
Judging Ancestors: The Distortions of Hindsight (A Cannibal Story) Read More »
