Are you struggling with early U.S. census records? If you’ve ever researched ancestors in pre-1850 U.S. censuses—or pre-1870 for formerly enslaved ancestors—you know the frustration. These early records list only heads of households, leaving the rest of the family unnamed. I call these censuses PIPs (Partially Identified People). Tracking your ancestors across the PIP census decades can feel impossible.
Genohistory On Purpose
Embedded Links in Zotero Notes with the Actions and Tags Plugin
Have you ever wished for a way to seamlessly navigate between related notes and references in Zotero, without endless searching? I’ve found a solution, and while Zotero doesn’t natively support what I call embedded links or hyperlinking, a powerful plugin—Actions and Tags for Zotero—can make it happen.
The Power of Best Practices in Genealogy Communication
Genealogy is a pursuit of clarity—piecing together our past, connecting names, dates, and stories into a meaningful whole. But how we communicate those connections can be just as important as the research itself. Without clear, consistent language, our findings can become tangled, confusing, or even misleading. One of the greatest pain points in genealogy communication … Read more
Take Control of Your Books with Zotero
If you’re a genealogist or historian, I imagine your environment might be something like this—bookshelves overflowing, stacks of books on every surface, forgotten magazines tucked into cabinets, and even digital books lost in the depths of Kindle or Google Books. You love your books and other knowledge assets, but they’re taking over. Dust is piling up, your space is shrinking, and worst of all—you’re rebuying books you already own because you’ve lost track of what’s in your collection. But there is a solution.
Understanding Church Membership in the Early 19th Century: A Cautionary Tale for Genealogists
Imagine a socially prominent woman of the early 19th-century South, standing at a crossroads, weighing the deeply personal and profoundly social implications of church membership. Sarah Haynsworth Gayle, wife of future Alabama Governor John Gayle, often found herself in just such a position—torn between the devout religious practices she held dear and the fear of surrendering her autonomy to a church’s authority. Her story offers a unique window into the complexities of faith and community during her time, and it challenges us to rethink how we interpret our ancestors’ religious lives.
Taming the AI Beast: Avoiding ChatGPT Hallucinations in Genohistory
Genealogists and historians are diving headfirst into the exciting world of AI-assisted research, where tools like ChatGPT offer a wealth of possibilities for uncovering family and community stories. But how do you ensure you’re uncovering truths, not imaginative fabrications? AI hallucinations—those moments when ChatGPT confidently gives you false information—can mislead your research if you’re not vigilant. Here’s how to navigate AI’s challenges and harness its power for genohistory.
New Year, New Tools: Harnessing Zotero for Family History Research
Make 2025 the year you take your family history research to the next level. Discover how Zotero, the ultimate knowledge management tool for research, can help genealogists and historians merge family history and historical context into compelling genohistory. This New Year’s plan could transform your approach to research, storytelling, and legacy-building.
Unveiling the Past: A Genohistorical Journey into AI Handwriting Transcription
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.
Boulder Demolition for Genohistorians: Uncovering Ancestral Trails
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.
A 90-60 Census Workbook Case Study: Mystery of the Hanna Men
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.