Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2024 i Family Tree

As we enter another new year, I find myself in a familiar position: tempering my expectations. Like many people, I usually charge into January with an overly ambitious list of resolutions. But this year, I’m trying to keep in mind a quote from writer Gretchen Rubin: “What you do every day is more important than what you do every once in a while.” Rather than shooting for broad, seemingly impossible goals, we should focus on consistency and building better (smaller) habits. Jogging around the block or writing a single page each day might seem infinitesimal if you want to write a novel or run a marathon. But the skills and discipline you cultivate by keeping those daily habits will allow you to achieve your final goal in the long term. Another…

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, DNA has been at the center of genealogical innovation. Backed by large marketing budgets and a stable of exciting analysis features, the major testing companies have made headlines and attracted millions of test takers, some of them totally new to family history research. Their constantly evolving tools and vast databases of test takers present massive possibilities for genealogists—especially those who, like adoptees, have limited knowledge of their ancestry. But the field of genetic genealogy is changing. Fewer people are buying DNA tests. Many testing companies are changing or discontinuing features, or even moving tools behind a subscription paywall. And recent data breaches (see page 6) have renewed concerns about privacy and the use of testing databases by law-enforcement agencies. It can be hard to keep…

Jan. 22–26: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) <slig.ugagenealogy.org> Feb. 29–Mar. 2: RootsTech <www.rootstech.org> May 16–18: NGS Virtual Family History Conference <conference.ngsgenealogy.org> June 23–28: Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) <www.gripitt.org> July 9–11: Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) <www.maagiinstitute.org> (Note: As of this writing, the format of the conference has not been confirmed.) July 21–26: Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) <ighr.gagensociety.org> Find more events (both virtual and in-person) at ConferenceKeeper <www.conferencekeeper.org>.…

Michelle Taylor grew up traveling and learning about history. Her mother carted her along to libraries in search of their family story. Together, they traced their roots from Taylor’s hometown of Detroit to Henderson, Ky., and to Montpelier, the Virginia home of US president James Madison. By the time she began studying anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Taylor was already deeply passionate about family history. “I was looking for ways to put my academic interest in anthropology together with genealogy,” she recalls. She mentioned her familial connection to Montpelier to one of her college professors, who told her the site still had a home standing that had been occupied by enslaved people. Taylor Googled it and learned the cabin belonged to a person with a familiar name: George Gilmore, the…

Even seasoned genealogists can have trouble with all the “cousinhood” terms. Use the chart and instructions below to determine how you and your family members are related. Find a downloadable version at <www.familytreemagazine.com/freebie/relationshipchart>. Instructions 1. Identify the most recent common ancestor of the two individuals with the unknown relationship. 2. Determine the common ancestor’s relationship to each person (for example, grandparent or great-grandparent). 3. In the topmost row of the chart, find the common ancestor’s relationship to cousin number one. In the far-left column, find the common ancestor’s relationship to cousin number two. 4. Trace the the row and column from step 3. The square where they meet shows the two individuals’ relationship.…

Each state-by-state guide includes: • How-to tutorials for finding records Notes on how and when key documents were kept in the state, including vital records, state censuses and land records • Historical summaries and timelines Narrative history with special emphasis on events that affected your ancestors, including year of statehood, large migrations, and major border changes • Links to key resources Websites, books, and archives and organizations for further research 1 READ AS PART OF FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE Each issue contains two newly updated guides on a rolling basis. Subscribers collect all 52 guides. 2 VIEW ONLINE FOR FREE <www.familytreemagazine.com/explore-by-state> New states added each month. 3 PURCHASE & DOWNLOAD PDFS <store.familytreemagazine.com/genealogy-research-state-guides> Purchase ($9.99 per guide; $49.95 for full collection) includes perpetual access to the most-recent version of the guide. RESEARCH GUIDE…

Retail price: $119 (Ancestry test); $229 (Health + Ancestry test) Est. database size: 14 million Key features: • Country Matches and Genetic Groups: Data on the more-specific locations and populations your ancestor may have been associated with • Family Tree: A visual suggestion for how you and matches are related, given your shared amount of DNA • Chromosome painter • mtDNA and Y-DNA haplogroups For subscribers only: • In-depth reporting on health-related genetic factors • Health action plan: Recommended course of wellness tasks based on your genetic predispositions Subscription for extra features?: 23andMe+ Premium ($69/year) for enhanced health and ancestry features; 23andMe+ Total Health ($1,188/year) for clinician-ordered testing…

Retail price: $89 Est. database size: 7.4 million Key features: • Accepts uploads from other companies • Genetic Groups: Data on the migration groups and locations your ancestor may have been associated with • Theory of Family Relativity: A possible family tree based on shared DNA and user-uploaded family trees • cM Explainer: Simplified relationship estimates • AutoClusters: Report on matches that your DNA matches have in common • Chromosome browser Subscription for extra features?: None; those uploading from other services can pay a one-time fee of $29 to access full features…

Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives and genealogy research—including historical photos, with the release of MyHeritage’s PhotoDater tool. The PhotoDater algorithm was trained on tens of thousands of photographs from around the world that had known dates. By comparing the various features in new photos—such as hair and clothing styles, hats, jewelry, shoes and so on—to those it was trained on, PhotoDater provides an estimate for when an undated photo was taken. Before accepting a PhotoDater estimate as fact, you should click it to see how confident the algorithm is in its estimate. Ranges from three to 12 years aren’t uncommon, and not all photos can be easily dated. The tool, for example, only works on photos it determines to be taken between 1860…

CITATION: "New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1957,” digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: accessed 9 November 2023), manifest, S.S. Orduna, Hamburg, Germany, to New York, arriving 7 August 1922, Verona Straka (age 22), citing National Archives microfilm publication T715, roll 3155, page 77, line 12. 1 The ship’s name, arrival date and port of departure are on the top of each page of the passenger list. 2 This 1922 passenger list gives details about the immigrant including name, age, sex, marital status, occupation, estimated birth year, birthplace and US destination. 3 An “In Hospital Discharged” stamp indicates the immigrant was in the Ellis Island hospital. After 1903, look for a Record of Detained Aliens at the end of the manifest. 4 These numbers indicate the person later applied for naturalization. 5 Research traveling…

IN OCTOBER, GENETIC TESTING website 23andMe <www.23andme.com> announced that its users’ data had been compromised in a targeted attack. Hackers published some of it on the dark web, claiming to have more. Leaked details appear to include profile information from the service’s DNA Relatives tool (such as year of birth, location and full name). The hacker also claimed they could sell data specifically on users whose reports include certain ethnicities, such as Ashkenazi Jewish or German. As of this writing, it’s unclear if any raw DNA data itself was compromised. The attack appears to be the result of “credential-stuffing,” in which hackers gain unauthorized access to a site by entering usernames and passwords that were scraped from other services. In response, 23andMe contacted affected users, required password resets, and reinforced its…

DNA testing boomed in the late 2010s, when low prices and rapidly advancing analysis tools attracted more than 45 million customers to the once-arcane field of genetic genealogy. The market for DNA tests has slowed in the past couple of years. But there are still plenty of answers to family mysteries hidden in your genes. Reputable companies offer eye-catching reports and massive databases, and they regularly roll out new features and improvements to existing ones. Which DNA test is best for you? What follows are the factors you should consider when deciding which to buy—and a comparison of four popular options: 23andMe <www.23andme.com>, AncestryDNA <www.ancestry.com/dna>, Family Tree DNA <www.familytreedna.com> and MyHeritage DNA <www.myheritage.com/dna>. This article focuses on autosomal DNA tests, which are generally the most useful for genealogical purposes. See…

Retail price: $99 Est. database size: 23 million Key features: • Largest database of test takers • ThruLines: A possible family tree based on shared DNA and user-uploaded family trees • Communities: Data on the migration groups and locations your ancestor may have been associated with For subscribers only: • SideView: Reports on DNA you received from each parent • Traits: Reports on genetically linked behaviors and physical features • Chromosome painter Subscription for extra features?: AncestryDNA Plus ($29.99/six months) for enhanced traits and inheritance tools, such as SideView; included in existing Ancestry subscriptions…

In 2023, MyHeritage <www.myheritage.com> released a revolutionary AI tool called PhotoDater. Using a specially trained algorithm, the tool generates a suggestion for when a photo was taken. You’re probably wondering what else you can learn from a photo besides its date. Turns out that, with a careful eye, you can learn plenty. From location to fashion to captions, photos enrich our family history. Sorting through the who, what, where, when and why of your photos is a journey that might provide genealogical surprises—good and bad. For decades, I’ve been working with genealogists curious about the stories that are waiting to be told through their pictures. My book, The Family Photo Detective (Picture Perfect Press), distills that advice and leads readers through the steps of evaluating their photos for clues. What…

1 Building a family tree is entirely free and unlimited on Filae. You can upload or build as many trees as you want, and make them either public or private. From a person’s profile, you can view a timeline of their life events, plus sources and notes. You can even add tags for research status, including for negative findings. (I wish all tree platforms had these tags!) In the tree view, the puzzle piece icon indicates a hint. Click it to review, then confirm or reject the record hint. Another neat feature is the family tree map view. Every place name you enter is geocoded; even if the name or jurisdiction has changed over time, it will show up on a modern map. This is a great way to see…

When President Abraham Lincoln authorized Black troops in the Emancipation Proclamation on 1 January 1863, African Americans had already been fighting for the Union. The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry fought at Island Mound, Mo., in 1862, and companies of the 1st South Carolina Infantry (made up of escaped slaves) had joined coastal expeditions. In early 1863, Massachusetts organized the 54th Infantry, whose later assault on Fort Wagner, SC, was portrayed in the movie Glory. May 22 that year, African American units were designated US Colored Troops (USCT) under the Bureau of Colored Troops. Only the next year did Congress grant them the same pay as white soldiers. About 180,000 African American men served in Union Army; 18,000 served in the Navy. USCT soldiers and African Americans who served in the…

Free genealogy website RootsWeb <home.rootsweb.com> will become read-only as of early 2024. Per a notification on the site’s home page, user logins will be disabled (preventing new information from being published), and existing content will remain static. RootsWeb has long been used by individual researchers and genealogy societies to host family history information, including record transcripts and family websites. Ancestry.com <www.ancestry.com> acquired the site in 2000, and has been sunsetting its features over the past few years. Mailing lists and “WorldConnect” family trees were retired in 2023. RootsWeb provides suggestions for migrating hosted websites to another platform at <support.rootsweb.com/s/article/Retiring-and-Migrating-Portions-of-RootsWeb>.…

GIVING BACK: Transcribing Revolutionary War Records To commemorate the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the National Archives and National Park Service have launched a special project to transcribe pension and bounty-land warrant applications from Revolutionary War veterans. Learn how to get involved at <www.archives. gov/citizen-archivist/missions/revolutionary-war-pension-files>, and deep-dive into the records in NARA’s catalog <catalog.archives.gov/id/300022>. RECORD RICHES: Treasures in the Loo Who doesn’t dream of unearthing a treasure trove of centuries-old documents? One man in England did just that decades ago when we found a chest containing some 250 documents—in his farm’s outhouse. His son donated the materials to the Upper Broughton History Group in Nottingham, which is working to translate and preserve them. Most of the vellum and parchment documents date to the 16th century (time of Henry VIII) and…

What does your last name mean? What’s a second cousin twice removed? And what’s the deal with family crests? These are just a few of the common questions you might encounter when you start exploring your family history. In this article, we’ll provide answers to these and many other genealogy questions we’ve frequently received from readers throughout the years. We’ll also reveal the truth behind some common myths, plus give tips for organizing and sharing your findings. Share these answers with the newbie genealogist in your life—or brush up on the answers yourself! How do I start researching my family? So much family history information is available today that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Many people jump right to searching names on large databases like Ancestry.com <www.ancestry.com>…

This article focuses on autosomal DNA (atDNA) tests, which are the most widely available for genealogists. However, consumers can purchase two other kinds of DNA as well: mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-DNA). As of this writing, Family Tree DNA is the only major company to offer testing of mtDNA or Y-DNA. Here’s a summary of each kind of DNA, and what they can tell you. Read a longer version of this article at <www.familytreemagazine.com/dna/dna-test-types-genealogy>. atDNA What it tests: The DNA in the 22 pairs of autosomes that are in the nucleus of all cells. Inheritance pattern: You receive 50% of your DNA (on average) from each parent. atDNA tests give you information about both sides of your family. What you can do with atDNA: • Receive “ethnicity estimates,”…

Retail price: $79 (Family Finder test) Est. database size: 1.5 million Key features: • Accepts uploads from other companies • Chromosome painter and browser • Matrix: See if/how up to 10 people are related to each other • Re-use samples for mtDNA testing and (if male) Y-DNA testing; additional purchases required Subscription for extra features?: None; those uploading from other services can pay a one-time fee of $19 to access full features…

Group portraits can be overwhelming, but they can also be a kind of “Rosetta Stone” for your family. Once you establish a date a photo was taken, you can use family information to determine each of its subjects. You may even find that the photo depicts relatives for whom you have no other pictures. Create a chart of who was in the family at the time the photo was taken. Based on ages and genders, who was who? Start with the descendants of the oldest person in the picture. Consult photos from family connections owned by cousins and on genealogy websites. You could even set up an alert on eBay <www.ebay.com> or search online reunion sites to see if family photos ended up in the hands of non-relatives. The photo…

How did your immigrant ancestors get here? They came on vessels and steamships that sailed to various North American destinations: Baltimore, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, or any of the other 90-plus US ports. Records of your ancestors’ journey across the ocean are commonly referred to as passenger lists or ship’s lists. This guide will show how to find them (and what information they hold), plus where to find immigration details when passenger lists aren’t panning out. CLUES IN PASSENGER LISTS Two types of passenger lists exist, depending on when the list was created, and it’s helpful for genealogists to understand the distinctions. Customs lists (1820 to about 1891): Starting in 1820, the federal government required all US-bound ships to keep lists of their passengers. Blank customs lists were usually printed…

Q What do I do with small amounts of ethnicity? A “Trace” amounts of DNA—small percentages in your ethnicity estimates that are, say, less than 5%—can be tricky to interpret. Do you really have heritage from that place, or not? Learn more about these five things to better understand them: 1. Timelines Ethnicity estimates could span thousands of years back in time. That means you may indeed have unexpected ancestry from (for example) Africa, but it’s way back before any genealogical records were kept. Finding a name of an African ancestor would likely be out of the question. 2. How ethnicity estimates are calculated Your DNA testing company is comparing your DNA to their panels of reference populations, then reporting back with an algorithm-generated estimate. They run the data over…