Courses – Page 60 – International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Who’s the Informant?

Once we verify the type of source we are looking at we need to evaluate the information found in that source. Then, after all of the information we have obtained from our sources has been evaluated and analyzed, it becomes evidence to help answer a research question. According to the Evidence Analysis Process Map, information is based on the informant’s knowledge of the event and whether that knowledge is primary, secondary, or undetermined. Primary information is that which is provided by someone who participated or witnessed the event. For example, the marriage date on a marriage return completed by the officiant would be considered primary information, as the officiant was present and performed the ceremony. Secondary information is that which is learned in a manner other than being a participant or witness to the event. For example, if a wife provides her husband’s birth information on his death certificate it is considered secondary information since she was not present at her husband’s birth. Undetermined is when the informant is not identified. A common example is the information supplied for household members on the US Federal Census prior to 1940. Evaluating and analyzing genealogical documents is a challenging task. But when we take the time to properly do it, we are able to correlate all of the information and use it as evidence. Our Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls course will give you the tools needed to accomplish this and more.

Genealogical Sources

Sources are the foundation of our research. They are the places from which we get information that provides evidence to form a conclusion. Examples of sources include, documents/records, books, photographs, artifacts, websites, newspapers, video or audio recorded interviews, and people. Sources are classified by type; original, derivative, or authored. Original sources are considered the first interaction of a record. For example, the first recording of a birth shortly after the birth occurs. Derivative sources include transcriptions, abstracts, and translations. For example, using the birth record scenario above, if we requested this record from the county recorder’s office they may extract some of the information from the register and type it up on a certificate form. This certificate would be considered a derivative source since it was created based on the original register. Authored sources are works that are created based on other sources and the author’s analysis of those sources. Sources such as family histories, local histories and case studies, would be considered authored sources. While original sources are preferred, they are not always possible to obtain. It’s important to fully understand how to evaluate the sources used by family historians. Learn more about sources in our Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls course.

Your German Migrant Ancestor

By Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD. If your ancestor was an auswanderer – one who left the area now called Germany – with a group of other like-minded individuals, he/she was an emigrant and might be found in any number of locations. You are probably already familiar with the phenomenon of “push-pull” when it comes to emigration/immigration. North America was hardly the only option for those seeking a better life. For some, it was a “stop along the way,” giving them a chance to perhaps make some money or reunite with family before traveling on to Canada and Nova Scotia, South and Central America, the West Indies, Asia, and even Africa. All of which eventually had German settlements. Possibly, after coming to North America, some of your ancestors elected to return to one of the ports of call along the way on their initial trip. But, of course, large numbers of German immigrants populated the big cities in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc. And full colonies of Germans began to populate the Southern states, such as the Carolinas and Georgia, and throughout the Appalachian territory.[1] In 1822, a German encyclopedia explained German emigration as follows (giving us a perspective of how this phenomenon was viewed in the first quarter of the 19th Century): It was not overpopulation alone which was the essential cause of emigration, but rather the hopelessness that conditions would ever improve, the fear that still more adversity was approaching, and the total lack of trust in the government to provide any relief.[2] In the approximately 40 years between the 1840s and 1880s, four million Germans emigrated to America and between the 1880s and the 1920s, another four million Austro-Hungarians joined them. The former group was fleeing recession and political unrest while the latter group departed to remove themselves from poverty and oppression. [3] So between the 1840s and the first quarter of the 20th century, Germans, or those from that general area of the world, contributed the largest number of immigrants to the American economy, workforce, and military. For researchers in North America, there is a tendency to focus on Germans who settled in specific communities in most of the earliest states as well as the ones who gravitated towards the west, many making up some of the first residents in the most western territories and states. But Germans emigrated to other locations as well and your…

7 Reasons to Register for Research: House and Farm Histories

By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS (student) Have you noticed that the covers of genealogy magazines use teasers to get you to look inside them? Titles like “Three tips to tear down your brick wall” or “Four ways to become a better genealogist.” Not to be outdone, I’m offering seven reasons for you to take Research: House and Family Histories. Reason 1. You’ll learn architectural styles. Do you know which style has a mansard roof? Can you tell the difference between French Colonial, Southern Colonial, New England Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Dutch Colonial? These and others are detailed in this course. Reason 2. You’ll learn about the companies who sold mail order homes. We’ve all heard about Sears homes, but did you know other companies sold them as well? Do you know which American company sold mail order homes in Australia, England, and other countries? Reason 3. You’ll learn which farm buildings were sold by mail and the companies that manufactured them. Do you know there are different styles of barns? Reason 4. You’ll learn the definition of farmer was not static. How many times do you think the definition has changed between 1850 and 1974? For what purpose was it changed? Reason 5. You’ll learn that a farm could be included in another census schedule besides agricultural. Do you know which one? What information does an agricultural census contain? Reason 6. You’ll learn the sources you’ll need to research and the information they contain to do a house or farm history. Do you know what an abstract of title is or how it can help in your research? Do you know what a mechanic’s lien is or if you need to check for one when you do a house history? Reason 7. You’ll learn about centennial farms and the requirements to become one. Do they have centennial farms in your state? If you live on a farm does your farm qualify? Whether you want to research your own house or farm, do house and farm histories for clients, or write newspaper articles about your town’s homes, Research: House and Farm Histories can add to your education and for professional genealogists, can provide the basis for another income-producing stream for your business. Research: House and Farm Histories is a six-module intermediate level course and is required if you’re pursuing a Professional Development Certificate from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. The next…

Incorporating Social History Into Family History

By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS (student) When I first started doing genealogy I collected names, dates, and places. I was a genealogist. Years later I became a family historian. Besides those names, dates and places, I wanted to know the what, when, where, and how. I needed the meat on the bones. The transition was not a deliberate course of action. I think it started because of my paternal grandfather. He died three years before I was born. My father was raised by his maternal grandparents and he couldn’t tell me much about him. I set out to find more about my grandfather. One of the first things I learned about him was that he was in World War I. He didn’t see active duty but he graduated from the Cooks and Bakers School at a nearby training camp. That led to information on his training at the camp. The search was on. I read every newspaper in the town nearest the camp from February 1917 through the end of the camp’s life plus the camp’s newspapers. I read every publication on the camp both government issued and commercial, as well as journal and magazine articles. I bought photos, negatives, letters, postcards, training materials, and maps of the camp. I even sought out artifacts, such as teaspoons and salt & pepper souvenirs. I know all the churches and YMCAs, the locations of barracks, buildings and streets, and their names. I know about the sports and training activities. Even today, 40+ years after starting that research, I still search for information. By doing the research on the camp, I can put together a day-by-day account of what life may have been like for my grandfather for the 141 days he was there. What does this have to do with Social History? Social History is defined as “the environmental history of an individual.”[i] The National Institute for Genealogical Studies course, Research: Social History written by Barbara J. Starmans, takes you through every aspect of an individual’s life and provides the resources to do so. Each module has a case study to inspire you. Check out the topics covered by skimming the table of contents here on The National Institute’s website. Research: Social History is offered once a quarter and the next start date is May 7, 2018. If you have a favorite relative you want to know more about, I recommend Research: Social…