Native American Heritage Month

In 1990, a congressional resolution designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions of America’s Indigenous Peoples. This is a good time for family historians to uncover the stories of Native American ancestry. But where do we start? 

• Document any oral history that may have been passed down and ask multiple relatives what stories they’ve heard. Look for common threads in the stories that are shared with you.
• Use traditional research methods, tracing the family with census, vital, religious, military, and other records to trace your family lineage and identify potential Native American ancestors and their specific tribes.
• Research the history of relevant locations, including tribal nations, forced removals, and original settlements, to provide context for your family's story. Knowing the history is critical to successful research.
• Investigate your entire family, including collateral relatives. Family structure can be key in ancestor identification, and records of extended family members may contain additional clues.
• Explore records created through US government interactions with Native American tribes, such as Indian census records and the Dawes Rolls, available on genealogy websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry, as well as the National Archives. 
• Examine religious records. Your native ancestors’ first interaction with Europeans may have been missionaries. Again, knowing the area's history may tip you off to what religious records might include your relative. 
• Remember that spelling wasn’t always important to our forebears. Watch for and search using similar names or variants in collections that may have recorded your ancestor. 
• Dig deep into local records, including manuscript collections, storekeepers' account books, and residents' diaries, for details to enrich your family history. Seek out American Indian-specific collections, such as allotments, removal records, school records, and interactions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and other entities.

For more tips and resources for tracing your Native American ancestry, see the following:

• The National Archives and Records Administration
• Bureau of Indian Affairs 
• National Parks Service
• FamilySearch
• Cyndi’s List
• Free PDF for Researching Your American Indian Ancestors on Ancestry
• NGS Culture Conversation with Filmmaker Alicia Hawkins, November 2023 (free)

Articles in the NGS Magazine archive (free benefit for NGS members):

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part I: Census Rolls Relating to Indian Removals,” NGS Magazine, Jul/Aug/Sep 2013, vol. 39‐3, page 38.

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part II: Emigration Lists & Reservation Applications,” NGS Magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2013, vol. 39‐4, page 37.

Muhn, Judy Nimer. “Researching Children in Indian Boarding Schools,” NGS Magazine, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022, vol. 48‐1, page 22.

Stuart‐Warren, Paula. “Researching Your American Indian Ancestry,” NGS Magazine, vol. Jan/Feb/Mar 2005, vol 31‐1, page 43

Family History Jumpstart: Census Records and Your Ancestor’s Education

Discovering your ancestors’ education can be fascinating and can add to your understanding of your family’s history. Before World War II, only one-third of Americans had completed twelve years of schooling.[1]In fact, the US census did not begin to ask for the highest grade attained in education until 1940. Nonetheless, much can be gleaned from earlier enumerations.

One hundred years prior, the 1840 Census asked for the number of scholars enrolled in “universities or colleges,” “academies & grammar schools,” or “primary and common schools.” It also inquired how many scholars were “at public charge” and the number of White persons= and free people of color in the household, who were over twenty years of age and could not read or write.

Between 1850 and 1880, censuses included those who in the household had attended school within the year, coupled with age. This can give you an idea of what level of education individuals received at the time of the census. These enumerations also asked how many individuals over twenty could not read or write. The lucky genealogist whose relatives’ 1890 census schedule survived can find these same questions as well as whether the enumerated individual could speak English and, if not, the language or dialect spoken.

From 1900 to 1930, the censuses again asked whether an individual had attended school that year and about literacy and English-speaking abilities.

Even without the specific questions regarding education in the population schedules, clues can be found by seeing what age an occupation replaces “scholar” or “at school.”

And what about other members of the household? Comparing the ages at which children began joining the workforce can also provide insights into the family economic situation.

When Thomas Howley’s family was enumerated in 1880, his 15- and 17-year-old daughters were working as coffee packers, while his younger children, Margaret (7) and Thomas (5), were still in school. Looking closer, we can also see that Thomas, a gas pipe fitter, had been out of work for three months that year, so they may have had to pitch in to help make up for that loss of income.

In June 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, better known as the “G.I. Bill.” It was aimed at helping returning servicemen and/or eligible family members further their education—finishing elementary or high school, going to college or learning a trade—as well as buying a home, setting up a business, or landing a government job. The opportunity it provided for many White families was a game changer. Tragically, the majority of Black servicemen were unable to take advantage of the GI Bill due to racist policies and attitudes in housing and education throughout the country.

Every generation wants their children to do as well or better than they’ve done, and education has long been seen as a path to future success. How has education—or barriers to education whether from racism or poverty—impacted your family throughout the years? Perhaps it’s time to take a closer look.

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[1] Nilsson, Jeff, "How the G.I. Bill Changed America," The Saturday Evening Post, 22 June 2019 (https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/06/how-the-g-i-bill-changed-america/ accessed 17 Oct 2024).

Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis Now Posted to NGS YouTube Channel

Check out the recording of our recent Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis on the NGS YouTube Channel. There's plenty more on the channel as well, including SLAM! Idea Showcase videos and other webinars.

October is Polish Heritage Month: Finding Passenger Lists

October is Polish American Heritage Month. The National Genealogical Society is pleased to share with you the following article on researching your Polish roots.

Polish immigration to the United States began with the Jamestown settlement in 1608 when the Virginia Company hired Polish artisans skilled in trades needed in the new settlement.[1] Count Kazimierz Pulaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko distinguished themselves as heroes during the Revolutionary War. They were joined by about one hundred other Poles who fought alongside the Americans in the cause of freedom. Throughout US history, Polish immigrants have been arriving in the United States, with immigration peaking between 1870 and the start of World War I.[2]

Poland was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria at the end of the 18^th century. During this period, you may find your ethnically Polish ancestors identifying as Polish, Russian, Austrian, or Prussian, which might clue you in to the area of origin for those immigrants.

Locating the immigration records documenting your Polish ancestors’ arrival in the US can be tricky but rewarding. Before the 1890s, passenger arrival records didn’t include many details. However, records created beginning in the mid- to late-1890s—particularly after 1906—may include incredibly helpful information, such as birthplaces, the names of relatives in the old country, friends or relatives who the immigrant was going to meet, their last residence, and more.

Here are some tips for locating your ancestor’s arrival record.

• Create a timeline to estimate the immigrant’s arrival. Dates and places of birth for family members found in US census records can help. Censuses from 1900-1930 also asked for the year of immigration for immigrants, and you may find this information in some state censuses as well.  
• Naturalization records for those who opted to obtain citizenship may reference the arrival date, the name of the ship he or she arrived on, and other important details. If your ancestor went back to Europe to visit family, you might also find a passport record that may include that information. 
• Death records sometimes include how many years the deceased had been in the country.
• Passenger lists were created at the port of departure, and as such, the immigrants typically used the native version of their given name (e.g., Jan vs. John, Josef vs. Joseph, Elzbieta vs. Elizabeth, etc.). 
• Also look for variants of the immigrant’s surname. Last names were often Americanized or spelled phonetically after the immigrant’s arrival (but not at Ellis Island as some family stories claim). Learning about the Polish alphabet and pronunciation may help you locate the family in arrival records. My great-grandfather John Mekalski often spelled his name Menkalski. I learned that the e with the “little tail” (ę) is, in some situations, pronounced “en,” so that solved that little mystery. (He also spelled his name Wagner for a while, but that’s a story for another day.)
• Surnames may also have masculine and feminine variations, like Krakowski/Krakowska.
• Following the Quota Acts of 1921, which limited the number of immigrants arriving by country, some immigrants may have tried to circumvent restrictions by coming in through Canada or Mexico. 
• Bear in mind that some immigrants went back and forth between the US and Europe several times before settling in the United States or returning home for good. Keep looking even after you’ve found one arrival to see if there are more. Records from the post-1906 era asked whether the immigrant had been in the US before, and when, so that’s an easy clue to look for.
• FamilySearch, the National Archives, and Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation maintain collections of immigration records, as do subscription websites like Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage. You can learn more about immigration records on the website of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Locating your ancestor’s arrival record marks the start of a new life in America, and the details provided can shed important insights into how they came to the US and much more.

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[1] “Polish Settlers at Early Jamestown,” Virginia Humanities Encyclopedia Virginia website, (https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/polish-settlers-at-early-jamestown/ :accessed 17 Oct 2024).

[2] “History of Poles in the United States,” Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poles_in_the_United_States: accessed 17 Oct 2024)

Image credit: A Polish emigrant boarding ship - he carries trunk on his shoulders, Nov 1907, digitized photograph, Library of Congress website (https://www.loc.gov/item/2001704434/: accessed 24 Oct 2024)

The October-December 2024 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online

The October-December 2024 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 50, No. 4, is now available to members only on the website. This issue’s theme is Tax Records.

Read NGS Magazine

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

The Genealogical Value of Tax Records

Carol Cooke Darrow

 

Expanded Free Access to New Jersey Ratables

H. Husted, MLIS

 

Using Early Ohio Tax Records

Dana Ann Palmer, CG, CGL

 

Records of Tax Delinquency

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

 

Taxation During the American Revolution

John D. Sinks, PhD

 

DAR and Revolutionary War Supply Taxes

Sara Louise Sukol

 

Irish Tax Records, Part 1: Tithe Applotment Books

Fiona Fitzsimons

Departments

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

David Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

Deb Cyprych

 

NGS NEWS

 

REFERENCE DESK

American Tax Revolts: Shays's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion

Kathy Petlewski, MSLS

 

THE GENEALOGY TECHNOLOGIST

FamilySearch Full-Text Search: Part 2, Beyond the Basics

Robert Raymond

 

DNA DISCOVERY
DNA and Family Tree Tools

Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG

 

SOCIETY FORUM

History Helpers: Ten Volunteer Roles Every Genealogical Society Needs

Amy Lenertz, MLIS, MS, CFE

 

BOOK NOTICES

 

Celebrating 23 Years of Family History Month

In September 2001, the U.S. Senate passed the Family History Resolution, designating October as a month to promote the value of knowing your family story.[1] Genealogical societies like the National Genealogical Society (NGS) were at the forefront of the fight to gain official recognition for Family History Month. At the heart of the celebration is collaboration, advocacy, education, and preservation, all of which are pillars of the NGS mission statement, as well as those of many genealogical and historical societies across the U.S.

So what can you do to join the Family History Month Celebration?

·       Start your preservation project. Catalog old photographs and share them with your family. Write a biographical sketch of one of your ancestors based on the research you’ve done, and share it with your family. Interview relatives and share those interviews with your family. Are you sensing a pattern here? Share, share, share. The more widely your family story is disseminated, the better chance that it will be carried on and preserved. NGS is here to help to help you document your family history with free downloadable PDFs.

·       Find a society and join the family history community. We’re a fun bunch, dedicated to helping each other and preserving records important to family history research. Hundreds of societies offer research content and guidance that may be specific to your area of interest. Meetings and online webinars allow you to collaborate and gather insights from others who share your interests. You can find a society matching your research interests in NGS’ searchable directory here.

·        When you become a member of NGS, you help preservation efforts like the NGS Preserve the Pensions Project: Phase II, which kicked off in collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in January. NGS is also a founding partner of the Records Preservation & Access Coalition (RPAC), which works as an advocate to ensure the preservation of and access to records we need as genealogists.

·       Volunteering for society indexing projects can yield benefits to your own research, by exposing you to record collections and filing systems you may have never dealt with and give you a keener understanding of how to search similar collections for your research. ConferenceKeepers.com has a list of genealogy volunteer opportunities. 

We hope you’ll take a moment to remember your ancestors in some way this month and share the joy of your ancestors’ legacy with your relatives and community.

 

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[1] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-107sres160is/pdf/BILLS-107sres160is.pdf

 

 

 

Family History Month Jumpstart: Get to Know the Records

It’s an all too familiar scenario. Your ancestor’s name shows up in a mega-database of

genealogical records. You click, and like magic, information from that record can be added to

your tree. But is that all there is?

I found my ancestor, Eliza Dooner, in a collection of New York, U.S., 

Alien Depositions of Intent to Become U.S. Citizens, 1825-1871, on Ancestry. 

Click and boom, it’s part of my tree. Done, right?

So what did that add? Actually, just the record in the source list. Not one new fact or detail.

Is the record worthless? Well, let’s look at these records and why they were created. Most

record collections, online or off, have some form of descriptive materials and you’ll often be

rewarded with new insights regarding the history and use of the records.

The database description of the records tells me that in New York, before 1925 only citizens

could own, sell, or bequeath real property (land). Beginning that year, un-naturalized

immigrants could file a deposition of intent to naturalize, allowing them to participate in these

types of transactions while going through the naturalization process. This prompts me to dig

deeper and investigate why she took this step.

I have census records, directories, and a death notice, including mentions of Eliza and her

family. Her husband had died in a construction accident just four years before the creation of

the petition, leaving her widowed woman with five children. Her need to even file this

deposition tells us she was an immigrant, so she was relatively new to America. I learned from

city directories that she started a business selling candies after her husband's death. By the

1860 US census, Eliza’s occupation had turned to “grocer” and at this point—two months after

she filed the deposition—she now claimed real estate valued at $1800, a value that was not

listed in the 1850 census record for the family.

So even though there were no new facts from the petition, does this record tell me something

about Eliza? Absolutely. When we search for the meaning behind the records and put it all in

context, it tells me that despite the loss of her husband, she was able to buy property within a

few years of his death, and with her family, she was able to thrive despite that tragedy. 

Yes, this record she signed was worth a closer look.

Grouper Returned Over $22,000 to NGS Members with Medicare Plans

We recently heard from the team at Grouper that over 260 members (over the age of 65 who have Medicare Advantage or Benefit plans) received dues reimbursement checks returning over $22,000 to our members.

Grouper is a "social fitness" company, working with health plans to keep Americans physically and mentally active as they age. When you join and participate in qualifying activities with organizations like NGS, Grouper works with your health plan to support the costs of participation by reimbursing you for membership dues. 

If you or someone you know if 65 and over, have them check out how to have their NGS dues reimbursed at https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/grouper-covers-your-dues/.