From the Ancestry’s 24/7 Family History Circle Blog:
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Ancestry has added 20 million images to its Historical Newspaper Collection—doubling the collection in size! And to celebrate, they’re offering free access to the entire collection through 19 June 2008. Click here to start searching now.
More information on this huge launch is also available on the Ancestry blog.
Tina Sansome, BellaOnline’s Genealogy Editor, has posted a links and several titles to read if you are researching the military service history of your African American ancestor. Read her article and resources here.
From the Press Release:
Free Public Access on Ancestry.com
To commemorate the NARA-Ancestry.com agreement on the eve of Memorial Day, Ancestry.com is making its entire U.S. Military Collection — the largest online collection of American military records — available for free to the public. From May 20 through May 31, people can log on to http://www.ancestry.com/military to view more than 100 million names and 700 titles and databases of military records, the majority of which come from NARA, from all 50 U.S. states.
I have posted about the data FamilySearch is placing online for free previously - the only requirement was registration with the site. Now you can access the free indexes and images without registering here.
I encourage everyone to check out this site. A screen shot of **some** of the data is below.
It can be tough to illicit the same excitement we have for learning more about our ancestors in other adults, much less children with IPhone’s, X-Boxes and a plethora of other distractions these days.
Family Tree Magazine has launched a new website just for kids. You read more about in on the Genealogy Insider blog here.
Thanks to Dick Eastman for mentioning this on his blog.
NARA has added indexes to some pre-1900 passenger lists to its database online. The search is not very user friendly… names and ship information require different searches. So you have to locate the person first and then go to the ship search to get the full details.
You will find the passenger list indexes here. Be sure to read the description of each one.
Added 03/06/2008:
Also see the explanation on how to search at the Genealogy Insider blog here.
February is designated as “Black History Month”. In recognition of that some of our favorite subscription databases are opening certain databases to the public for free and other have contests open to all.
This is the week. The long awaited second installment of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s 2006 series “African American Lives.” From the website:
Building on the widespread acclaim of African American Lives (2006) and Oprah’s Roots (2007), AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2 again journeys deep into ancestry of an all-new group of remarkable individuals, offering an in-depth look at the African-American experience and race relations throughout U.S. history. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns as series host, guiding genealogical investigations down through the 20th century, Reconstruction, slavery and early U.S. history, and presenting cutting-edge genetic analysis that locates participants’ ancestors in Africa, Europe and America. Joining Professor Gates in the new broadcast are poet Maya Angelou, author Bliss Broyard, actor Don Cheadle, actor Morgan Freeman, theologian Peter Gomes, publisher Linda Johnson Rice, athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, radio personality Tom Joyner, comedian Chris Rock, music legend Tina Turner, and college administrator Kathleen Henderson, who was selected from more than 2,000 applicants to have her family history researched and DNA tested alongside the series’ well-known guests.
The first installment is scheduled for this Wednesday the 6th. Check the PBS website for program times and dates in your area.
I encourage everyone to mark your calendars for this one - there is something for everyone who researches their family history. The research techniques and processes are universal. You get to see how the “pros” perform research and as a bonus - information on DNA research.
While reading one of my favorite newsletters this morning, I discovered something that I didn’t know had existed … although it makes sense that it would have if you think about it. I am talking about Slave Insurance. Pre-1865, the end to slavery in America, insurance companies selling in the South offered insurance not only to a plantation owner’s physical property, but his human property as well. Read more about this practice here.
Certain states have passed laws requiring insurance companies to disclose the information contained in those policies such as the name of the slave, county, other identifying information, name of slaveholder, the county of slaveholder, and to whom the policy was issued.
Information for California and Illinois is online. You are probably thinking like I did. .. but slavery wasn’t legal in those states? The law requires them to give information on polices from companies that have since acquired as well - so you will find coverage for many states including Alabama.
Links to the lists:
The holiday season is upon us. All of us on the BGS Board wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
If you are finding it hard to get “into” the Christmas spirit this year, click here for some genealogy poems, some with a Christmas theme.
We have an exciting line-up of speakers for the coming year, keep watch the blog and the website for details.
Merry Christmas!!
