Tracing Ancestors: STEM / STEAM Education

Top 5 Myths There are a lot of pouty faces when it comes to pre 1865-1867 enumeration records. But why? Pre- 1870 is NOT a brickwall for African American genealogy research. It's even less than a stumbling block; it's merely a challenge. There are records of your African American ancestors.    Let's take a look at the most common myths I hear: 1) But, they were enslaved and didn't have names on the census before 1870.   Well, actually even that is not true. The last thing neighbors wanted, was unaccounted free black persons. Your ancestors are listed in Agricultural Census, within freedmen record work contracts and in land contracts, both mortgaged and share cropper contracts.  Why rely on census records? Much of the information is not accurate anyway, and you have NO idea who proffered information to the census taker anyway. Check out this Hale County, Alabama Agriculture Census ("Colored") Mortgaged land, Agriculture Census 2) But, enslaved people couldn'

Russian Jewish genealogy can be challenging, but the key is to be familiar with readily available resources. Here is just a checklist to get you started.  If you are looking for more information, be sure to visit  Unraveling Roots: Where are the Hidden Clues ? Research Sites/ Repositories Did your Russian - Jewish ancestors immigrate to America? Here are some 5great resources to help you discover their history.  For a case study, Did they pass by or settle in NY? Bronx Jewish Synagogues Jewish Genealogy Society of NY :  NY – NARA: New York National Archives may hold naturalization records.  NYC Dept of Vital Records Looking for Online Databases Sometimes we start just with our common, reliable databases. National Jewish Gen Familysearch.org  Catalog  of Jewish Resources Wiki: Russia Jewish Records  Looking for naturalization records ? These are proven starting point: fold3.com : may have the naturalization records of parents or older siblings born in Russia. This database is most of