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.

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Join Us!

Don’t forget! We have some great virtual meetings left for July. Attend any Virtual Meeting you want. Ask questions or just listen in. We look forward to seeing you there! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday, July 17th at 5:00 AM EDT – Australian Record courses with Kerry Farmer Time zones: Tuesday, July 17th – 5:00 AM Eastern; 4:00 AM Central; 2:00 AM Pacific; 10:00 AM in London, England; 7:00 PM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/australian/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday, July 19th at 5:00 PM EDT – English Record courses with Brenda Wheeler Time zones: Thursday, July 19th – 5:00 PM Eastern; 4:00 PM Central; 2:00 PM Pacific; 10:00 PM in London, England; Friday, July 20th – 7:00 AM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/english/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, July 20th at 8:00 PM EDT – Methodology courses with Brenda Wheeler This session is appropriate for ALL students no matter which country you are researching in. Note: This Virtual Meeting is available for the convenience of our Australasia students; however, everyone is welcome. Time zones: Friday, July 20th – 8:00 PM Eastern; 7:00 PM Central; 5:00 PM Pacific; Saturday, July 21st – 1:00 AM in London, England; 10:00 AM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/methodology/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Saturday, July 21st at 11:00 AM EDT – Canadian courses with Kathryn Lake Hogan Time zones: Saturday, July 14th – 11:00 AM Eastern; 10:00 AM Central; 8:00 AM Pacific; 4:00 PM in London, England; Sunday, July 15th – 1:00 AM in…

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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…

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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.…

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