Ethnic Genealogy
Americans
The United States is populated by people
from all over the world, blended to form that special breed we know as
Americans. You are probably the product of many nationalities and cultures. If
your ancestors haven’t been in the United States for a long time, you may have
closer ties to your ethnic origins than some Americans who need two hands and
all their toes to count their Revolutionary War ancestors.
If you persist in your genealogical and
family history research, your search will eventually lead to other countries,
even if your ancestors came to the United States before the Revolutionary War.
Many books and articles have been written about research in English, Irish,
Scottish, French, and German sources. As a beginner, don’t attempt to skip
generations and target a possible immigrant ancestor based on similarity of name
or family tradition. Prove each generation’s links as you work backward from
yourself to your ancestors.
As you become more knowledgeable about
research methods and sources, moving from beginner to intermediate researcher,
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, Third Edition may give you new insights into your investigation. Special sections are devoted to lists of sources about research in other countries’ records. The Source
has been updated and revised in a new 2006, third edition.
While it isn’t possible in the scope of
this book to provide detailed information about examining all the research
sources unique to special groups, the following list should furnish a starting
place.
Native Americans
While many families have an oral
tradition of Native American heritage, it’s difficult, in many cases, to prove.
When Indians were assimilated into white culture and no longer maintained a
separate ethnic identity, they ceased to be officially recorded as Indians. The
best method to trace Native American ancestry is to do thorough genealogical and
family history research first, then begin to learn about the records available
to document Indian lineage. Collateral relatives, especially those who did not
lose their Indian identity, can be extremely helpful.
A good book to read about Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole research is Rachal
Mills Lennon’s
Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes.
African Americans
Researching black American families is
little different from standard genealogical research as far back as the Civil
War. Oral tradition is very important, even more so than for other cultures.
While most researchers think of African Americans as slaves before the Civil War, a significant number were free blacks
and their records are found in census and county records. For those who were
slaves, plantation records, will and probate records, and deed records for white
families associated with their families are informative. Slave schedules from
federal census reports are helpful in researching black ancestry.
The Freedmen’s Bureau was created by
Congress in 1865, to serve the needs of newly-freed slaves. Records of this
agency are maintained by the National Archives and available in many state and
regional archives and libraries. One microfilm catalog from the National
Archives is devoted to black research sources.
The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom 1750-1925 by Herbert G. Gutman contains more information about black research.
White Trash
Why is it White Trash isn’t treated as
an ethnic group? They have distinguishing characteristics and travel in packs.
They migrated from the Borderlands between England and Scotland to Ireland, then
to America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They came into the
Colonies through the port of Philadelphia, stayed in Pennsylvania long enough to
work off indentures for their passage, then lit out down the Great Wagon Road
for the backwoods. They pursued westward migration to avoid government
interference and squat on unclaimed land. They moved into Arkansas and Texas,
and then over into Oklahoma before they should have. Finally, they all sent
representatives to Bakersfield, California. Read more about this interesting
group in Grady McWhiney’s Cracker Culture: Celtic Ways in the Old South.
Everyone Else
Special research aids have been written
to help people find their Scandinavian, Polish, German, Hispanic, Irish,
Scottish, Italian, Asian, and Eastern European ancestry.
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy has extensive
bibliographies of helpful books and articles on genealogical research in foreign
sources.
When you identify the country from which
your ancestors came, go to your local library and borrow a basic history of that
country. Read it with special attention to the time period your ancestor left.
You’ll learn about the social, political, and cultural forces that contributed
to the migration. Remember not to isolate your immigrant; keep him with other
members of his kinship group.
When you follow your American ancestors
back in time, you’ll want to learn which ship they came over in. John Phillip
Colletta’s They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Arrival Record
is very helpful in understanding passenger arrival records.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (LDS) has microfilmed primary records throughout the world and these are
available for use at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and Family
History Centers all over the United States.
[Get Started] [Is Family History For You?] [Home and Family Sources] [Organizing Your Family Records] [Beginning Your Research] [Federal Census Records] [Courthouse Research] [Military Records] [Ethnic Genealogy] [A Broad View] [Correspondence] [Sharing Your Heritage] [A Genealogist's Toy Box] [Glossary]
| 