tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77382692765535537332024-03-13T11:38:47.497-04:00In Honor of My AncestorsWe are linked in both life and death. Those who share a common blood relations never break apartDorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-84995065802020954182012-06-19T11:47:00.003-04:002012-06-19T11:47:50.001-04:00Juneteenth<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today marks the 143th year anniversary of the oldest African American holiday observance in the United States – Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the date in 1865 when the last group of enslaved Africans in the United States was freed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">History of Juneteenth</span></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"The People of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive office of the United States, all slaves are free . . ."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"></span><br />
<shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape alt="Description: Description: Emancipation Proclamation" href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/images/emancipation_01.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:allowoverlap="f" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 150pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: left; mso-position-vertical-relative: line; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 3.75pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 3.75pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 96.75pt; z-index: 251659264;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title=" Emancipation Proclamation" src="file:///C:\Users\ADorsey\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"></imagedata><wrap type="square"></wrap></shape><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">. . . and so it begins, the declaration made in the city of Galveston Texas, on June 19, 1865 bringing word from Washington of the surrender at Appomattox, and of the release from bondage of all enslaved Africans. This celebration is the oldest celebration of its kind that commemorates the freedom of enslaved African from bondage in the United States of America. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The first Juneteenth occurred on June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Texas and read the proclamation. This took place almost two and a half years <b><u>after</u></b> President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. It took some time for the word to spread throughout the city, but within a few short hours, word had spread, enslaved Africans dropped their tools of bondage and the first celebration of freedom began. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bchm.org/wrr/recon/p4.html"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><shape alt="Description: Description: General Orders No. 3" id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 142.5pt; width: 238.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:href="cid:image006.jpg@01CD4E0A.5E799C00" src="file:///C:\Users\ADorsey\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The festivities began on all levels. From Galveston to smaller towns in East Texas, celebrations began ranging from small thanksgiving prayer services to jubilant festive events. The city of Galveston was said to have resembled a northern city by the almost lack of black presence in the city itself. The city's former enslaved population was with family and loved ones savoring the first sweet moments of freedom with each other.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">There have been many emancipation celebrations throughout the south, celebrated on various days in other states. The term Juneteenth itself was not coined until the 1920's. In other places in the south, the celebration is one where African American workers have actually been excused from work to celebrate the events. In Texas during the era of segregation, Juneteenth celebrants were actually allowed access to whites only amusement centers, until the inequity was pointed out to the city commission, that access should be year round, and not limited to one day.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"> </span><br />
<shape alt="Description: Description: Juneteenth: Freedom Day by Muriel M. Branch" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:allowoverlap="f" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 120.75pt; margin-left: 127.65pt; margin-top: 0px; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: right; mso-position-vertical-relative: line; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 0; mso-wrap-distance-right: 0; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 93.75pt; z-index: 251658240;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title=" Freedom Day by Muriel M" src="file:///C:\Users\ADorsey\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg"></imagedata><wrap type="square"></wrap></shape><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Eventually the celebration died over the years, but it experienced a rebirth when it was noted in the 1970's that the state of Texas continued to celebrate Confederate Heroes day, and within a short time the annual Juneteenth celebration returned with not only the celebration of freedom being a focus, but also a celebration of history, and culture being at the heart of the events. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On <b>January 1, 1980</b>, Juneteenth became <b>an official state holiday</b> through the efforts of <b>Al Edwards</b>, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">As of <b>June 2011</b>, 39 states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or state holiday observance.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-67322042515121524452011-12-29T11:57:00.000-05:002011-12-29T11:57:50.669-05:00Conducting Slave Era ResearchJoin Aaron Dorsey with host Bernice Bennett<br />
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<strong>December 29th at 9 pm eastern and 8 pm central time.</strong><br />
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<strong>Conducting Slave Era Research Part II</strong> is a continuation of the discussion on strategic approaches to finding your enslaved ancestors. A majority of the show will respond to questions from the listening audience. Listeners are invited to post questions prior to the broadcast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Aaron Dorsey, has been doing genealogical research for over 10 years. His undergraduate degree in U.S. History and graduate degree in Education Policy is from Stanford University. He began researching his family history after reading Jubilee by Margaret Walker-Alexander for a Survey of African American Literature at the College of Alameda. He has documented the history of his family in Alabama, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. However, the focus of his research has been concentrated in Texas where he has traced his ancestors to 1839. His Texas research has been featured in the ARK-LA-TEX Genealogical Association, Inc.’s The Genie. Aaron is currently working on two books one focusing on slave era research and the other pertaining to the 1868 voter registration in Leon County, Texas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bernicebennett/2011/12/30/conducting">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bernicebennett/2011/12/30/conducting</a>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-16989064513683781292011-02-16T13:52:00.000-05:002011-02-16T13:52:45.801-05:00Honoring Our Enslaved Ancestors<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span>On <span class="yshortcuts">February 12</span>, 2011, the </span>Afro- American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. Central Maryland Chapter in partnership with the St. John Baptist Church (SJBC) Heritage Cluster, hosted an African Libation Ceremony. Libation is a ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a spirit or god or in memory of those who have died. In certain African cultures, the ritual of pouring libation is an essential ceremonial tradition and a way of giving homage to the ancestors. </div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9A_VRwqRsI/TVwZnB7AlqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/IynwIzSpx1c/s1600/Joseph+Ransom%252C+Jr..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9A_VRwqRsI/TVwZnB7AlqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/IynwIzSpx1c/s200/Joseph+Ransom%252C+Jr..JPG" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph Ransom (1846-1916)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The ceremony was a tribute to our enslaved ancestors. In preparation, for the event members of the Central Maryland Chapter and SJBC Heritage Cluster were asked to submit the names, date and place of birth and death, slave owners names, and other significant information about their enslaved ancestors. The information was used to create a <b>Slave Commemoration Scroll</b>. The Scroll symbolized the struggles and significant sacrifice they made to their family, community and nation. In honoring them the hope is to focus the attention of the community on the importance of preserving <span class="yshortcuts">African American heritage</span> and on the role of slavery in American history. There were over 130 names on the scroll.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F_QHpHXz52E/TVwZ8BjYYiI/AAAAAAAAAOE/AVL3HAmIOKM/s1600/Henry+Dorsey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F_QHpHXz52E/TVwZ8BjYYiI/AAAAAAAAAOE/AVL3HAmIOKM/s200/Henry+Dorsey.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry Dorsey (1844-1943)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Omo Ama Safowah performed the libation ceremony in Twi and called out the names of the ancestors on the scroll as well as recognizing the names of those we will never know. She talked about their sacrifices, and achievement despite great obstacles. It was a very moving experience as the names of our ancestors were called out. </div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Following the libation ceremony, a pictorial tribute titled Tribute to Enslaved Ancestors which included pictures of individuals listed on the scroll, played. </div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> The overall program was a wonderful tribute. I am sure that our ancestors were looking down on us.</div><div class="yiv173987045msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-12337137010849693232011-01-26T21:35:00.001-05:002011-01-26T21:58:18.286-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Franklin & Armfield Slave Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TUDWNB_d18I/AAAAAAAAANs/i54sf1j__vI/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TUDWNB_d18I/AAAAAAAAANs/i54sf1j__vI/s320/054.JPG" width="240" /></a> One of the nation’s largest slave trading firms, Franklin & Armfield, operated from this townhouse on Duke Street from 1828-1836. Enslaved Africans awaiting shipment to slave markets in New Orleans and Natchez were imprisoned in walled pens behind the house. At night they slept in a two-story rear wing with grated doors and windows. <br />
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For enslaved Africans in Virginia, there were few fates worse than Duke Street. “Louisiana was considered by slaves a place of slaughter,” wrote emancipated slave Jacob Stroyer. With the same sentiment, Rev. Josiah Henson, thought to be the basis for Harriet Beecher Stowes’ fictional Uncle Tom, wrote in his autobiography that the fear of being sold south filled enslaved individuals of the upper South with “perpetual dread.” <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TUDY9V3VezI/AAAAAAAAANw/Pe8Oq9lvgaQ/s1600/800px-Franklin_and_Armfield_slave_prison_Alexandria_Virginia_1836.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TUDY9V3VezI/AAAAAAAAANw/Pe8Oq9lvgaQ/s320/800px-Franklin_and_Armfield_slave_prison_Alexandria_Virginia_1836.png" width="320" /></a></div>Now known as Freedom House, the <b>Franklin and Armfield Office</b> was started by Isaac Franklin and John Armfield. The office was known to have been the largest slave trading firm in the antebellum south. At its height in the 1830s, the firm transported between 1,000 and 1,200 enslaved individuals from Alexandria to Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, Natchez and New Orleans each year. In 1846 the Duke Street property was purchased by a Franklin & Armfield agent, George Kephart, and in 1858 to a third slave trading firm, Price, Birch, and Co. The Adamesque structure, built in 1812 for General Andrew Young, was used to jail Union army deserters and house freed “contraband” Blacks after Alexandria fell to Union troops in 1861. In 1863 the building provided the first meeting place for Shiloh Baptist Church, founded by former slaves housed there. The slave pens were demolished in the 1870s. The property was used by the Union to imprison Confederate soldiers and was then a hospital from 1878-1885.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-49391003194218935712011-01-23T20:44:00.005-05:002011-01-23T20:50:06.228-05:00Featured Speaker: Aaron Dorsey<div class="MsoNormal">It has definitely been awhile since my last post. After my aunt passed away, I kind of lost interest in doing genealogy. She was my genealogy buddy who I could share my challenges and successes with - no matter how big or small. For the past few months, I have been slowly getting back my passion for genealogy.<br />
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My aunt always felt that I needed to share my knowledge and skills of conducting slave era research since I have been somewhat successful. In addition, my good friend Robyn at <a href="http://msualumni.wordpress.com/">Reclaiming Kin</a>, has been encouraging me to start presenting at local and national meetings for over a year now. So yesterday, January 22, 2011, I </div><div class="MsoNormal">took the plunge and conducted my first professional genealogy presentation on Slave Era Research at the bi-monthly meeting of the <a href="http://cmgen.wordpress.com/">Central Maryland Chapter of the African American Historical & Genealogical Society</a> in Columbia, Maryland. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TTzYekrHNqI/AAAAAAAAANo/5VHhqHJp9B4/s1600/aahgscmcflierjan22%252C2011-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TTzYekrHNqI/AAAAAAAAANo/5VHhqHJp9B4/s320/aahgscmcflierjan22%252C2011-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Over fifty people, from novice to advance researchers, were in attendance for the 90 minute session. Despite the fact that the subject matter is advance African American research, I was able to provide information and strategies for everyone. My friend, Angela Walton-Raji at <a href="http://myancestorsname.blogspot.com/">My Ancestor’s Name</a>, has provided an excellent summary of my presentation including a 90 second video of me discussing several books.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The session was well received by all who attended. And all I can say is what a great way to start off the New Year. I cannot wait until my next presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-8727846167335261802010-08-11T18:24:00.043-04:002010-08-11T23:42:24.839-04:00In Honor of My Friend and Aunt - Elaine Logwood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TGHYs64NXDI/AAAAAAAAAMs/7icjrTGIx0o/s1600/Elaine+Logwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TGHYs64NXDI/AAAAAAAAAMs/7icjrTGIx0o/s320/Elaine+Logwood.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaine Logwood (14 Nov 1937-10 Aug 2010)</td></tr>
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In honor of a dear friend and "aunt"who I shared the passion for tracing our family roots and learning about the African American Experience. Your words of encouragement throughout the past twenty plus years were a blessing and inspiration to me as I grew from a boy to man. I want to say thank for lending me your ear as I shared my joy and frustration with life as well as my genealogical research which seem to be practically everyday. Although you used to tell me how proud you were of me, I was also proud of you and your quiet strength, courage, and wisdom.<br />
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As I sit here and type these words tears are rolling down my cheeks because you are no longer here but I take comfort in knowing that you are no longer in pain. I also know that my life and others has been enriched by your presence. <br />
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Rest In Peace Ms. Elaine M. Logwood<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-703219934914301862010-08-10T18:23:00.000-04:002010-08-10T18:23:03.322-04:00Tombstone Tuesday - William L. Simpson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TGHJ2NncXMI/AAAAAAAAAMc/gN2iVKUwF8c/s1600/W+L+Simpson+tombstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TGHJ2NncXMI/AAAAAAAAAMc/gN2iVKUwF8c/s320/W+L+Simpson+tombstone.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">W. L. Simpson </div><div style="text-align: center;">26 July 1868-6 Nov 1916</div><div style="text-align: center;">Moore Cemetery</div><div style="text-align: center;">Leon County, Texas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>W. L. Simpson was the son of Essex and Amanda (Henry) Simpson. He was also the father of my great grandmother Iola Simpson (1897-1977). Based on the initials (K of P) it appears that he was a member of the <a href="http://www.pythias.org/about/pythstory.html">Knights of Pythias</a>. The Knights of Pythias is a social brotherhood founded in Washington, D.C., February 19, 1864, by Justus Henry Rathbone and four others. The Order began during the Civil War, and its founder believed that it might do much to heal the wounds and allay the hatred of civil conflict. It was the first fraternal order to be chartered by an Act of Congress.<span id="main" style="visibility: visible;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span></span><br />
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</span></span>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-39881148511432428612010-06-30T22:52:00.001-04:002010-06-30T22:56:55.682-04:00Wordless Wednesday - Sculpture honoring Edmonson sisters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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Sculptor Erik Blome created the piece to commemorate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonson_sisters">Emily and Mary Edmonson</a>, two slaves imprisoned in the <a href="http://www.aaheritageva.org/search/sites.php?site_id=467">Bruin Slave Jail</a> located in Alexandria, VA during the 1840s.The slave jail was the holding place for thousands of enslaved people who were separated from their families in the Chesapeake region and later sold to slave markets in the Deep South. The site is directly around the street from my office.<br />
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</div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-43277340351193903552010-06-23T10:47:00.003-04:002010-06-23T10:55:45.340-04:00Wordless Wednesday - Draft of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
President Abraham Lincoln issued the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."<br />
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Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.<br />
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<a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/former_slave_charlie_smith.au">Former slave Charlie Smith discusses work and living after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. </a>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-63712701189147841022010-06-20T11:15:00.001-04:002010-06-20T11:19:27.881-04:00Happy Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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In honor of my ancestral fathers<br />
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Who struggled and endured<br />
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Who encouraged and inspired their children<br />
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Who were determined and disciplined<br />
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Who never gave up<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"> Who were courageous and demanding</div><br />
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Who decided to win<br />
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I honor you on this day and everyday for being my inspiration and noble prince. <br />
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Happy Father's Day!Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-44722436363197851302010-06-19T22:10:00.000-04:002010-06-20T10:23:41.123-04:00Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - A Prolific FatherThis is my first time participating in Randy Seaver’s, <a href="http://www.geneamusings.com/">Genea-Musings</a>, Saturday Night Genealogy Fun Challenges. The mission for Father's Day, if we chose to accept it, is<br />
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<span style="color: #000099;">1) Determine who is one of the most prolific fathers in your genealogy database or in your ancestry. By prolific, the one who fathered the most children.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099;">2) Tell us about him in your own blog post, in comments to this blog post, or in comments on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Facebook</span>.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My most prolific father was Jefferson Haynes (1852-1928), who had seven (7) children by his first wife Sarah Wilkinson (1855-1890) whom he married around 1875 in Leon County, Texas and (25) twenty-five children with his second wife Mattie Perkins (1867-1923) whom he married on 16 Feb 1893 in Leon County, Texas. Between his two wives, he had a total of (32) thirty-two children. Of the (32) thirty-two children, (26) twenty-six lived to adulthood. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TB4idrR7CfI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/6q5JotliHVs/s1600/Jefferson+Haynes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TB4idrR7CfI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/6q5JotliHVs/s320/Jefferson+Haynes.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jefferson, the eldest son of Isaac and Adelaide (Brumby) Haynes, was born a slave in Alabama. According to oral history, the family along with the two other families (Brunson and Robinson) was owned by the Brumbys. They were brought to Texas during the Civil War around 1862. After the Civil War, Jefferson and his family eventually settled in the Friendship Community of Leon County, Texas. The community of Friendship is located about five miles south of Jewett and eight miles northwest of Centerville in northwestern Leon County. This was an African American settlement that was established after the Civil War. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jefferson was a farmer who purchased his first 50 acres from his father in 1880. Over the course of his life time, he would purchase over 800 acres of land with silver dollars because he did not trust paper money. He was also an active member of the community who was respected by both African Americans and Whites. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At the time of his death, the land was divided between his (19) nineteen living heirs. Each heir was given approximately 31.5 acres. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="color: #000099;"> </span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-82296741547515959482010-06-19T09:00:00.003-04:002010-06-20T10:22:15.822-04:00Happy Juneteenth!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TB4kCJWDZ6I/AAAAAAAAAKE/J0A9wjHhp8I/s1600/1juneteenth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TB4kCJWDZ6I/AAAAAAAAAKE/J0A9wjHhp8I/s400/1juneteenth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-56026555326515741942010-06-09T23:09:00.006-04:002010-06-19T23:40:04.031-04:00My First Attempt At A Wordless Wednesday<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TBBMgViHDNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/7QIqhzAszDw/s1600/R.+F.+Whitaker+Tax+Oath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TBBMgViHDNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/7QIqhzAszDw/s400/R.+F.+Whitaker+Tax+Oath.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I received this document in the mail the other day from fellow genealogist Johnie Lee in Red River County, Texas. It came from a property tax book that was discovered a few years ago in the basement of the courthouse. The document shows a Robt F. Whitaker making an oath regarding his taxable property in 1854. Among the items he listed was a slave man (Taff) age 19 valued at $900, a slave girl (Juliet) age 7 valued at $400 and a slave girl (Mary) age 5 valued at $300.The girl Juliet is my great great grandmother and Mary is her sister.<br />
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Although this is not the first document I discovered which list my enslaved ancestors, I am always speechless when I do discover or locate such documents. These documents put a face to the institution of chattel slavery.They are no longer just "slaves" - individuals with no identity outside of being enslaved. They are men and women with a family, history, and identity. And it is my responsibility to recover this history and identity so that future generations will know their names and cast away the notion of an anonymous slave.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TBBY0knyRnI/AAAAAAAAAJU/jiBsmpz8NTs/s1600/slavery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/TBBY0knyRnI/AAAAAAAAAJU/jiBsmpz8NTs/s400/slavery.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-63761750690849928462010-05-24T11:02:00.081-04:002012-06-18T15:24:44.558-04:00In Search of Betsy (Ransom) Harris Part 2My search for Betsy Ransom continues. After tracing a Betsy Harris from Brazil, Clay County, Indiana to Dover District, Goochland County, Virginia using federal census records (1870-1900), I decided my next step would be to examine vital records and the cohabitation register for Goochland County, VA.<br />
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The cohabitation registers, or as it is properly titled, Register of Colored Persons...cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866, was the legal vehicle by which former slaves legitimized both their marriages and their children. For many former slaves this was often the first time that they appeared officially in public records with a surname.<br />
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Since the Commonwealth of Virginia had vital records for 1853-1896 and the <a href="http://www.lva.virginia.gov/">Library of Virginia</a> (LVA) possessed them on microfilm as well as cohabitation registers, I decided to spend a day there.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbWdcqykI/AAAAAAAAAIs/LznfFn_3jzk/s1600/Cohabitation+Record_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbWdcqykI/AAAAAAAAAIs/LznfFn_3jzk/s400/Cohabitation+Record_0001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I decided to examine the cohabitation register first, since I made the assumption that Isham (Isom) and Elizabeth (Betsy) were the parents of the minors enumerated with them in the 1870 census. This would mean that they had a slave marriage which occurred sometime between 1852 and 1853 assuming that Matilda was their daughter. After examining the register, I discovered an Isam Harris and Elizabeth Ranson who registered their union in Goochland County, Virginia. Isam was listed as being 45 years old with the occupation of a boatman. Elizabeth was ten years his junior at age 35.<br />
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At this point in my discovery, I was overwhelmed. Now most of my family and friends know that I am not an emotional person but at this moment I started to cry as I ran my finger over the name Elizabeth Ranson. I sat there for about three minutes staring at the image. Could this be? Had I found my great great great grandfather sister?<br />
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I was now determined to locate the names of all of the children. The birth registry provided the date and place of birth; name of child; color; free or slave; sex; whether born dead or alive; name of father or owner; father's occupation; father's residence; mother's name; name of informant; and the relation of the informant to the person born.<br />
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In the 1900 census, Betsy was listed as having 18 children but only 8 were living. Since six of the minors listed with Isham and Elizabeth in 1870 were born during slavery (1853-1862), I started my search in 1853. I wrote down the information pertaining to every Elizabeth or Betsy who was listed as a mother until I was able to locate the names of the children listed in the 1870 household. In addition, to discovering the name of the children, I was also able to discover the name of the slave owner - Edwin J. Duval.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbg4uDY8I/AAAAAAAAAI0/TrEemO5KQkk/s1600/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbg4uDY8I/AAAAAAAAAI0/TrEemO5KQkk/s320/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I continued to examine the birth register and located three more births that occured after slavery.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbsGQlOWI/AAAAAAAAAI8/zbvjifVK0No/s1600/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qbsGQlOWI/AAAAAAAAAI8/zbvjifVK0No/s400/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0002.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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After completing my search of the birth registers, I decided to examine the death register. The death registers provides similar information as the birth registers in addition to the cause of death.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qb0YOLpJI/AAAAAAAAAJE/-Kv_cTzEzSI/s1600/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_qb0YOLpJI/AAAAAAAAAJE/-Kv_cTzEzSI/s400/In+Search+of+Betsy+Ransom_0003.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I was also able to locate another daughter named Matilda Harris in the marriage records. She married Scott Pleasant, son of Riley and Doreus Pleasant on 21 March 1875.<br />
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By examining the vital records and the cohabitation register, I was able to confirm the madien name of Betsy (Ranson) Harris and locate the names of all of her children. In addition, I was able to identify her slave owner. Not bad for a day of researching.<br />
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Although, I had a very rewarding day, I realized that my search was not complete. I still needed to figure out the connection between this Betsy Ransom and my great great great grandfather Joseph Ransom. I believe the answer(s) lies in figuring out how, where, and when Edwin J. Duval acquired her.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-65158189835574373542010-05-18T23:35:00.002-04:002010-05-18T23:37:29.046-04:00Tombstone Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_NcSFVfC_I/AAAAAAAAAIE/MTXl6rXAebM/s1600/nannie+Simpson+tombstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S_NcSFVfC_I/AAAAAAAAAIE/MTXl6rXAebM/s320/nannie+Simpson+tombstone.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Nannie Simpson</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2 March 1869 - 10 Jan 1892</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.txgenweb2.org/txleon/cemeteries/mo/mooreblack.htm">Moore Cemetery</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Jewett, Leon County, Texas</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nannie Simpson was the daughter of Essex and Amanda (Henry) Simpson. She is the younger sister of my great great grandfather W. L. Simpson (1868-1916).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The picture was acquired by Patricia Marburger of the Leon County Genealogical Society, Centerville, Leon County, Texas.</div>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-6484483617949395382010-05-15T00:55:00.007-04:002012-06-18T15:22:18.923-04:00In Search of Betsy (Ransom) Harris Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-4otYUMmEI/AAAAAAAAAHY/p1_HQsGfvlA/s1600/slave-auction-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-4otYUMmEI/AAAAAAAAAHY/p1_HQsGfvlA/s320/slave-auction-woman.jpg" /></a></div>
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my great great uncle <a href="http://inhonorofmyancestors.blogspot.com/2010/04/paul-lewis-ransom-bearer-of-family.html">Paul Ransom</a> who wrote the “<a href="http://ourgreatness.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=ourgreatness&view=78&rand=94578126&storyid=15583">History of the Ransom Family</a>.” The pamphlet was based on the stories he heard from his parents, paternal grandfather (Joseph Ransom, Sr.) and maternal grandmother’s (Jane King) experiences during slavery and post-emancipation. I have read the pamphlet numerous times since I first received it in the early 1990s. However, upon reading it again about a month ago this passage regarding my great great great grandfather’s sister being sold caught my attention “His sister Betsy was sold during slavery to a family in Clay County, Indiana. She was last heard of by the name Betsy Harris.” I began to wonder what happened to Aunt Betsy. Who was the Indiana Family who purchased her? Did she ever reconnect with her family? <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-4rfbqQDqI/AAAAAAAAAHw/Ker7Bdcy_AM/s1600/Brazil.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-4rfbqQDqI/AAAAAAAAAHw/Ker7Bdcy_AM/s200/Brazil.png" width="200" /></a></div>
To answer these questions, I began examining the U.S. Population Census for Clay County, Indiana in search of a Betsy Harris with a birthplace in Virginia. I examined the 1870 and 1880 censuses but I was unable to locate anyone named Betsy Harris. However, in 1900, I did locate a Betsey Harris enumerated with her son Edward Harris in Brazil, Clay County, Indiana. Betsey birth date was estimated to be about 1847 and her son was listed as 1873. Both were listed as being born in Virginia. Betsey was listed as having 18 children but only 8 were alive in 1900. This discovery was a possible lead, so I decided to try and locate this Betsey Harris and her son Edward in the 1880 census in Virginia. In the 1880 Census, I located sixteen Betsy Harris and there was only one who was enumerated in a household with an Edward. Because the 1880—1930 censuses only shows relationship to the head of household, I am unable to determine if Betsy is the mother of Edward. They were located in Dover, Goochland County, Virginia. The household consisted of the following:<br />
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1. Isham Harris, age 50, born in Virginia, as were his parents<br />
2. Betsy, wife, age 36, born in Virginia, as were her parents<br />
3. Emily J, daughter, age 12, born in Virginia<br />
4. Lea Anna, daughter, age 10, born in Virginia<br />
5. Lucy Gay, daughter, age 9, born in Virginia<br />
6. Edward, son, age 5, born in Virginia <br />
7. Jearry, son, age 3, born in Virginia<br />
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In the 1870 Census, I located a family in Dover, Goochland County, Virginia who I believe is the same family due to the variations of the name Isom for Isham; the usage of Elizabeth instead of the nickname Betsy; and the listing of an Emily who is listed in both censuses. <br />
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1. Isom Harris, age 48, born in Virginia<br />
2. Elizabeth, age 45, born in Virginia<br />
3. Matilda, age 17, born in Virginia<br />
4. Fannie, age15, born in Virginia<br />
5. Isom, age 14, born in Virginia<br />
6. Josephine, age 12, born in Virginia<br />
7. Delia, age 10, born in Virginia<br />
8. George W., age 8, born in Virginia<br />
9. Emely J., age 2, born in Virginia<br />
10. Lenah, age 4/12, born in Virginia<br />
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My gut instinct is telling me that this is the right Betsy that I initially found in Clay County, Indiana, however I would need to conduct additional research to determine if she is my great great great grandfather’s sister.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-3727979006662829632010-05-09T13:05:00.004-04:002010-05-09T13:22:15.052-04:00Happy Mothers' DayA tribute to all mothers but especially my mother and grandmother. Happy Mothers' Day<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-buvllHOAI/AAAAAAAAAHI/4_fgEEawZ1c/s1600/Mama+and+me.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-buvllHOAI/AAAAAAAAAHI/4_fgEEawZ1c/s320/Mama+and+me.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469321298797082626" /></a><br /><br /><br /><object style="background-image:url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/wKzgrpw13Kw/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wKzgrpw13Kw&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wKzgrpw13Kw&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-2704911907545362802010-05-05T19:12:00.009-04:002010-05-20T09:54:33.760-04:00Using Census Records to Prove A Name ChangeThe season finale of "Who Do you Think You Are," featured Spike Lee tracing his maternal line in Dublin, Georgia. During the journey, it was discovered that his great great grandfather, Mars Jackson, was listed as Mars Woodall in the 1880 Census. The researcher assisting Mr. Lee suggested that this was an indication that Mars initially took the slave holding family surname but later changed it to Jackson. The researcher also concluded that Mars’ slave owner was James Woodall.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-IBiSb2kYI/AAAAAAAAAHA/WXWEuYx7Ymk/s1600/87-6_3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467934586157044098" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-IBiSb2kYI/AAAAAAAAAHA/WXWEuYx7Ymk/s320/87-6_3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 313px;" /></a>The discovery of Mars listed as a Woodall in the 1880 census is evidence but it is not enough to prove that he ever went under that name. Additional research would be required to substantiate the assertion of an actual name change.<br />
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For example, my great great great grandfather Essex Simpson (1841-1916) was listed as E. Platt in the 1870 U.S. Census for Leon County, Texas. In addition, he and his family were the only Platts listed in the county.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-IASIiXEaI/AAAAAAAAAG4/C1Yrnq7rb1Y/s1600/freedmen-emancipation.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467933209110450594" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S-IASIiXEaI/AAAAAAAAAG4/C1Yrnq7rb1Y/s320/freedmen-emancipation.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 226px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a> I initially thought this was a case of a name changed, especially since he was listed as Simpson in every census from 1880-1910. However after doing additional research and examining county records (i.e. court, deed, tax rolls and voter registration) from 1866-1916, I found he was consistently listed as Essex Simpson. I have concluded that the 1870 census listing was not a case of a name changed. <br />
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Now the appearance of the surname Platt does raise several questions:<br />
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a) Is this the name of a previous slave owner?<br />
b) Who was the informant?<br />
c) Was Platt the maiden name of his mother and wife or just an alias? <br />
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Although, the federal censuses are wonderful sources for family researchers they are full of errors ranging from names, ages, race/color, etc. Common reasons for the errors are with the informant or with the census taker. Unlike birth or death certificate which list the informant, censuses do not list the informant so it is virtually impossible to know who provided the information to the census taker. The informant could have been the head of the household, the wife, child or even a neighbor. In addition, the informant could have given incorrect information or used an alias. <br />
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Therefore, censuses alone are not enough to substantiate a name change. The census record must be used in conjunction with others sources to prove or disprove a name change.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-90431086000077514162010-04-30T12:55:00.004-04:002010-04-30T13:15:05.995-04:00Negro Speaks of RiversI dedicate this poem to my ancestors and all the waterways that they traveled . <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes</span><br /><br />I've known rivers:<br />I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the<br />flow of human blood in human rivers<br />My soul has grown deep like the rivers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S9sPjEWI-yI/AAAAAAAAAGg/f_Ey87lEDGQ/s1600/2008-05-20__14-58-35Image7.GIF"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S9sPjEWI-yI/AAAAAAAAAGg/f_Ey87lEDGQ/s320/2008-05-20__14-58-35Image7.GIF" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465979667880672034" /></a><br /><br />I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young<br />I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.<br />I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.<br /><br />I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln<br />went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy<br />bosom turn all golden in the sunset<br /><br />I've known rivers:<br />Ancient, dusky rivers.<br /><br />My soul has grown deep like the rivers.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-19535977063716308802010-04-22T18:09:00.006-04:002010-05-17T00:39:03.453-04:00Latest Recipient of Ancestor Approved Award<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S9DLACq7NuI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/kCVFWiEApio/s1600/ancestor-approved.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463089549577762530" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S9DLACq7NuI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/kCVFWiEApio/s320/ancestor-approved.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 184px;" /></a><br />
I am honored to have received my first blog award from colleagues and genealogy friends <a href="http://thefamilygriot.blogspot.com/">The Family Griot</a>, <a href="http://www.j-macsjourney.blogspot.com/">J-MAC JOURNEY</a>, and <a href="http://www.myancestorsname.blogspot.com/">My Ancestor’s Name</a>. This award really means a lot since I was initially hesitant about blogging about my genealogy experience. It is good to know that individuals appreciate what I have to share about conducting African American genealogical research.<br />
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As a recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award, I must list ten things I learned about my ancestors that have surprised, humbled, or enlightened me. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Surprised</span><br />
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1)My great great grandfather, Jefferson Haynes, was the parent of thirty-two children.<br />
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2)Learning that my maternal grandmother, Cosette Stanley, laid in front of a greyhound bus to protest segregation in Naples, Texas when she was 5 years old.<br />
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3)Discovering that an insurance policy was taken out on my great great great great father, Joseph Ransom in 1846.<br />
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4)Finding out that the slave owner’s son post a surety bond for my great great great grandfather Andy Perkins who was charged with attempted murder in 1873. <br />
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5)Being to locate my great great great grandfather’s sister Betsy (Ransom) Harris who was separated from the family in 1843.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Humbled</span><br />
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6)That despite the hardships of enslavement and Jim Crow, my ancestors did not lose faith in the United States or the American Dream.<br />
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7)My great grandfather, R. Matthew Stanley, taught himself to read and write by candle light after working 12 hours days picking cotton.<br />
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8)By the assistance I have received from complete strangers over the years. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Enlighten</span><br />
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9)By the amount of information I have been able to obtain on my enslaved ancestors and the lives they created during slavery. <br />
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10)By the awesome history and legacy that my ancestors have given me.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-20528498386443198152010-04-19T21:06:00.006-04:002010-04-20T13:14:10.593-04:00Paul Lewis Ransom: Bearer of Family Tradition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S8z_EMwRONI/AAAAAAAAAF4/dJmMno3k5tk/s1600/Paul+Ransom.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S8z_EMwRONI/AAAAAAAAAF4/dJmMno3k5tk/s320/Paul+Ransom.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462020895701809362" /></a><br />After noticing how individuals from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements were ashamed and embarrassed of their ancestors’ enslaved heritage, Paul Lewis Ransom (1885-1980), the youngest son of enslaved parents Joseph and Betsy (McGill) Ransom, sat down and wrote the “<a href="http://ourgreatness.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=ourgreatness&view=78&rand=94578126&storyid=15583">History of the Ransom Family</a>” in 1974. The History was based on the lives of his parents , paternal grandfather (Joseph Ransom, Sr.) and maternal grandmother (Jane King) during slavery and post-emancipation.<br /><br />Uncle Paul felt that “it is very important and necessary for everyone regardless of whose family, to know something about his or her family background.” He also understood the impact of slavery on African American family history. “It is virtually impossible, especially for the Black race, in the United States to know what he should know because he was brought here as slaves, and throughout the slave period, the Blacks reproduced, and were sold to different slave owners, traded, etc., many never seen nor heard from their children, parents again after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and they were freed.”<br /><br />By taking the time to record the family history he would ensure future generations would know the history and legacy of the Ransom Family. In 1991, I received a copy of the Ransom Family, from Uncle Paul’s daughter Adelle Martin (1915-2004). At the time, she mentioned that she was working on documenting the history using census records only. In between attending college, working, and travelling through Southern Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, I worked on substantiating the family history especially identifying the last slave owner(s). In addition, I would share my findings with Cousin Adelle. I remember sending her copies of the 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules for Freestone County, Texas which listed a J. H. Moody as a slave owner. She was so excited to see this information, since her father had told her that the family was once owned by the Moody. He stated that “the slave master who owned our father was named Moody and the master who owned his father was named Ransom so naturally the family could have easily gone in the name Moody and would have done so, if father had not been introduced to his father after slavery.” <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S80XouYWfUI/AAAAAAAAAGI/4LJOpZ6dYJo/s1600/Adele+Martin.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S80XouYWfUI/AAAAAAAAAGI/4LJOpZ6dYJo/s320/Adele+Martin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462047911482654018" /></a><br />Although the slave schedule did not confirm whether or not our ancestors were owned by J. H. Moody, it was enough information for Cousin Adelle to march over to the descendants of the Moody family in Ft. Worth, Texas, who doubted that their family ever owned slaves. She later told me that she received a very cold reception from the descendants but that she was determine to prove her father was correct.<br /><br />It would be another five years before I would be able to substantiate that my family were owned by the Moody Family out of Chesterfield County, Virginia. They would eventually move to Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas. My ancestors would be a part of this migration west to the Lone Star State. <br /><br />I am far from done on researching my Ransom heritage, however I feel very honor and thankful to have a relative who understood the important of family and history.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-63042301821754389722010-04-01T15:31:00.010-04:002012-04-02T13:34:38.028-04:00Walter and Iola (Simpson) Haynes<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7Vfd2NrEZI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/oxZZddrx2eQ/s1600/Newspaper+Article.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455371490002932114" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7Vfd2NrEZI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/oxZZddrx2eQ/s320/Newspaper+Article.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
Today marks a very sad day for my family. On this day 33 years ago (2 April 1977), my great grandparent Walter and Iola (Simpson) Haynes were found murdered in their home located six miles south of Jewett, Leon County, Texas. Jadie Haynes (1909-1983), the younger brother of Walter, discovered their bodies. Law enforcement assumed that the murder was a result of a robbery gone bad as the house appeared to be ransacked. However my family has their own theories regarding the murder which included a century old struggle over land and mineral rights and racial hostilities. Despite the motives or theories the case was never solved.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7VjUJrVtdI/AAAAAAAAAFo/TVY1He1pqu4/s1600/Welcome+to+Jewett.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455375721475454418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7VjUJrVtdI/AAAAAAAAAFo/TVY1He1pqu4/s320/Welcome+to+Jewett.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Over the next several years following the incident, my grandmother, Luora Haynes-Patterson (1922-2008), sought the assistance of various organizations both nationally and locally to bring attention to the incident and apprehen the individual(s) responsible. Unfortunately, all the letters and phone calls did not produce any results. Eventually, her persistence and determination turned into frustration and helplessness with the passage of time. I remember talking with my grandmother many years later, after I started researching the family history, about the incident. In recounting this painful incident, she expressed frustration at the lack of assistance and interest the case was given. She felt that since the victims were an old African American couple that lived in a rural community in Texas, it wasn’t a priority. <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7VjoRye3QI/AAAAAAAAAFw/JsJJ3c0idWE/s1600/Walter+and+Iola+(Simpson)+Haynes.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455376067250281730" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S7VjoRye3QI/AAAAAAAAAFw/JsJJ3c0idWE/s320/Walter+and+Iola+(Simpson)+Haynes.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Prior to researching my family history I knew very little about this incident outside of overhearing my mother telling a family member that my father’s grandparents were killed. Only after 15 years of researching would I feel ready to learn the details about my ancestors' death. So about six months ago, I started conducting my own investigation gathering information on the case. I have sent several inquiries to the Leon County 86th District Court, Sheriff Office, Justice of the Peace, Harris County Medical Examiner, and the Texas Department of Public Safety about the murders. On 7 January 2010, I received a letter and some documents pertaining to the case from the Leon County Sheriff's Office. In addition, I was informed that the case was being examined as a "cold case" due to my inquiry. I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement about the possibility of this case being solved after so many years. I immediately told my father of the news, he responded with “You have manifested the persistence and smarts that many of us have had depleted by the passage of time. Congratulations! I am very proud of you.” Although I do not know what the outcome will be of the re-opening of the case, I am hopeful that justice and peace will finally be rendered to my great grandparents Walter and Iola (Simpson) Haynes.<br />
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Walter and Iola passed away before I was able to meet them but their love for family and faith in God has been a constant presence in my life.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-15971096332024011992010-03-22T19:35:00.020-04:002010-03-27T18:05:58.706-04:00The Myth About African American Genealogy & Reparations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6f_nMqrcOI/AAAAAAAAAEo/Lq7sWYh2cuk/s1600-h/IndigoSlaveSaleSC1769-lg.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6f_nMqrcOI/AAAAAAAAAEo/Lq7sWYh2cuk/s320/IndigoSlaveSaleSC1769-lg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451606922835488994" /></a><br />In a recent discussion with several genealogists about why descendants of slave owners are reluctant to share their family slave era documents, the issue of reparations for slavery was mentioned. It was explained that some descendants are fearful that if they share this information, they themselves will be held liable for the atrocities of their ancestors. Although issues of guilt, shame and embarrassment were also mentioned, the issue of reparations is what stood out to me. I found this very interesting considering the fact that reparations are not paid by individuals but by companies and/or governments.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6f_DwU66WI/AAAAAAAAAEg/L8jkxaYENSE/s1600-h/Thaddeus+Stevens.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6f_DwU66WI/AAAAAAAAAEg/L8jkxaYENSE/s320/Thaddeus+Stevens.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451606313932613986" /></a><br />In jurisprudence, reparations are replenishment of a previously inflicted loss by the criminal to the victim. Oxford Dictionary defines the word as the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged. Now whether one’s ancestor owned slaves or not, the institution was only able to survive and flourish due to the laws established by the United States government. U.S. Rep. Thaddeus Stevens understood this when in 1867 he introduced the first <a href="http://www.directblackaction.com/rep_bills/hr29_1867.txt">Reparation Bill for Slaves, H.R. 29</a>, during the First Session of the Fortieth Congress. Although the bill did not pass in Congress, he continued to introduce several more reparation bills to no avail. <br /><br />A little less than a century later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his book "Why We Can’t Wait," would make an appeal for reparations. Dr. King argues “[f]ew people consider the fact, in addition to being enslaved for two centuries, the Negro was during all those years robbed of wages of his toil. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6gJbthL1FI/AAAAAAAAAFA/AVi9cdscwbo/s1600-h/Why%2BWe%2BCan%27t%2BWait.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6gJbthL1FI/AAAAAAAAAFA/AVi9cdscwbo/s320/Why%2BWe%2BCan%27t%2BWait.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451617720611886162" /></a>No amount of gold could provide adequate compensation for the exploitation and humiliation of the Negro in America down through the centuries…The ancient common law has always provided a remedy for the appropriation of the labor of one human being by another. This law should be made to apply for the American Negroes.” <br /><br />Our passion for researching our family has nothing to do with reparations but a desire to learn about our unique family history here in the United States and beyond. Unlike other Americans, most African Americans interested in uncovering their family history must face the history of slavery. It is not an option for us, especially once we reach beyond 1865. At the point, our journey becomes the journey of the slave holding family. We must follow and trace every move they make through census, court, deed, marriage, military, probate, tax and other records - both public and private - in hopes of finding the name(s) of our ancestors. In fact, we must become expert of these families.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6gLNjdAPyI/AAAAAAAAAFI/z74k3Hr-Hvo/s1600-h/slave-owner.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6gLNjdAPyI/AAAAAAAAAFI/z74k3Hr-Hvo/s320/slave-owner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451619676415082274" /></a><br /> <br />By working together descendants of slave owners and slaves will be able to create a much richer history as we learn about our families’ collective experience.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-72755869194322342092010-03-21T16:13:00.019-04:002010-03-23T16:14:37.855-04:00The Civil War and Refugeeing in Texas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aoh3S61CI/AAAAAAAAAEY/rp8gCWau5zU/s1600-h/1871WagonTrain.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aoh3S61CI/AAAAAAAAAEY/rp8gCWau5zU/s320/1871WagonTrain.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451229698711016482" /></a><br /><br />At the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, Texas had nearly two hundred thousand slaves. For the next four years, the fate of the Peculiar Institute would be settled on the battlefield across the South. Of all the states in the Confederacy, Texas suffered the least from military invasion or destruction of property. Thus the institution of chattel slavery remained undisturbed.<br /><br />For this reason, the state was seen as a haven for safeguarding slavery through a system called “refugeeing.” Refugeeing was the movement of slave owners and their entire enslaved population to remote places in their state, other states and even other countries. Louisiana provided most of the owners who brought or sent their slaves to Texas, followed by Arkansas and Missouri. Some slaves came from as far away as Mississippi and Tennessee. Texas became a prime location because it was assumed that slavery would continue to exist in the event of a Confederate defeat. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aoQ3zD2QI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/v5aOiVYlbFc/s1600-h/maryarmstrong.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aoQ3zD2QI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/v5aOiVYlbFc/s320/maryarmstrong.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451229406788049154" /></a> <br />The victory of Ulysses S Grant’s at Shiloh in the spring of 1862 and the subsequent surrender of New Orleans, along with the ensuing movement of the Union forces up the Mississippi River, dramatically increased the number of refugees into Texas. Charles Gear and Randolph Campbell estimate that between 38,000-50,000 slaves were transported into the state during the Civil War.<br /><br />This phenomenon of refugeeing, like all movements of slaves, disrupted some families. It also carried additional burdens of servitude since chattel slavery would not be abolished in Texas until 19 June 1865.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6Z_R1d4oDI/AAAAAAAAADo/fFlam7V12po/s1600-h/Isaac+and+Adelaide+Haynes.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6Z_R1d4oDI/AAAAAAAAADo/fFlam7V12po/s320/Isaac+and+Adelaide+Haynes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451184343365492786" /></a><br />As a genealogist conducting slave era research in Texas, refugeeing pose unique challenges in trying to identify the last slave owner of my great great great grandfather Isaac Haynes. The common method of identifying the slave owner is to locate one’s ancestor(s) in the 1870 Federal Population Schedules and then try to locate all white landowners listed in close proximity to one's enslaved ancestor. The next step would be to locate the identified landowners in the 1860 Federal Population Schedules and Slave Schedules for the same county. However my ancestor arrived in Texas during the Civil War in 1862 as a part of refugeeing. In addition, I am unaware of which state he migrated from prior to arriving in Texas. Thus examining the 1860 Population and Slave Schedules will not be applicable yet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aH7GeSlKI/AAAAAAAAAD4/F5o2Cxg8DP8/s1600-h/Voter+registration+Haynes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 82px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6aH7GeSlKI/AAAAAAAAAD4/F5o2Cxg8DP8/s320/Voter+registration+Haynes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451193848398255266" /></a><br />Instead research of Leon County records in particular tax and deed records will need to be conducted. Tax records will need to be examined to identify individuals who paid taxes on slaves and show up after 1862. This will help me to identify potential individuals. This list of identified individuals will then need to be located in the 1870 Federal Census Population Schedule for Leon County. Deed records will also need to be examine as a cross reference with the information I will gather from the tax rolls and 1870 census. Only after examining these records will I be able to identify a potential slave owner and prior residence for my great great great grandfather Isaac Haynes.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738269276553553733.post-37781899719703383092010-03-15T22:41:00.013-04:002012-06-18T15:31:28.860-04:00Restore My Name<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S572gKV45oI/AAAAAAAAADA/aZ7mg9y3US0/s1600-h/2007_6_juneteenth.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449063631557289602" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S572gKV45oI/AAAAAAAAADA/aZ7mg9y3US0/s320/2007_6_juneteenth.gif" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 226px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 288px;" /></a><br />
My good friend at <a href="http://msualumni.wordpress.com/">Reclaiming Kin</a>, suggested that I participate in the first <a href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_9484.html">Carnival of African-American Genealogy </a>(CoAAG) hosted by Luckie Daniels of <a href="http://ourgeorgiaroots.com/">Our Georgia Roots</a>. The subject is Slave Records and Genealogy Research. Ms. Daniels has posed several questions to those participating. I have chosen the following question - As a descendant of slaves, have you been able to work with or even meet other researchers who are descendants of slave owners?<br />
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After identifying Robert Franklin Whitaker of Red River County, Texas as the potential slave owner of my great great grandmother Julia Whitaker, I began to try to learn as much as I could about him and his family. I wanted to prove that he was in fact the slave owner of Julia. Unfortunately the only information I discovered about him was from census and county tax records. In addition, none of the records provided names of slaves or any information about Robert and his family. <br />
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I then started searching various genealogical websites and posted queries on various genealogy message boards in hope of locating descendants. As a result, I was able to correspond with several descendants. The initial set of descendants, I contacted were very helpful until I mentioned slavery. After I mentioned the “s” word all communication stopped and records promised were never received. Although I was disappointed I figured this might happen. It would be many years later before I attempted to try and reach out to other descendants. <br />
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In the meantime, I continued researching the Whitaker Family. I also started debating whether or not I should mention the “s” word or just pretend that I was descendant of another family who lived near the Whitakers when contacting descendants. <br />
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After hitting a brick wall on this line, I started reaching out to Whitaker descendants from various message boards. After sending out several emails, I received a reply from Randall Whitaker who eventually provided me with a written history of the Whitaker Family. The history was written by the granddaughters of Robert F. Whitaker II. Randall was disappointed to learn that his ancestors were involved in slavery but was glad that he was able to help me in my research. Randall told other family members about my research that in turn provided me with additional information. The other family members and I shared a love for genealogy and began sharing our research. Unfortunately they had little information on the family enslaved property. However the information they did provide helped me to connect Robert F. Whitaker to the other Whitakers in Red River County, Texas. It also revealed that Robert’s father was named Robert F. Whitaker, his mother was Anna and his brother was James Washington Whitaker. With the new information, I was able to locate the Whitaker family in the 1820 to 1880 census reports.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6AW5klNYuI/AAAAAAAAADY/dxJCh89KeBc/s1600-h/slave+girl.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449380727446397666" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xoX3DLVKBEg/S6AW5klNYuI/AAAAAAAAADY/dxJCh89KeBc/s320/slave+girl.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 133px;" /></a> A search of the Red River County probate records found that in 1849 Anna Whiteaker wrote her last will and testament. In her will she wrote “I give and bequeaths to my son Robert F. Whiteaker a Negro girl Julia now about four years old.”<br />
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The remainder of the property was divided between her sons, James and Robert. Anna died in the fall of 1853 and the inventory and appraisement of Anna’s estate listed the name of Julia's mother Jane.<br />
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Very few individuals have been able to talk candidly about this dark chapter (slavery) in American history especially when their own ancestors have been active participants. Usually they shy away from it or discontinue all communication which was the case in the beginning. It said a lot about the character of those descendants who did and for that I am greatly appreciative.Dorseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02021042162224668008noreply@blogger.com9