You might have heard in the news recently about commemorating the centennial of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 (the destruction of "Black Wall Street.") You might — or might not — be surprised that Tulsa isn't the only event of its kind.  In 1898, the elected government of Wilmington, North Carolina, was overthrown by whites who were outraged at the success of Blacks in Wilmington. This uprising resulted in deaths, banishments, and the destruction of numerous businesses in town. It decimated the Black middle class in Wilmington for generations.  In this episode, Tim Pinnick, a noted genealogist and historian, explains the efforts underway to study the people who were there at the time. What happened to the families of those who were killed? What of the banished and their families?  Not only does Tim explain what happened in 1898, but how you can help with the research efforts.  You can find the show notes, including links to numerous resources, at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/65.  

Generations Cafe

065 - Remembering the Wilmington Coup of 1898

Honoring those who died in service to their country or after their service is one of the most sacred duties of a country. Finding the burial place of a veteran ancestor can be a deeply moving experience.  In this episode of Generations Cafe, we explore the history of military cemeteries in the United States, as well as some resources you can use to find where your military ancestors are buried.  You can find the show notes with links to all of the resources at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/64.

064 - Exploring Military Cemeteries

Putting your family tree online has some great benefits, including connecting with cousins, sorting DNA matches, and even preserving your research. But did you know that there are different kinds of online family trees? In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow explores the 3 main kinds of online family trees: individual trees on other sites, individual trees on your own website, and collaborative trees. Each one has its plusses and minuses. Take a listen on how to choose the one that best meets your needs. You can find the show notes for this episode, including links to all of the websites mentioned, at amyjohnsoncrow.com/63.

063 - What Kind of Online Family Tree Is Right for You?

If you're pulling out the one fact that you were looking for in a genealogy source, jotting it down, and then moving on... you're probably leaving a lot behind.  Taking a closer look at that source might help you discover the answer you were looking for. Even if it doesn't spell out the answer, that deeper dive will likely give you ideas on other places you can look.  In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow explains how knowing more about the type of record you're using can help in your search. She'll also share tips about pulling out more information from specific records, including an overlooked type of word. 

062 - How to Get All the Clues From Genealogy Sources

Finding our female ancestors can be difficult, what with name changes and a lack of records written by or about them. But it doesn't have to be impossible.  In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow shares 3 practical strategies for discovering more about the women in our genealogy. Chances are good that you've started using them, but you haven't gone deeply enough -- and that's where the real discoveries happen! The show notes, including links to related episodes, can be found at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/61.

061 - Finding Female Ancestors

What is modern genealogy? In this conversation with Kenyatta D. Berry, host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow, we cover technology, motivations for starting (and continuing) family history, accessibility, the challenges of enslaved ancestor research, and diversity in the field of genealogy.  It's an episode full of insight, as well as practical takeaways for everyday genealogists, professional researchers, and societies.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/60.

060 - Exploring Modern Genealogy with Kenyatta D. Berry

Episode 59: Church records can be a boon to our genealogical research. In this episode, Amy explains how to determine your ancestor's denomination, identify the church that he or she attended, and how to go about tracking down the records.  Church records can help fill in the gap when civil vital records are missing. Even when you do have those civil records, the church records can yield more information. They really should be a part of everyone's genealogy toolkit! You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/59.

059 - Finding Your Ancestor's Church

Marriage records make up an important part of our genealogy research. However, there are more records to find than just the civil marriage record at the county courthouse.  In this episode, Amy shares other records related to your ancestors' marriages... records that often hold more information that we can put to use in our family history.  The show notes contain all of the examples that Amy shared, along with links to the resources she mentioned. You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/58

058 - Finding All of Your Ancestors' Marriage Records (redux)

Ancestry has billions of records, but its features aren't always intuitive. In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow shares 5 features that are often overlooked on Ancestry that can boost your genealogy discoveries. Did you know that the title of an Ancestry database might lead you to an erroneous conclusion? See how you can avoid that problem!  You'll also hear how to find specific collections, find hidden gems, and even connect with cousins without taking a DNA test.  The show notes, with links and screenshots, can be found at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/56.

056 - 5 Things You Might Be Missing on Ancestry

Genealogy and family history is a comfort for many of us. But what do you do when you can't focus on your research or you don't have time to devote to it? In this second episode of the "Research Renewal" series, Amy revisits the episode "7 Family History Activities for When You Can't Focus." It turns out that many of these activities are also great for times when you don't have a lot of time.  Bonus: Several of these can be done with family members, even virtually -- get everyone involved! You can find the full Research Renewal playlist at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/55.  

055 - 7 Family History Activities When You're Short on Time or Focus

We all want our genealogy research to be good. However, insisting on perfection isn't only unrealistic, it can also be detrimental to your genealogy. It can also literally destroy your research.  In this first part of the "Research Renewal" series, Amy revisits her episode which asked, "Is perfectionism harming your genealogy?" She shows how it can be harmful and some ways to overcome it.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/54.

054 - How Perfectionism Hurts Your Genealogy (redux)

When you're into genealogy, it's natural to want to give family history themed gifts, but sometimes they miss the mark. Here are 5 gifts that are easy and fun to put together that will bring a smile to those who receive them. There's also a tip about a common genealogy gift that you might want to reconsider giving.  The key is to keep it simple and fun. This episode shows you how.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/53

053 - 5 Easy DIY Family History Gifts

We have all made mistakes in our genealogy research. Over the years, host Amy Johnson Crow has found these 3 mistakes to be the most common and the most detrimental.  Amy will share what they are, how they can affect your research, and how you can fix them.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/52

052 - The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Genealogy Research

Recently, host Amy Johnson Crow solved a genealogy problem that had plagued her for more than 20 years. In this episode, you'll not only learn how she solved it, but what lessons every genealogist can learn from the experience.  You can find the full show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/51

051 - Lessons from Breaking Down a Brick Wall

"Evaluate your sources" is good advice, but it doesn't go quite far enough. There are actually 4 different, but related, things that you need to consider as you're judging the accuracy of a record. In this episode, you'll learn how sources, information, and evidence are different and what you need to look out for with each one. You'll also learn why looking at a record all by itself can lead to some wrong conclusions.  You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/50.

050 - 4 Things You Need to Evaluate in Your Genealogy

Generations Cafe is all about genealogy and family history. Discovering your family history should be enjoyable! Each episode will show you more about doing genealogy without the frustration. Host Amy Johnson Crow has been involved in family history for most of her life and is a noted researcher, blogger, author, and educator. She firmly believes that it is possible to do good genealogy research and enjoy the process. This isn't a stuffy or dry lecture. It's a conversation to help you explore the most exciting history of all: yours! Grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, and let's explore family history together.

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Generations Cafe

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