Tag: Family History

Unbelievably Strange Historical Facts

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

As writers, we are inherently curious beings. And given that our portfolio includes various family history and genealogy projects, it’s only natural that we’d find history to be especially fascinating and compelling.

In one of our recent ventures down the rabbit hole of interesting historical facts, we came across this article from Ranker.com, with historical stories that are so outlandish they almost seem fake.

For example, did you know that Albert Einstein’s brain was stolen after his death?  Apparently, the pathologist who examined the genius after his death took it upon himself to go against Einstein’s wishes and remove his brain for his own personal studies.

How about the fact that at one point during the Cold War, the CIA considered using an exploding cigar to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro?

Believe it or not, that was not the only “creative” idea the U.S. government had for taking out the infamous communist leader.

They also considered poisoning his milkshake, throwing grenades at him during a baseball game, and enlisting one of his former lovers to help take him out.

Ranker’s article also shares the truth behind some of history’s most well-known (but not actually true) tales. For instance, we all have likely heard about George Washington’s wooden teeth. While it’s true he did have horrible teeth, and lost almost all of them, it turns out that not one of his fake teeth were actually made of wood.

In reality, his first set of teeth was made out of ivory, while later sets were made from lead, gold, and brass screws. And, unbelievably, he even had dentures made of real teeth, which he obtained from his slaves.

For more astonishing historical facts, check out Ranker’s Weird Historical Stories That Sound Made Up. And be sure to let us know which are your favorites!

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Choosing the Right Format When Writing Your Family History

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

You’ve dreamed of writing a family history book for years. In fact, you’ve even started wading through old documents, photos, and records.

But after countless hours of research, you’re stuck.

What do you do with all of the materials you’ve gathered? What’s the best way to present your family’s history? What kind of a story do you want to tell — and how do you want to tell it?

Where do you even start?

The great thing about family history projects is that the options are almost limitless.

Want to keep things simple? You can stick to a just-the-facts family tree.

Want a sweeping epic that spans generations? Consider writing a novel-length family biography that weaves your ancestors’ stories together with important historical events.

Not a huge fan of writing? You can tell your family’s story through a collection of letters, journals, photographs, and other documents.

Of course, the drawback to all of these choices is choosing the right one for your family and your goals for the project.

Not sure which option is right for you? Join us for a deep dive into some of our favorite options — along with the pros and cons of each one.

Traditional Genealogy

Traditional styles are, by far, is the most straightforward way to organize your family history. The traditional, basic format shows how each person in your lineage is connected.

Considering this approach? Try one of these options:

Family Tree Style.

This style offers the bare facts of your ancestors, including names, birth and death dates, and how they relate to each other within the family line.

Family tree diagrams are great for illustrating smaller family relations, but can easily become quite cumbersome for larger families.

Ahnentafel Style.

Also known as a 'pedigree chart,' this option is similar to -- but more complex than -- a family tree and is a popular choice for historian archivists.

These charts can vary in layout, but they are always organized with the information starting in the present and moving backward into the past along the direct lineage. The information is organized based on a specific numbering and charting system that tracks family units or groups.

Register Style.

Another popular option with historic archivists and professional genealogists. Also known as the “Descendancy,” this style is the opposite of the Ahnentafel as it works from the past into the present from a common ancestor. Like the Anhentafel, though, this option uses a numbering system to organize people into families. However, registers also feature a very basic paragraph about each person that includes: the place of birth/baptism and birth/baptism date(s); place of death/burial and death/burial date(s); and place of marriage and marriage date.

Why go traditional?

All three styles of traditional genealogy are a great way to organize your research and data while compiling your family history.

And, since these options are focused on names, dates, and places, they’re great options if you’re not interested in doing a lot of writing.

They are also perfect for the genealogist and anyone else who wants to organize their information before starting a more writing-intensive option.

Drawbacks to consider:

While these formats make it easy to organize the data in a logical way, they’re not very exciting.

The end result is a dry, bare-bones list of names and dates, with no in-depth details about your family’s rich history.

Journaled Scrapbook

Also known as a “heritage scrapbook,” this style of family history includes names and dates, but it keeps things interesting with the addition of photos, notes, stories, documents, letters, journal entries, newspaper clippings, and anything else you can think of.

You can use a scanner and simple layout software to create your scrapbook digitally. This gives you the option to print multiple copies for several members of your family.

Or you can keep things old-school and create a one-of-a kind, paper-crafted scrapbook that that is placed within a binder.

Why this is a great option:

With the journaled scrapbook format, you can use a lot more of the documents and old photos you found in your research instead of letting them sit in a box.

Photos help give a rich element to your family history. You can even embellish them in a creative way with written narratives and any other documents you like.

Things to consider:

Printing can increase the overall cost of your project — especially if you’re using lots of photos and other graphics.

On the other hand, if you choose to do a paper-crafted scrapbook, you can save money — but you’ll be limited to only one copy to share with your family.

Theme-Based Family History

A theme-based family history is a great way to capture that interest while also chronicling the people along your lineage.

Did your family love to cook? Write a book of recipes shared across the generations, along with the stories about where the recipes came from and other interesting details.

Were there a lot of military men and women in your family? Write about their bravery and experiences during their service, and how that affected the family line.

Maybe there were plenty of “black sheep,” adventurers, or renegades in your family line. Base your family history around their colorful experiences.

Really, there is no shortage of ideas on topics you could use to present your family histories.

Why choose a theme-based option:

There are lots of topics you can choose from within your family history to write about.

Whether visual or narrative in form, it is a great way to present a special family theme that can be shared with all your relatives. You can mix photos, documents, and narratives along with items like recipes, letters, etc.

What to know before you start:

Just like with a journaled scrapbook, theme-based history books often include lots of photos, notes, and other documents, which means it can be costly to print.

Creating a book with a special theme or narrow scope also means leaving out many other aspects and stories — or even people — that don’t fit within the book’s focus.

Family Biography

A family biography is a narrative story of a whole family’s history, and it can provide a look at a direct family line/surname or a broader view of several directly connected lines.

This format is a lot like a novel.

You write a narrative about your ancestors using notes, memories, and a bit of creative license here and there.

Your family’s narrative is set against a historical backdrop and often includes information about historical events, politics, economic conditions, and other historical circumstances that influenced your descendants.

Why a biography?

This format gives you the ability to use all the facts you collected in a more compelling way while bringing your family’s history alive.

You can get in-depth and provide meaning and context. You can also tell some amazing stories without worrying if they’ll “fit” within a specific space or theme.

Drawbacks of a biography-style book:

This option works best if you have plentiful resources to draw upon, such as old letters and journals actually written by family members you are writing about.

Without that firsthand perspective, it’s all too easy to make assumptions about your ancestors’ actions, beliefs, and decisions.

Anthology-Style History

This format an anthology, which is a collection of stories typically written to fit into a certain subject or theme.

To use this format you would select which family members’ stories you want to highlight and write each one separately.

Each family member’s story would be a chapter or section in our book, and each story would work together in some way to illustrate a certain theme, idea, time period, or even a memory.

Again, there is no shortage of ideas for compiling an anthology-style family history. You could write stories about all the women or all the men in one direct line.

Or you could even transcribe family members’ memories or interpretations of a certain important family event.

The benefits of an anthology:

This format can include more in-depth information into each individual, creating a more complete portrait of each family member you write about.

You can also ask family members to write their own stories and send them to you, which means less writing work for you — and more colorful and varied stories for readers.

The challenges of an anthology-style approach:

While it is said everyone has a story to tell, not every family member’s story will be equally compelling.

You’ll need to make sure that you have enough stories to make an interesting book, and you should be willing to scale the project up or down as needed.

For example, you might find that, out of ten women in your family, only six have stories that would be interesting to others.

And if you are having other family members write their own stories, you may find they don’t write well and may get narrative back that needs to be rewritten.

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Event Histories

Another interesting way to write your family’s history is by capturing certain events and writing about how they affected your ancestors.

Going from past to present, taking a large, or even smaller, historical event that your ancestors experienced can be an interesting way of presenting the facts of both the event and your family and show how it shaped the family line.

Examples: Did you have groups of ancestors who documented their experiences during the Civil War?

Maybe you have a relative who was alive during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

Or maybe you’d like to focus on a direct ancestor’s arrival in America and how that changed his life and future of the family.

The pros of taking a historical approach: Writing about your ancestors in a historical context can bring out stories you may never have thought of before.

And learning how certain events influenced them or pushed them to do certain things and see life in a certain way can add a great richness to your family history.

A few cons to consider: Certain events — such as war, natural disasters, and the like — can be difficult or even depressing to write about, and you may even hear a few stories that you wish you hadn’t.

This isn’t to say that every story in your family history has to have a happy ending — but it’s best to be prepared to hear some less-than-positive details.

Memoir

A memoir is a historical account written from one’s own personal experience.

To write a memoir about your family history, you, the writer, would write an account of your family history and the members of your family.

You could also consider writing about an important event as it relates to your family from your own memories, interpretations, experiences, and your conducted research.

While some people choose to interview family members for their perspectives when writing a memoir, most memoirs are written solely from the perspective of the author.

Depending on your age and your memory recall, the time span of your family’s history would be closer to the present and be more subjective in nature than complete fact.

Example: The Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

The good:

This format offers you flexibility and creativity to blend family facts with your own memories and personal interpretation. If you enjoy writing, you’ll likely find that this is one of the most interesting and compelling ways to highlight your family’s history through your own personal lens.

The (potentially) not-so-good:

One of the biggest problems with this sort of family history is the subjective nature of the writing.

It is typically based mostly on your own interpretation and assumptions with no room for other family member’s input. You may find that you are too personally entwined with the events, which it can cloud your memory and hinder your ability to write objectively.

Living Memory

Instead of relying solely on YOUR memory, you can collect all the memories you can from living relatives and combine them with surviving historical documents to produce a single narrative, anthology, or scrapbook.

Examples:  To help get you started capturing the memories of your family members, consider these resources: Your Story: A Guided Interview Through Your Personal & Family History  by Gift to the Future2000 Inc (Author), Inc Staff Gift To The Future 200 (Author); The Story of a Lifetime: A Keepsake of Personal Memoirs by Pamela Pavuk  (Author), J. Richard Huxen (Author); To Our Children’s Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come by Bob Greene (Author), D. G. Fulford (Author)

What’s great about this option:

By including stories from multiple family members, you’re sure to get a wide variety of viewpoints, ideas, and stories to include in your book.

Your relatives will feel more included and this format really makes the book a true family story.

What‘s challenging about it:

People often remember things differently — and with so many different voices and viewpoints, you might get conflicting memories to the same stories.

You may also get stories that don’t work cohesively together (this is why it might be helpful to provide family members with pre-written questions or to interview them in groups).

Vintage Photos
Image by Transport Executive

Of course, if you love the idea of putting together a family history — but feel apprehensive about the amount of research or writing required for your preferred format – a ghostwriter can help. Bringing in an outside resource can help you stay organized, keep your project on track, and help you fine-tune your writing.

Whether you choose a handmade scrapbook, an anthology of personal narratives, or a short-and-sweet family tree, you’ll find that this project will be rewarding for everyone involved. And you’ll likely learn a thing or two about your family along the way.

How Do You Find Out About Your Family History?

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

You have decided to explore your family history, and are ready to dive in, but you are not quite sure how to get started.

You’ve heard various family stories passed down from older generations, but you don’t know which stories are factual or which are exaggerated versions of the truth.

You also have a pile of random genealogy documents that were given to you by a family member, yet you are unsure what do to with them and how to incorporate them into your research.

Examining your family history can be a lot of fun, and extremely rewarding. If you are not prepared, though, it can also be very frustrating and exhausting.

To help you get started on your genealogical journey, we have come up with 10 great steps.

Step 1: Get organized

This may seem like an obvious first step, but it is imperative that you start by figuring out how you are going to organize yourself.

If you are planning on combining online research with in-person research, chances are you are going to have a lot of different pieces of your genealogical puzzle floating around (both physically and online).

If you are “old school” and like to have physical copies of all of your documents, maybe an old fashioned filing cabinet is the best way to go. A file folder for each family member may be the best way to keep all of your documents organized and easily accessible.

However, if a lot of your research is being done online, you may find it a bit inconvenient (not to mention expensive) to print out every interesting document you come across. Plus, if you are planning to go back many generations, you could easily have 600+ family members to keep track of.

Keeping a physical file on each of them may not be realistic. In that case, you may want to consider using folders on your computer desktop, and scanning in any physical documents you have.

Step 2: Zero in on what you want to research

Do you want to know as much information as you can find for every branch of your family tree? Or are you more interested in tracing your direct male lineage on your father’s side? Whatever your plan may be, it’s important to identify exactly what your research goals are.

Zeroing in on exactly what you are hoping to find and coming up with a research goal is going to help give you direction (and keep you from getting overwhelmed). Identifying these things early on can also help save you hours of valuable research time.

And once you have decided where you want your focus to be, stick with it and do not be tempted to multi-task on other areas of your family tree.

This is not to say that you can’t return to other parts of lineage at a later time. But, by focusing your research on one section at a time, you will save yourself from potential confusion and frustration.

Step 3: Start with what you know about your family history.

Now that you have decided on how you are going to organize yourself and what you want to focus on, you are ready to get started on the actual research.

The best place to start is with what you already know.

Start with your own name, date and place of birth, and any other vital information. Then add in your parents, your siblings, your grandparents, etc.. Once you get all of the information down that you already know, you will be able to easily identify any gaps where you are missing information.

Also, by starting with the information that you are already sure of, you will be able to more easily see if the branch of family you are researching is actually YOUR branch of the family.

As unique as you may think your name is, chances are high that your family is not the only family with your last name. If you start researching John Smith in Texas, you are going to get tons of results (most of which are probably not going to be the John Smith in your family).

However, if you know that you are searching for John Smith who was born on June 5th, 1895 in Giddings, Texas, you are more likely to get results that pertain to the correct John Smith.

Step 4: Talk to your family members

While you may have a lot of knowledge pertaining to your family history, it is likely that there are things that you don’t know. However, you may have a family member who can help fill in the blanks.

Taking the time to sit down with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. can provide you with a wealth of information.

Start by asking them the basics: What is their full name? When and where were they born? What were their parents’ names, and where were they born?

Any information that they can give you can prove to be incredibly helpful when you are trying to puzzle together bits of your family tree.

Knowing where your great grandparents were married, or when they lived in a particular city, can give you clues as to what kind of documents you should look for, and where they may be located.

And while hearing family stories can be an exciting way to motivate you to do your research, if you pay close attention, you can also frequently find important clues in those stories. Tweet this

If your grandmother is telling you about her great-grandparents who immigrated from Ireland in the mid-1800’s, that might clue you in to their reasons for coming to America. (In the mid-1800’s Ireland experienced a terrible famine, which caused nearly a million Irish people to immigrate to America).

Or, if you find out that your great-grandfather died when your grandfather was a young boy and your great-grandmother re-married soon after, you may discover that great-grandmother’s new husband adopted her children and changed their last name.

Just be sure to take notes (or record!) when talking to family members, so that you have something to look back on at a later time.

And if you need some ideas for questions to ask, check out our great guide to family history interviews.

Step 5: Choose an online genealogy site

Genealogical research can be done without the help of sites such as Ancestry and MyHeritage. To be honest, though, these sites just make it so much easier.

For starters, they allow you to build an online family tree, which is an incredibly helpful tool for keeping track of family relations. They are also great resources for doing the research itself.

There are a lot of genealogy/family tree sites out there, so you will want to do your homework and figure out which one works best for your particular needs. Some of my personal favorites are:

  • Ancestry
  • FamilySearch
  • MyHeritage
  • Archives

A lot of these sites do require a paid membership, so be sure to pay attention to the fine print when making your choice.

Some are more expensive than others, but forking out the additional money may be worth it, depending on your needs.

Ancestry, for example, tends to run a bit higher than some others, but their site is incredibly user-friendly and contains a wealth of information. Their family tree tool also allows you to store facts and documents for each individual member, which is invaluable when working with a large family tree.

If paying a monthly fee does not work for you, though, be sure to check out FamilySearch. They have a vast collection of records from all over the world, and will even allow you a free membership where you can build a basic family tree.

Once you have decided on a site to use, start plugging in the information that you already know. Once you have built out your initial family tree, you can use the site to help organize the documents you find.

Step 6: Analyze and cross-check your facts

As great as genealogy sites are, the reality is that (for many of them) any Tom, Dick, or Harry can input information. This is why it is extremely important to analyze facts that you come across, and cross-check those facts with other information you have.

For example, if you get an Ancestry hint that tells you that your great-grandmother was married in 1930, be sure to look for an actual marriage certificate or record that can confirm that fact.

Also, you should keep in mind that many of the records out there are not always 100% accurate. Things such as old census records and ship manifests can contain some great information, but because they were generally handwritten by the person taking the record, they are susceptible to human error.

I have personally spent hours trying to find a family on a census record, only to eventually locate them recorded under a completely different last name.

It turned out that the handwriting of the census taker was not the greatest, so when the record was entered into the database, the person doing the data entry mis-read the last name and entered them incorrectly.

It is also important to remember that when your ancestors first immigrated to America, people were not so particular about the way their name was spelled. One day it might be John Smith, and the next it might appear as Jon Smithe.

Depending on the country of origin, many immigrants also had multiple first, middle, and last names. Some documents may show their full names, while others may have any combination of first and last names or shortened versions of the name.

For example, a ship manifest may show the immigration of Johann Heinrich Ludwig Schmidt, while the census later that year may have the same person listed as Joe Henry Smith. It may not be until you compare the two documents and see that each has a family of 5 with a wife named Marguerite, and children named Peter, Maria, and George (whose ages match), that you will realize they are one in the same.

For this reason, these kinds of records should be used as tools to find the clues you are looking for, and not as factual documents.

Step 7:  Identify other possible resources

While genealogy sites are a great resource, they are not the only places to find information. Some other great resources for genealogical research are:

  • Census records
  • Ship manifests
  • Obituaries and wills
  • Land and tax records
  • Old newspapers
  • Family bibles
  • Old journals

Many of these things are available online, and can be found by doing a simple Google search.

As you dive deeper into your family history, though, you may find that at some point you will hit a brick wall in your research. While genealogy sites are constantly updating their database, there are some records that are simply not available online.

Depending on where your ancestors lived, the records that you are looking for may be located in a variety of different places. The first trick is figuring out where those records may be. This is where some general knowledge of history comes in handy.

If you know the ancestor you are looking for immigrated from Germany in the 1800’s, you will need to understand the fact that Germany did not become a unified state until 1871. So, depending on the area that they lived in, the records you are seeking may or may not actually be located in what is now known as Germany.

Even if it turns out they are located in Germany, you will need to do some research to determine if they are housed in the state archives, a civil registration office, or possibly even in the storage room of the local Parish.

And although some records may be available on an online database, many of them can only be located by physically traveling to the locations and searching through the records there. This is where difficulties such as language barriers can come into play, which bring us to our next step…

Step 8: Consider hiring a professional

At some point in your research, you may come to the realization that your project is just too big for you to handle on your own.

It may be that you just don’t have the time needed to do the research, or maybe you have exhausted all of the resources you have online and need someone who can physically travel to a research site to look for the missing information.

Whatever your reason may be, hiring a professional genealogist can be a great way to solve the mysteries of who your ancestors were.

While there are a variety of reasons why hiring a professional genealogist can be a good idea, here are some of the top reasons:

They understand the records:

Because genealogists spend their days sorting through a wide variety of records, they have the ability and knowledge to easily read those records and quickly find the information they are looking for.

They will also know of where certain records reside, and will likely even have resources that you never knew existed.

They have access to more resources:

People who live and breathe genealogy generally have memberships to various genealogical societies, as well as access to many different genealogy sites and resources.

Hiring someone who has a plethora of tools at their disposal will ensure that they will be able to find information that you cannot find on your own.

Professional genealogist also frequently network with other genealogists around the world, and can use those contacts to help them access documents from across the globe.

They are professional skeptics:

As exciting as it is to have a family lore passed down from generation to generation, professional genealogists understand that family legends do not necessarily equate to reality.

Genealogists are trained to be skeptical of things, and to search out facts. And when one “fact” is found, genealogists know how to check and double-check to make sure that what they found really is accurate.

They are experts at research:

When it comes down to it, tracing genealogy really is just a huge research project. And who better for the job than professional researchers?

Genealogists not only know how to find the documents they are looking for, but are skilled at doing the kind of in-depth research needed to find the needle in the haystack.

They moonlight as historians:

Most good genealogists are also highly knowledgeable historians. They have a vast understanding of history around the world, and use that knowledge to assist in their research.

Remember my example about knowing that Germany did not become a unified state until 1871? That is the kind of information that a genealogist readily knows, and can use in their quest to trace your family’s roots.

They have the time:

Let’s face it; genealogical research is an extremely time-consuming pursuit. Hiring someone who can devote hours a day to your project will get you results much quicker than if you try to do bits and pieces yourself, whenever you have a spare minute. 

Step 9: Decide what to do with the information you find

Once you have decided what you want to focus your research on, and how you are going to go about getting the information, you need to figure out what you want to do with your end results.

Is this project just a quest to answer your own questions about your ancestry? Or are you hoping to be able to share your findings with the rest of your family?

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your family history. If you don’t have any close family and really just want this information for your own knowledge, then a simple family history report may suffice.

If you have a large extended family, though, you may decide that you want to somehow share your findings with them.

Step 10: Share your findings

The possibilities are endless when it comes to sharing your genealogy results. How you do it just depends on what you visualize for yourself. Some common ways of sharing results include:

  • Family tree diagrams
  • Family history books
  • Research reports
  • Power-point presentations
  • Online genealogy sites

No matter what you decide to focus your research on, and how you ultimately share your findings, you are sure to find that making the decision to trace your family history will be an eye-opening and rewarding adventure!

African American Lineage: 9 Steps to Tracing the Ancestry of Slaves

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

For many people wishing to trace their heritage back to the time their ancestors immigrated to America, there are numerous sources and resources available.

But what if your ancestors did not come to this country of their own free will? What if, instead, they were brought here hundreds of years ago by slave traders?

Often, for people with African ancestry, it seems impossible to trace lineage beyond a handful of generations. This serves as a stark reminder that just over 150 years ago, black people were seen as property, and were treated and documented as such.

While the abhorrent practice of slavery definitely makes it difficult to trace the ancestry of people forcefully brought here from Africa, with a little digging and a keen eye, it’s not impossible. And, in most cases, the first step is finding the names of the slave owners.

But how is that done? And how does knowing the name of the slave owner help track the African American’s ancestry?

Keep reading, as we show you how with these nine helpful steps.

9 Steps to Tracing the Ancestry of Slaves

1. Start with oral history.

When it comes to any kind of genealogical research, the best place to start is with what you and your family members know.

If you don’t know anything beyond your grandparents’ generation, for example, talk to the oldest members in your family and find out what they know. Ask them for stories that were passed along to them by their grandparents.

While oral history is not always 100 percent accurate, it generally contains at least some truth. And chances are, there are clues hidden within the stories your grandparents were told.

Use those clues to figure out where your ancestors lived 100 years ago, how they made money, or the names of their parents and siblings.

2. Use the 1870 Census records to find clues.

If you can pinpoint approximately where your family lived right after the Civil War, chances are you may be able to locate them on the 1870 Census.

This is the first census that included the names of former slaves.

That’s because prior to 1865, slavery was legal and only 10 percent of African Americans were free. And, because they were considered property, the names of slaves were not generally included on the census.

Once you have located your ancestors on the 1870 Census, take note of all of their names and ages.

These are going to be the clues you will need to locate them on earlier census records.

Next, check the census records for white families in the area with the same or similar last name. While many former slaves changed their names once they were freed, some of them kept the surnames of their former owners.

Using the names of white families in the area with the same name, you can then check the 1860 Census and slave schedule to see which of those families were slave owners.

Although slaves were not usually listed by name on those census records, they were sometimes listed by age and occasionally first name.

By subtracting 10 years from the ages of your ancestors in the 1870 Census, you can search for white households with slaves that match the names and ages of your ancestors in 1860. Then do the same for 1850, 1840, and so on.

While census records can provide a lot of key information, the biggest thing you’ll want to take note of is the name of the earliest slave owner. This will give you more clues as to how to trace your family back even further.

3. Check wills and probate records.

Once you think you’ve found the name of the earliest slave owner, you’ll want to find any wills or probate records for that person.

Sadly, as slaves were seen as possessions, they were often listed as an owner’s assets, alongside things such as livestock, farm equipment, furniture, and household goods.

And just as those things were passed along in wills, slaves were also frequently left as an inheritance to the deceased owner’s family.

Finding your ancestor listed in a slave owner’s will and probate can give you clues to other enslaved family members that may have resided in the household. It can also give you a name for the person to whom those family members were given.

Likewise, finding the will or probate for a slave owner’s father can possibly show how that slave owner came to possess the slave in the first place.

4. Search the Freedmen’s Bureau.

If finding your ancestors on the census or in wills and probate records was not a success, it’s possible they can instead be found in the Freedmen’s Bureau catalog.

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau) was established in 1865 to help newly freed African Americans transition to life outside of slavery.

Although the Bureau was abolished in 1872, its catalog of resources is a very valuable asset for those looking for information on former slaves.

From 1865-1872, the Bureau tracked everything from marriage records and labor contracts to housing and sharecropping agreements.

And many of those records included the name of the former slave owners.

If you are able to find your ancestors on any of these records, chances are high that you will also find the names of their former owners. From there, you can pop back into the census records again, and track backwards to the earliest slave owner.

5. Search the Freedman’s Bank records.

The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, also known as the Freedman’s Savings Bank, was established in 1865 as a way to help former slaves establish financial stability and independence.

The Bank’s records, which can be searched online, frequently contain information such as dates of application, account numbers, and the depositor’s name, signature, age, complexion, place of birth, place raised, occupation, spouse’s name, children’s names, and other family members’ names. Additionally, many of the records also include the name of the former slave owner.

6. Check military records.

Military records possess a wealth of knowledge if you know what you’re looking for.

More than 178,000 free blacks and freedmen served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the Civil War. If your ancestor was one of those men, their service records can be found in the U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records database.

From there, you can use their information to find them in the Civil War Pension Index, which often lists the names of slave owners, as well as information about the regiment in which the soldier served.

In addition, many of the pension applications include explanations of name discrepancies.

For example, for a former slave who changed their name, the record may be under the slave owner’s surname.

So, the pension application may contain a statement saying, “When I enrolled, the military used my slave owner’s surname of Smith, but my real name is Jones.”

Again, this is a good way to find the name of the former slave owner, which can then be used to track them on the census records prior to 1870.

7. Use historical records databases.

The African American Historical Record Collection as well as the database of U.S. Interviews with Former Slaves contain thousands of first-person interviews with former slaves, slave manifests, slave emancipation records, and hundreds of black and white photographs of people who were formerly enslaved.

Both databases are easily searchable, so ancestors can be found using anything from first and last names to dates of birth, marriage dates, places lived, and more.

The stories and information housed within these collections often contain priceless clues that can help trace ancestry even further.

8. Take a DNA test.

While a DNA test is not going to give you all of the answers you’re looking for, it can at least confirm the presence of your ancestors in a particular part of the country. And for people who don’t know where to search, this can give you a place to start.

In addition, DNA tests can match you up with people with shared ancestors. By reaching out to those people and finding out what they know, you can frequently find more pieces to the big puzzle that you’re trying to solve.

Unfortunately, though, when it comes to finding out where your ancestors came from before they were brought to this country as slaves, most DNA tests fall short.

This is because most of the major DNA companies, such as Ancestry and 23andMe, have limited representation for people outside of European heritage.

So, results for people of African ancestry are not very informative or detailed.

That being said, by adding your DNA to these databases, you are helping to expand representation for people of your heritage, which will eventually result in more accurate and precise results.

In fact, 23andMe now has a program dedicated to diversifying their database and increasing representation from underrepresented populations around the world. Their program, called the Global Genetics Project, offers people free test results in exchange for their saliva donation, if all four of their grandparents were born in an under-sampled region of the world.

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9.  Hire a professional genealogist.

Sadly, tracing African American ancestry is no easy task. It takes a lot of time, patience, and a ton of extensive research.

If you have tried researching your ancestry, and find that you keep hitting dead ends, consider hiring a professional genealogist.

A professional genealogist will have the tools and experience needed to get past all of the brick walls and red tape to locate your ancestors and give you the answers you’re searching for.

5 Effective Tips for Self-Editing a Family History Book

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

“The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.” — Zadie Smith

Editing is a critical component of the writing process. After all, a well-written document needs polishing to ensure high quality. A common misconception is that editing involves “correcting” mistakes.

While proofreading takes care of typos and linguistic issues, editing is not about “correcting” issues. Editing involves fine-tuning texts to ensure they clearly communicate their intended message.

Editing, therefore, must become another tool that allows writers to get their message out there exactly as they intend.

When it comes to family history books, self-editing is a crucial first step in ensuring the best possible manuscript. Self-editing allows writers to see areas for improvement and refinement.

But how does one go about self-editing their own family history book?

Read on, as we discuss the essential elements to the editing process, as well as five effective tips for self-editing a family history book.

What is the editing process?

Writers consistently edit their writing. There is an ongoing process of modifying words, sentences, and paragraphs throughout the text. This editing process may cause writers to get stuck while attempting to phrase their ideas appropriately.

Generally speaking, most people believe that editing pertains to correcting grammatical and style mistakes.

While editing certainly involves these tasks, reviewing linguistic elements is just one of the steps in the overall editing process.

The overall editing process involves four main areas:

  1. Content and Developmental Editing. Content editing can happen at any time during the writing process. This part of the process involves reviewing the flow, organization, tone, and pacing of the material. This edit is crucial for family history books as it ensures the book includes the information needed to represent the family’s true identity accurately. Thus, content editing may involve verifying the accuracy of the information and sources to avoid factual errors.
  2. Line Editing. Line editing is highly useful to ensure the smooth flow of the narrative. Mainly, this edit seeks to eliminate repetitious phrases and run-on sentences, clarify meaning, and spruce up boring passages. Line editing reviews paragraph structure so that the entire text matches its intended tone.
  3. Copy Editing. In this edit, a review of linguistic conventions is key. A good way to ensure consistency throughout the text is to follow the rules contained in a style manual such as the Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Style Guide. Also, this review must ensure the text follows American or British English conventions to avoid mismatching them.
  4. Proofreading. Proofreading is generally the last step of the process. This edit focuses on spelling, punctuation, prepositions, extra spaces, and synonyms.

Please bear in mind that content and line editing do not aim to highlight grammatical and styling mistakes. While the content and line editing may signal issues, copy editing and proofreading must weed out these issues to ensure high quality text.

Why Editing is a MUST

The editing process is paramount to any successful family history book. It allows the writer’s message to surface throughout the text. Moreover, readers will get the most out of the information contained in the text.

In contrast, a lack of editing may cause a family history book to fail its purpose.

Furthermore, the people depicted in the narrative may become misrepresented due to a lack of adequate language use. Therefore, the editing process must become a crucial element of all family history book projects.

5 Effective Tips for Self-Editing a Family History Book

Family history book writers must ensure a high quality product. Thus, editing their manuscripts is an essential part of the entire process. While self-editing may sound a bit daunting, there are five things family history book writers can implement to ensure a top-notch editing process.

1. Automate proofreading.

The proofreading process can be painstaking and time-consuming.

In particular, proofreading long manuscripts may consume a significant chunk of time. In some instances, proofreading might even lead to significant delays in a family history book’s completion.

Fortunately, technology has facilitated proofreading through the use of automated tools. Automated proofreading tools such as Grammarly or Hemingway can greatly reduce the time needed to review grammar, spelling, punctuation, and major style issues.

While by no means perfect, these tools allow writers and editors to spot superficial issues, thereby freeing up time for more in-depth analysis and review.

Please remember that automated tools use artificial intelligence to review texts.

Therefore, one cannot expect these tools to replace the human eye.

Nevertheless, automated tools help save brainpower for line and content editing tasks.

2. Become the reader.

One of the biggest mistakes that writers make is to edit texts using a writer’s mindset. This writer’s mindset entails thinking about a text from the writer’s perspective as opposed to the reader’s perspective.

Indeed, the reader’s perspective is much different as the reader does not usually think about intent. The reader sees words in black and white. If the words do not convey their meaning adequately, the message will not get through to the reader.

Thinking like a reader also involves understanding the target audience. This understanding leads to using language, tone, and style that reflect the target audience’s thoughts and perceptions.

For example, a family history book intended for children and teenagers needs a more appropriate tone for a younger audience. In contrast, a scholars-oriented family history book would require a formal academic tone.

3. Think objectively.

Undoubtedly, a family history book project involves one’s emotions. These emotions are the “secret ingredient” that gives the family history book a unique flavor. However, writers must cast their feelings aside during the editing process.

How so?

When writers become too attached to their prose, it can be hard to rewrite some parts, move others, or eliminate sections.

Becoming overly attached to one’s writing can cloud judgment. Therefore, it is crucial to keep a level head.

Keeping a level head requires thinking objectively. Objective thoughts lead to a pragmatic editing process. Consider this common situation:

Family history books are laden with anecdotes. Nevertheless, anecdotes must contribute to the book’s overall narrative.

If an anecdote does not contribute to this narrative, it must go.

Making these decisions can be difficult, heartbreaking even.

The emotional attachment that comes with sharing a family’s most beloved stories may cause writers to face a dilemma. On the one hand, they are eager to include the most interesting stories in their family history book. On the other, it can be extremely hard to let go of stories that do not fit the book’s overarching theme.

Ultimately, maintaining an objective mindset can help determine what goes into the book and what does not. In the end, the material that does not make the cut can always become part of future projects.

4. Listen to others.

Self-editing often involves other people’s opinions. These opinions typically come from friends, family, co-workers, or colleagues.

Authors enlist third-party opinions in something akin to a beta reading project, where a group of people read the author’s manuscript and provide constructive feedback.

While this approach can yield some very good insights, it needs to follow a structured format. Otherwise, feedback may come haphazardly, essentially defeating the task’s purpose.

When enlisting third-party opinions from friends and family members, it is helpful to furnish them with a checklist they can use to provide structured feedback. This checklist can be as simple or as extensive as the author needs it to be.

The aim is to give the reader a framework they can use to hone their observations. Otherwise, broad statements and subjective valuations may overshadow the exercise’s purpose.

Consider this sample.

A family history book author used a Likert scale to gauge readers’ perception of specific elements. Here are the valuations:

  • 1 = totally agree
  • 2 = disagree
  • 3 = neutral
  • 4 = agree
  • 5 = totally agree

The questions on the checklist looked something like this:

  • Do you feel the book’s pace is appropriate?
  • Do you feel the book provides enough information about the characters?
  • Do you feel the book provides enough information about its historical context?
  • Do you feel the book’s tone is appropriate given the topic and context?
  • Do you feel the book is easy to read?
  • Do you feel the book describes situations clearly?

Lastly, the checklist provides space for readers to fill in comments and observations. This space allows folks to shed more light on what they feel requires improvement, revision, or inclusion.

This exercise enables writers to harness feedback and tweak the narrative to accurately reflect third-party readers’ impressions. In lieu of a professional editor, getting real-life feedback from real people can prove to be a valuable source of feedback.

5. Follow a style guide.

Following a style guide is crucial throughout the editing process.

While the writing process may involve a free flow of ideas, the editing process must have as much structure as possible.

Therefore, implementing a style guide can help focus the editing process, thus maintaining consistency throughout the text.

Here are the three most common style guides in use today:

  1. Associated Press Style Guide
  2. Chicago Manual of Style
  3. APA Style Manual

These style guides are the most common since they have stood the test of time. All three guides are highly useful in helping editors revise texts to meet the required criteria for publishing.

Please bear in mind that there is one monumental reason why self-editors must swear by a style guide: Using a style guide provides objective criteria.

Writers can take these objective criteria to mold linguistic and style elements. In short, using a style guide removes the guesswork from the editing process. It eliminates ambiguities and allows writers to structure prose carefully to match the tone and target audience.

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When to Hire a Professional Editor

Writing a family history book is a serious endeavor. The editing process is even more so. Consequently, authors may feel that outside help is necessary.

The question lies in knowing when to bring in outside help. So, here are five reasons why family history authors may choose to forego self-editing and enlist the help of a professional editor instead.

1. Content and Developmental Editing

It is often the case that authors find themselves with a massive manuscript but cannot seem to find an appropriate organization for it. In such circumstances, content editing is a must. A professional editor can take a manuscript to determine what should make the cut and what should not. From there, the author can refine the content to suit the book’s proposed content layout.

2. Lack of Editing Experience

When authors lack editing experience, it helps to bring in a professional editor.

Professional editors can tackle everything from developmental editing to proofreading.

By hiring a professional editor, authors can take the editing pressure off themselves and focus solely on researching and producing high quality content.

The professional editor will then ensure the content meets such high quality standards.

3. A Human Pair of Eyes

Even when automated tools save time and effort, a human pair of eyes is always welcome.

As of today, artificial intelligence cannot replace the value of the human brain. Therefore, family history book authors may choose to utilize automated tools for proofreading purposes but rely on a professional editor to review the manuscript.

This approach is highly useful when authors seek publication for their works.

4. An Objective Third Party

A professional editor is an objective third party. They can judge if information contributes to the overall narrative or not.

Moreover, professional editors do not have an emotional investment in the text.

While this does not imply editors are uncaring, they can see the forest for the trees. This objective insight is a valuable tool to ensure a top-notch product.

5. A Trusted Partner

Family history book authors do not have to go at it alone. Authors can enlist the help of a professional editor from the start.

In such cases, a professional editor can help an author produce a great text following a structured and measured method.

This approach is highly useful, especially for inexperienced writers. A professional editor’s expertise and guidance are crucial to seeing a family history project to fruition.

Final Thoughts

The editing process is just as valuable as the writing portion when producing a family history book.

While automated tools and style guides provide the fundamentals authors need to produce great texts, the role of a professional editor can take a great family history book to the next level.

A practical approach is to begin the self-editing process to refine a finished manuscript. Then, enlisting the assistance of a professional editor is important, particularly if the author plans to seek publication for their work.

It is pivotal for authors to view a professional editor as a trusted partner. In doing so, any family history book project will surely come to fruition regardless of how ambitious it may be.

10 Best Formats for your Company History Book

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Given all that goes into starting and successfully running a business, chances are that your company has a story to tell.

Have you been tasked with sharing it? Maybe you have a milestone anniversary to celebrate, a legacy to preserve, or a great brand origin to share.

Whatever the reasons, if you’ve thought about chronicling your company history, you may have discovered there are several styles and formats to consider.

If you don’t know where to begin, here are 10 company history books to get your creative juices flowing.

10 Best Formats for your Company History Book

1. Beyond the Pale- The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Ken Grossman’s memoir chronicles his personal experience as a homebrewer turned mega-successful craft brewer. In some 250 pages, Grossman shares not only his adventures and anecdotes but also the approach and mindset that built his brand. The book also contains a section of full-color photography depicting his journey, serving as a well-done combination of memoir and illustrative history.

2. Kaufman Fruit 100th Anniversary Book

In this 145-page history, the Kaufman family includes a wide variety of family and product photographs, more than 50 fruit recipes, and stories based on 30 interviews – a style to consider if your family business has interesting anecdotes to share.

3. Anadarko 20th Anniversary Book

This 165-page company history may look standard at first glance, but what stands out is the use of large, high-end photography, sometimes spanning a page or a full spread, as well as the incorporation of employees, past and present. If you have a strong culture and/or strong company imagery, this may be a style to consider for your book.

4. Behind the Cloud – The Salesforce.com Memoir

Written by the founder of Salesforce.com, this memoir reads like nothing else on our list. In fact, it’s more like a playbook on how the startup became one of the world’s fastest-growing software companies. If sharing industry or entrepreneurial knowledge is more your thing, this may be the history book style for your company.

5. The Cullen Way – J.P. Cullen 125th Anniversary Book

Family owned businesses and construction companies will want to consider this corporate history commissioned by three brothers in honor of their late father. In 155 pages, the book highlights the company’s construction project portfolio, a family tree, and a history that not only chronicles the business but also the family, dating back to the 1800s.

6. Aerojet 100th Anniversary Book

If the length and level of detail of some anniversary books make you shy away from the idea, take a look at Aerojet’s concise compilation of history and photos in just 45 pages. Bulleted copy and a timeline make the book easy to comb through, and there is no shortage of imagery, from products to personal photographs, to advertisements and newspaper clippings over the years.

7. Korte Company 50th Anniversary Book

If your company history archives include plenty of tangible mementos, consider a scrapbook-style chronicle. For this 145-page book, everything from drawings and floorplans, to newspaper clippings, to hand-written notes were scanned in and used to illustrate a 50-year history.

8. Godiva 90th Anniversary Coffee Table Book

As you might expect, Godiva Chocolate’s anniversary book is a decadent journey through the company’s craftsmanship over the years. Unlike many of the others on our list, this one takes a coffee-table-book approach, full of attractive product photos and pitched as the perfect gift for chocolate lovers – an angle to consider if you have an aesthetically pleasing product or service (think architecture, food, fashion, travel).

9. Black Hills Corporation 125th Anniversary Book

This 200-page company history includes a nice balance of text and imagery, but unlike some of the other books featured here, its design relies heavily on the energy company’s corporate colors – a great example of what can be done through graphic design should your business be lacking on photography.

10. Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic

In this memoir penned by the founders of retail great Banana Republic, husband-and-wife team Mel and Patricia Ziegler write in alternating voices to tell their remarkable story. The nearly 100-page book is filled mostly with text supplemented by black-and-white photography and artist illustrations. Said by reviewers to read like fiction, this book may be a good example for companies with a charismatic voice and a surprising story to inspire entrepreneurial success.

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The 5 Best Sites for Family History Research

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

“History remembers only the celebrated, genealogy remembers them all.”— Laurence Overmire

Recording one’s family history is a combination of mystery, admiration, and excitement. And pulling back on the layers of family history is one of the most rewarding endeavors anyone can undertake.

While tracing one’s roots is indeed a gripping proposition, finding reliable sources of information can prove to be challenging.

In some cases, enthusiastic family historians may have the willingness to do the legwork. However, they may not know where to begin.

In this article, we will discuss the five best sites for family history research. These sites contain a trove of genealogical information compiled through decades of research and data processing. Consulting these sites can provide family historians with a nudge in the right direction.

Understanding Sites for Family History Research

Traditional family history research involves going through archives such as birth, marriage, and death records, newspaper articles (still on microfiche sometimes), church registries, military documents, and personal items (photographs, letters, and diaries).

While these information sources can prove highly insightful, tracking down records can be extremely time-consuming and costly.

But what if there was some way to gather all of this information into a single database?

Thanks to information technology, compiling millions of records is now possible.

As computers took over every component of society, the gradual digitalization of most public records has enabled the creation of vast databases.

Nowadays, a great deal of information is publicly available.

The key is knowing where to find such information.

Even with a high degree of digitalization, it can be quite complex to sort through vast amounts of records. Doing so can prove equally time-consuming. Of course, sifting through digital records does not compare to thumbing through paper files at a local library or town hall.

Sites for family history research offer a viable alternative for uncovering one’s roots. These sites offer free and paid subscriptions that enable users to go through available records in hopes of finding useful data. For instance, a basic query using a family name can reveal the names, birthdates, and places of residence of long-lost relatives. More in-depth services can locate information on birthplaces, dates of death, and descendants.

Nowadays, family history sites offer a wide range of services. For instance, these sites offer comprehensive family history reports, photo albums, and video presentations. Indeed, paying for these types of services can greatly facilitate building one’s family history, particularly when there is very little to lead the way.

The question then becomes: What are the best sites for family history research?

The following sections will shed light on this crucial question.

The 5 Best Sites for Family History Research

1. Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com has established itself as the market leader in the online genealogy industry. Its ubiquitous television and internet advertising have positioned it in the minds of consumers. Most users regard Ancestry.com as the best overall family history research site.

In general, Ancentry.com has access to more than 27 billion records. Also, this family history research site offers DNA testing services. Its price ranges from $16.50 to $49.99 a month. The subscription packages’ costs increase depending on the options and services chosen.

Pros:

  • It has an enormous archival database.
  • It is quite user-friendly and has an intuitive feel.
  • It boasts great customer support.

Cons:

  • It is one of the priciest options on the market.
  • It offers a free 14-day trial. Access locks following the trial period.
  • Price increases are based on the types of records accessed.

The verdict:

On the whole, Ancestry.com is the best all-around value for serious family historians. It is a great starting point for anyone looking to recreate their family history, given its massive database and intuitive feel.

While it can get somewhat costly, access to Ancestry.com’s vast archives makes it a worthwhile investment. Users should strive to get the most out of this genealogy site considering its overall cost.

2. MyHeritage

MyHeritage is a relative newcomer to the online genealogy scene.

Nevertheless, this family history research site offers good value for money.

MyHeritage is not quite as robust as Ancestry.com. According to its company information, it holds roughly 12 billion records. It also offers DNA testing services. It offers virtually all of the same services as Ancestry.com, but it costs less, ranging from $129 to $299 annually.

Pros:

  • It offers a robust database.
  • It is a fun and user-friendly site.
  • It allows photo updating, such as colorizing older black and white photographs.

Cons:

  • It offers an annual, not monthly, subscription but it has a 14-day free trial.
  • Its database is not quite as extensive as Ancestry.com’s.

The verdict:

MyHeritage is a great alternative to Ancestry.com. It essentially offers the same features as Ancesty.com at a lower price point. Given that MyHeritage also offers DNA testing services, users can find a viable alternative in MyHeritage. Overall, MyHeritage offers good value for money.

3. Archives

Archives is a great option for family historians who want to conduct a profound search on specific topics.

This family history site holds more than 11 billion records. The bulk of these records come from official sources such as government records.

Nevertheless, Archives has access to a substantial number of documentary sources. Archives is a relatively simple, no-frills service. There is no specialized app. Its interface is rather simple but effective. Archives starts at $9.99 a month.

Pros:

  • It has a substantial database filled with official documentation.
  • It is an affordable option at $9.99 monthly and also has a 14-day free trial.
  • It allows users to build their family tree using quick search features.

Cons:

  • It does not offer DNA testing services.
  • It does not offer hints or search suggestions.
  • It has a relatively simple interface which may get somewhat cumbersome at times.

The verdict:

Archives is a great supplementary source for other databases such as Ancestry.com or MyHeritage. Archives is great for searching old government or military records. As such, it is highly useful in tracking official information. Archives is a go-to option when searches hit dead ends.

4. FamilySearch

FamilySearch arguably delivers the best value for money as it is free to use.

This family history site functions on volunteer work. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints runs and maintains this site, hence its no-cost offer.

Overall, this site has uploaded more than 6 billion records since 1999. It is a great alternative for those looking to deepen their detective work. Like Archives, FamilySearch is a great ancillary source of information. The site is nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, the value it delivers more than outweighs its lack of a snazzy interface.

Pros:

  • It is totally free to use.
  • It offers a significantly large database filled with census data, military records, and certificates.
  • It is a long-running site that offers a reliable service.
  • They offer free genealogy classes.

Cons:

  • It limits one family tree per account. Multiple trees require multiple accounts.
  • There are no DNA testing services available.
  • It’s interface may be relatively unfriendly for some users.

The verdict:

Given that FamilySearch is a free site, it is a no-brainer. While some may choose to use it as a springboard before committing to a paid subscription service, FamilySearch does have its limitations. Therefore, FamilySearch could very well serve as a great starting point for novice family historians. And the free genealogy classes offered by the site is an added bonus for beginning family historians.

5. Find My Past

Find My Past is a great option for persons of European descent.

This great family history research site focuses on European family history, particularly British and Irish ancestry.

Anyone who wishes to trace their European roots can find a great deal of information on this site, as it holds more than 2 billion records.

Find My Past’s archive may seem small, but it holds a treasure trove of data, considering that it has records dating back to AD 850.

Subscriptions on this site start at $129 annually.

Pros:

  • It is ideal for those researching European roots.
  • It offers DNA support services.
  • It allows users to create multiple family trees.

Cons:

  • It lacks a dedicated app.
  • Its archive is relatively limited, particularly to those who do not have European roots.
  • The DNA testing kit costs $89. Nevertheless, users can upload their DNA information from other sources.

The verdict:

Find My Past is a highly specific tool that is a useful secondary research alternative. This site can serve as a springboard for those who have European roots. From there, users may choose to sign up for other services such as MyHeritage or Ancestry.com. Find My Past offers good value for money despite charging extra for DNA testing services. On the whole, Find My Past delivers good overall value.

When to Hire a Genealogist

Online family history research sites help facilitate genealogy. These sites can greatly support in-person research, such as going to local libraries, town halls, or military offices.

However, there may be times when family historians may hit a wall. This proverbial wall usually entails leads drying up or somehow being unable to tie up loose ends.

In these situations, genealogy experts can provide an effective service.

A genealogist is a professional who specializes in researching family ancestry. These professionals have the knack for following leads and tying up pesky loose ends.

While they are research experts, they have something even more valuable: experience.

A genealogist’s experience lies in solving situations novice family historians may be unable to decipher. For instance, genealogists are familiar with records, archives, and databases that can help overcome dead ends. Moreover, a genealogist can help family historians craft an accurate representation of their family tree, narrative, and identity.

Additionally, enlisting the help of a professional genealogist can expedite the research process. Genealogists can aid family historians in sourcing records and even use their connections to gain access to archives. Indeed, hiring a genealogist may prove to be the best investment family historians can make.

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When to Hire a Professional Writer

Some family historians may be eager to put their family history on paper. After all, extensive research into family history merits a worthy vehicle to showcase its value. For example, family historians may opt to write a book or memoir chronicling their entire family history or highlighting specific chapters of it.

Writing a book, memoir, or diary may prove to be a substantial undertaking. As a result, hiring a professional writer can help get this part of the process off the ground.

Professional writers have the skill and experience to take raw data (dates, numbers, facts) and translate them into an articulate narrative that appropriately depicts a family’s underlying narrative.

While they are both very valuable on their own, in tandem, a genealogist and a professional writer can form a successful collaboration.

These professionals can come together to build a clear representation of a family’s history.

After all, extensive data, records, documentation, photographs, and even DNA information need someone to thread them together into a seamless tale that preserves the voices of the forgotten ones.

One Final Thought

Researching family history is a marvelous undertaking. It is a labor of love. Thus, attempting to rush it may prove counterproductive. However, allowing a family history project to stagnate also does a disservice to a family’s heritage. Consequently, utilizing family history research sites can spur a stalled family history project onward. These sites can help untie knots and overcome obstacles. There is a very good chance that the missing piece of the puzzle is just a few keystrokes away.

Author and professor Liam Callanan once noted, “We all carry inside us, people who came before us.”

Indeed, every individual on this planet is the sum of their ancestors. So, it is only fitting that those that have come and gone take their rightful place in their family’s history.

While society may only celebrate the lives of a few, genealogy has the power to bring back those left behind by the history books.

Picking the Best Format to Write Your Life Story

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

You’ve had an interesting life, and you want to share your story with the world. You want to share lessons learned, leave a legacy for your family, or preserve favorite memories. You’ve thought about writing a book more than once, but you’re not sure where to start.

In fact, you’re not even sure what kind of book you should write.

Should you tell your story in chronological order, starting with the day you were born? Should you aim for a series of “snapshots” of important events in your life? Do you want to focus on one aspect of your life, like your career? Do you want to write about a challenge you’ve had to overcome?

We know. That’s a lot to think about.

First of all, don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed.  A book is a big project, and there are several great options for writing your life story. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular options, and help you decide which is best for you.

Autobiography or Memoir?

Although you’ve probably heard these two terms used interchangeably, there’s actually a difference between an autobiography and a memoir. Both are great options for telling your story, but the option you choose will depend on things like your goals for the book, the focus of your book, and the types of stories you want to share.

The Autobiography

An autobiography is a sweeping factual narrative of your life.

It’s written in chronological order from your birth to the present moment.

It is based on factual events rather than memories and emotions, and highlights the experiences and accomplishments throughout your lifetime.

All autobiographies are written in first-person, typically by the author themselves, but can also be written by a ghostwriter.

While this format is normally used by famous people who have a lot of accomplishments and experiences to document, anyone can write an autobiography.

Within the autobiography format, there are two main approaches.

  1. You can write your life story strictly based on your history and accomplishments, listing the events of your life in consecutive order so your readers can learn about you and your life experiences.
  2. You can write your life story based on a particular theme. How would you define your life in one key message? Maybe it’s the idea that love conquers all, or a theme like overcoming adversity and never giving up. By determining one main theme and weaving it through the all facts of your life, it makes for a more interesting story and creates a better flow.

In fact, many of the best autobiographies out there have a central idea that blends with the author’s entire life story throughout the book.

Pros: This is a little easier to write, due to the chronological and factual nature of the format. Unlike some of the other options available, an autobiography can be straightforward and simple; there is no need to use literary devices or embellishments.

Cons: Presenting your life story in a strictly factual, linear way can be less interesting than a memoir. The “just the facts” approach also means you’ll need to do lot of fact checking and research. Also, it can be difficult writing about yourself, especially in the first person, without it feeling stilted. You might find that you sound too humble or even too arrogant — it’s hard to strike the right balance.

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The Memoir

Unlike an autobiography, a memoir focuses on a more specific point in time based on your memories and the feelings of that time period.

It is meant to re-create the past instead of merely record it, which makes for a more interesting read.

This format is also written in the first person but is less formal. Instead of emphasizing factual events, a memoir is focused on how you remember or were affected by these events.

One of the great things about this type of format is that it gives you, the author, great flexibility. You can write about anything. This is also a great option if you find that you really enjoy writing:  because a memoir covers only one aspect, event, or time period in your life, you can write numerous memoirs about other experiences.

You can write a memoir about your childhood, your travels, your family, your career, or anything else. Think about a key theme or lesson and how it affected or shaped you then and now. You can write about a single personal event that happened; a single historical event; a series of connected events that have a common thread; or an external person or event to you and how it/they affected or shaped you, your life, and your outlook on life.

Pros: You can write  about virtually any topic, theme, experience, or event. Plus, because you’re writing about your own memories and events in your life and not about your accomplishments, it’s easier to write without sounding stilted or over-indulgent. And if you love to write, you can write numerous memoirs.

Cons: Writing a memoir takes a little more writing skill to make the story flow in an interesting way. Also, your memories could be less clear than the real events which could possibly open you up to liability issues. Other things to consider are privacy of others and the potential of alienating yourself from friends or family depending on your subject matter.

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Many Ways to Write Your Life Story

Now that you know the difference between an autobiography and a memoir, it’s also important to know that these aren’t the only two ways to write your life story. Consider these optional formats:

The Diary or Journal

Many people regularly journal or keep a diary to chronicle their life’s experiences. If you have kept a journal over the years, then you are even closer to writing your life’s story.

It doesn't matter if you have never journaled before.

You can start right now to keep track of your daily life and use that as a springboard to writing your story.

Using a theme or single topic as you journal can be a good way to get started.

Plus, if you do it in this format, you can take a mix of both the autobiographical format and the memoir format by doing it chronologically but with more emotion and not as much fact.

You can also simply intermix the memoir and diary formats together and write your memoir as if you were doing journal entries.

Pros: You may have already been keeping a diary or journal throughout your lifetime, so it makes a great format to start with as much of the writing is already done. You can also still build around a central theme or simply write your memories out in this format.

Cons: Many diaries or journals contain mundane thoughts, feelings, and daily events that aren’t interesting to write about or read. It can be harder to go through each entry and extract the interesting parts from what is probably not all that interesting. Oftentimes, keeping a diary or journal will lead to a lot of rambling and usually there isn’t a cohesive theme or event to it.

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The Biography

A biography is the telling of person’s life story—typically a famous person—by another author.

It is usually written in the third-person voice (he/she) and is also factual in content and written in chronological order from birth to the present moment, just like an autobiography.

But just because biographies are normally written by someone else, there is no rule book that says you can’t write your own biography!

All you need to do is take your story and write as if it happened to someone else. 

You can also write your memoir this way using a he/she form of writing.

Pros: Writing in the third person vs. first person can help you detach from your story so you can see it more objectively. Also, much like an autobiography, this format is based on facts and an easy to follow timeline, so you can write in a more direct way without a lot of added fluff like you would in a memoir or autobiographical novel.

Cons: Writing in the third person form can be difficult when writing about yourself and your achievements. You also must still focus on the historical events of your life and the facts which means a lot of research and fact checking is necessary.

Suggested Reading:

The Autobiographical Novel

Another way to present your life story is writing a fictionalized book based on the true or remembered events of your life.

Why write your life story as if it were made up and put it into novel form?

Certainly, there are risks when you write your life story and present a factual (autobiography) or semi-factual (memoir) account.

Liability, privacy, protecting other people who are still living, and a sensitive subject matter are all good reasons to choose this format.

Of course, writing in a fiction format can also be a good way to embellish on facts that aren’t quite so interesting. Just remember to never make up facts and portray them as truth within your life story. You can use truth within your fiction, but not the other way around.

Pros: By choosing this format, you can avoid hurting family, friends, and other people that are a part of your story. You can also protect yourself from liability issues by presenting sensitive topics and information as fiction. Plus, if you don’t fully remember all the events you’re writing about, it might be better to present them as fiction. And writing in novel form allows you to embellish on the facts that aren’t quite so interesting.

Cons: Presenting the truth as made up doesn’t give the healing or closure on certain events or topics in your life which is something many people try to do when telling their life story. Also, you want people to know it is your story and writing in fiction can cause confusion to your audience.

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Alternative Formats

Want to do something completely unique?

The great thing about writing your own story is that, well, it’s yours. And that means you can tell it any way you choose.

The only limit is your creativity.

Here are some ideas of other formats you can try:

  1. Like almost everyone, you probably have a phone in your hands at any given moment. Start taking video of important experiences and events to create a video autobiography.
  2. Create an audio or oral autobiography by voice recording yourself talking about your life, history, events, or anything you want to talk about to your intended audience.
  3. Take a series of photos of you with captions and create a digital photo autobiography that chronicles your life by placing it online, CD, or another digital format.
  4. Using photos, letters, certificates of achievement, journaling, and paper, make a one-of-a-kind keepsake scrapbook that tells your life story. It will be visual, unique, and something you and your family can treasure.
  5. Do you like to take your own photos? Create a digital memoir using photos you have taken across a life event, experience, or topic.
  6. Maybe you’re an artist and have created paintings and drawings over the years. Consider putting them all together into book form that helps tell a story of your life, similar to a memoir or across your life like an autobiography.
  7. If you are an avid social media user, you could consider taking your social media conversations, social media posts, even your text conversations and compile your life story around these things, even using a similar format. Group them together by topic or theme to make for easier reading. If using text messages or comments made by others, be sure to get permission from them before you publish in any sort of way so as not to plagiarize.
  8. Write a series of short stories and put them together into a book, like an anthology. They can be stories about similar topics or events or can be completely separate and random.
  9. Create a book of poetry with each poem detailing aspects of your life or memories.

Pros: You can present your life story in anyway you choose! You can be as creative as you want while possibly even starting a new niche in this genre – you could be a trendsetter!

Cons: You have fewer examples to follow to help you along with telling your story, especially if you are a new writer. You’ll have to be extra creative and make up your format as you go which might extend the time it takes to get your project completed.

Suggested Reading:

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10 Things to Consider When Writing a Family History Book

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

“We all carry inside us, people who came before us.” — Liam Callanan

Writing a family history book is an endeavor rooted in love and admiration.

Choosing to chronicle a family history is about honoring beloved ancestors, and giving a voice to those who may no longer be around to share their story.

Crafting a family history book requires a combination of skill and dedication. And sometimes those skills may be beyond the ability and availability of the interested parties.

Before setting out with a project like this, there are 10 important factors to keep in mind to make sure the project proceeds smoothly.

10 Things to Consider When Writing a Family History Book

1. Determining the Project’s Scope

The first step in the process is getting clear on the scope of the project.

This involves understanding the family’s expectations about what history will be covered and what is the outcome they hope to achieve.

Establishing the project’s scope is also connected to the message the project sponsors wish to convey.

For instance, a family history project may revolve around a specific family member. The project may also seek to tie the family history into the context of a larger historical event.

The project sponsors may also wish to shed light on unknown parts of their family’s history.

Ultimately, defining a clear outcome will help ensure everyone is satisfied with the final project. As author Sunny Jane Morton once stated, “A small, finished project is better than a three-volume tome that exists only in your dreams.”

Indeed, it is much better to focus on something tangible, such as a particular episode in time, than attempt to produce a voluminous, comprehensive family history book.

2. Conducting Family History Research

A family history is often a collection of stories handed down from generation to generation. These stories contain valuable pieces of insight and knowledge. Research can greatly enhance these accounts by framing them within their appropriate historical context. Hence, conducting historical research would add value to any family history project.

But conducting historical research takes time, skill, and experience.

Some folks do not have the time to conduct the kind of thorough research needed to build a full family history book. Others may lack the skills and experience needed for the job.

In such situations, hiring a professional historian can help. Historians have the skill set required to conduct the research necessary for a family history project. Because family history projects involve genealogy, some professional help may come in handy to fill in the gaps.

3. Choosing Sources of Information for a Family History

All family history projects benefit from having good information. Novelist David B. Coe famously said, “The closer you can get to your setting and your primary sources, the more authentic your history is going to be.” The job of a family historian is to get as close to the primary sources as they can.

The challenge lies in finding these primary sources.

Unfortunately, some of the family members may have long passed on. For example, grandparents and parents may no longer be around to provide information and insight.

Because of the time period being investigated, video or audio recordings may be scarce.

Nevertheless, sources such as journals or diaries may provide golden opportunities to uncover hidden treasures of information and personal experiences.

Additionally, documentary evidence can corroborate stories. Artifacts such as photographs, books, letters, invoices, official documentation, identification, or even bills can help prove the authenticity of personal accounts.

4. Sorting Through Information on Family History

The first step in the research process is uncovering as many sources of information as possible.

The next step is sorting through the information collected. If the amount of information is manageable, the sorting process may not require much time and effort. In contrast, abundant sources of information may prove complex and time-consuming to organize.

At this point, even a professional historian may choose to seek help. While historians can certainly provide good research support, a ghostwriter may also be needed for additional assistance.

A ghostwriter is a professional author dedicated to helping people translate their ideas into written content. A ghostwriter can sift through the collected information to determine how it can support the history’s narrative.

Remember that family historians ought to involve themselves in this phase of the project as much as possible. After all, the family members themselves are the best experts on their family’s history.

5. Conducting Interviews with Relatives and Local Community Members

After evaluating documentary evidence, photographs, and artifacts, family historians may choose to conduct interviews. Recording a family’s oral history can be one of the richest sources of information.

Elderly relatives and community members have a wealth of knowledge they can offer.

But obtaining their insights and experience requires more than just setting up a tape recorder or video camera.

Conducting good interviews requires careful preparation.

Family historians may need some assistance in this task. For example, a historian can help schedule interviews, write questions, and sort information. However, these tasks may already spread historians somewhat thin. Therefore, the project would benefit from having someone solely dedicated to sitting down and crafting the narrative.

At this point, a ghostwriter can help bridge the gap.

Professional ghostwriters typically have experience in a variety of subject areas. Some ghostwriters possess the unique set of skills needed to tackle complex projects such as a family history book.

Seasoned ghostwriters have experience in conducting research, interviews, and most importantly, sorting through volumes of information.

A ghostwriter can transform seemingly disjointed pieces of information into a fluid narrative. A professional ghostwriter might just be the missing piece needed to create a great family history project.

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6. Hiring a Ghostwriter to Produce a Family History Book

Renowned poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” This statement applies to the reality that many people face. They have the information, sources, and evidence (photos, letters, mementos), but an untold story inside of them.

There are countless individuals who want to tell their family’s history. They are eager to share it with their entire family and even the world. But most do not know how to go about it. This is when a ghostwriter can be brought in to help.

Hiring a ghostwriter to produce a family history book is not an easy decision. Initially, it might feel like bringing in an outsider to handle a deeply personal endeavor. Thus, a ghostwriter must be someone who can earn trust. After all, ghostwriters must be discreet, considering the volume of personal information they come across.

The biggest benefit that comes from hiring a ghostwriter is the savings in time and effort. Crafting a family history book may prove to be a monumental task. It involves a great deal of work that needs to be done in addition to one’s day-to-day responsibilities. It may be nearly impossible to find the time to research, organize information, and then write out the narrative.

These tasks are ghostwriters’ specialties.

Professional ghostwriters are capable of tackling these time-consuming activities. Their experience reduces the time and effort needed to produce a cohesive portrayal of the “untold story” within.

7. Choosing the Right Ghostwriter for a Family History Project

There are many professional ghostwriters, but not all of them have the specific skill set required for a family history project.

Hiring a ghostwriter requires careful consideration.

There are three main elements to consider when hiring a ghostwriter for a family history project:

  • First, a ghostwriter’s experience is crucial in finding the right fit. Ghostwriters have different areas of specialization. Therefore, family historians should be wary of hiring a ghostwriter who does not have the right experience for the project. For example, a ghostwriter specializing in business and management may not be the right fit for a family history book.
  • It is a good idea to take the time to talk with a prospective ghostwriter before making a final decision. The ideal ghostwriter should spark a personal connection with the people involved and the project.
  • Lastly, most professional ghostwriters are honest and straightforward about their skills and limitations. They should be transparent about their services and fees. A reliable ghostwriter will always strive to inspire trust and encourage communication.

Finding the ideal ghostwriter may take some time. Ultimately, it is worth making the effort to conduct a thorough search. The right ghostwriter can take an untold collection of stories and translate them into a cherished treasure.

8. Establishing a Timeline for a Family History Book

A key decision that must be made is establishing a timeline for the project. After all, the project cannot go on indefinitely. Both the project sponsors and ghostwriter must agree on clear deadlines. However, inexperienced project sponsors may be uncertain about how long the endeavor should take.

A professional ghostwriter can assist with setting timelines. An experienced ghostwriter will have a good idea about how long the research and writing will take. They can provide a reasonable timeframe for the project’s completion. From there, the project sponsor can decide if the proposed schedule meets their expectations.

Most professional ghostwriters will not ask for the bulk of their fee upfront. Experienced ghostwriters understand that their payment should coincide with their progress. Fee payments are part of the negotiation process during the project’s initial phase.

Once the project sponsor and ghostwriter have reached an agreement, it is best to draft a contract. This document should include the agreed-upon timeline, fees, and deliverables. In case of a dispute, the terms and conditions governing the project’s completion should remove ambiguity.

9. Monitoring a Family History Project’s Progress

Having a system for monitoring progress is a good way to keep a family history project on track. A family history book may languish without proper monitoring. The project sponsor should request regular check-ins to ensure the project is moving along.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “Success is steady progress toward one’s personal goals.”

Even with a great ghostwriter, the project cannot function on autopilot. There has to be some measure of accountability.

Regular check-ins should continue through the revision process.

Project sponsors should read through the manuscript to ensure their personal touch is present throughout the narrative.

A good approach is to break the project into chunks.

For instance, the revision process can take place on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

This will allow the project sponsor to ensure they are satisfied with how the project is shaping up.

10. Updating a Family History Book

Family histories will never be complete. There will always be new generations of family members. Moreover, new information or discoveries (old journals, letters, and even home videos) may come up over time. Some families may be interested in updating a completed family history book.

In such cases, there are two options: update an existing book or produce an entirely new volume.

This decision hinges on the extent of the updates. Essentially, if updating the family history will require a substantial revision, it might be better to produce a new volume exploring different facets of the existing narrative.

Consider this situation:

An unexpected discovery of old photographs serves to illustrate some accounts in a family history book. In this case, revising the book would make sense. The family history could be expanded to include the photographs as well as an explanation about their origin.

In contrast, discovering a long-lost relative may require an entirely new volume be written exploring this relative’s life. The insertion of this new family member may require a substantial rewrite, or it may not mesh well with the existing narrative. Consequently, a new volume would provide the opportunity to explore this new individual with total freedom.

Ultimately, making updates or additions may become a priority down the road. A great approach is to give future generations the leeway to build on the current narrative. As such, maintaining an ongoing relationship with a professional ghostwriter can make the update process easier to manage.

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Preserving a Lasting Legacy

Writing a family history entails more than developing a family tree.

It is about building a coherent narrative that can endure the test of time.

Amateur family historians likely have every good intention to make this endeavor a reality.

However, they may lack the skills, experience, and knowledge to make it happen.

Hiring a ghostwriter to help with the research, writing, and updating process can facilitate the project’s completion.

An experienced ghostwriter can take the stories of a family and translate them into a tangible product. In fact, hiring a ghostwriter may be the single most important decision project sponsors can make.

Ultimately, producing a family history book is about preserving a legacy for generations to come. Moreover, it is an opportunity to build on the existing narrative so that future generations can have the chance to preserve their life stories as well.

10 Gift Ideas for the Historian or Genealogist in Your Life

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

If you have a historian in the family or a genealogist on your list for the 2021 holiday gift-giving season, you’re probably already well aware that shopping for such skilled and knowledgeable folks can be a little intimidating!

How do you surprise or impress someone who already knows so much about so many things?

Hopefully, the following guide will give you some inspiration and help you pick out the perfect present that they’ll surely love.

1.  Subscriptions! Subscriptions! Subscriptions!

Online databases are extremely useful when researching family history but maintaining their monthly subscriptions can be a real drag for historians and genealogists.

Brighten your favorite researcher’s holiday season this year by giving them the gift of access to one of the top three genealogical sites.

Ancestry

Ancestry is often regarded as the best overall value in genealogical research sites.

They host more than 27 billion historical records and offer subscription packages that range from $16.99 to $49.99 per month.

While the cost of their services is at the higher end of the scale, the quality and comprehensiveness of their offerings is way up there, too.

My Heritage

MyHeritage doesn’t offer as huge a database as Ancestry, but you’ll still find a lot of value on this more fun-focused site.

The service features very user-friendly navigation and neat tools like black and white photo colorization and animation.

Only yearly subscriptions are available, but their more affordable packages range from only $129 to $299 per year.

Find My Past

FindMyPast is even more limited because it is a service dedicated solely to Irish and British records.But the narrowed focus makes it a veritable treasure trove for researchers tracing their ancestry to that specific region of the world.

Their continuously expanding database also offers some of the oldest records that exist online.

Yearly subscription plans start at $129.

2.  Legacy Box Media Preservation

Your family’s historian has assuredly amassed a collection of old photos and assorted media. This year, give them the gift of preservation!

Legacy Box is a company that digitizes or “future proofs” your old family photos, film reels, VHS tapes, and even audio cassettes.

For many of us, the various players and projectors we once used to enjoy our home movies and recordings are now “dead tech.”

Unfortunately, there are a lot of memories out there locked up in unwatchable formats.

Legacy Box can bring them back to the present in digital form on thumb drives, DVDs, and as shareable downloads so they can be enjoyed once again.

Digitization packages start as low as $21.

3.  A Really Cool Magnifying Glass

If the historian on your list spends a lot of time pouring over small print in dimly lit spaces, The Wide View Lighted Magnifier from Hammacher Schlemmer might be just the thing for a holiday that’s both merry and bright.

After all, who doesn't want to look like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes?!?

This oversized 5-inch illuminated lens sells for $29.95 and makes for a great stocking stuffer.

4.  A Digital Recording Device

Genealogists and historians alike take lots of notes and conduct a lot of interviews. Their to-do lists are always expanding. A digital recording device is a great way to manage the chaos.

The EVISTR 16GB Digital Voice Recorder  is a highly rated budget option that will get the job done for only $39.99 on Amazon.

This handheld recording device offers crystal clear audio recording, voice activation, and MP3 or WAV formats for easy transfer to a computer via the supplied Micro USB cable.

It also offers seamless file management with a time stamp feature that makes it easy to find out exactly when you recorded.

And, as an added bonus, batteries are also included!

The Tascam DR-40X, priced at $199, is a higher end option that can record 192 hours of studio quality sound direct to an SD card. The internal battery can record non-stop for 18 hours on a full charge.

It has multi-track functionality, a reverb effect, and built-in, adjustable stereo microphones.

The capabilities of the DR-40X are simply amazing; it would make an excellent gift for any researcher, documentarian, or podcaster.

5.  Paper and Ink

Ink and paper are ancient technologies that work so well together that they’re still quite useful to this day—and they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Smartphones and tablets have undoubtedly brought more than a few convenience miracles to the table, but they’ll never beat the feel and familiarity of a quality notebook and a solid writing implement when it comes to making lists, jotting down notes, or making a quick sketch.

While Montblanc is known for fountain pens that sell for nearly $40,000, the Montblanc Meisterstück Platinum-Coated Rollerball, may be the best high-end pen on the market.

Priced at a measly $505 for the Classique model, it is arguably the snazziest writing instrument that someone might actually carry around with them during the day.

Its classic chrome and black styling pairs well with any ensemble, briefcase, or backpack.

And the rollerball tip reliably produces the finest handwriting.

If value over exclusivity is what you’re looking for in a gift, uni-ball Vision Rollerball Pens offer the same smooth flow of waterproof ink at a more down-to-earth price.

For just $12.65 you get not just one great pen, but an entire pack of 12!

That way, your recipient will always have an extra pen on hand when needing to jot down their fascinating discoveries.

When it comes to paper, the Apica Premium A6 CD Notebook is often cited as the very best on the market.

Imported from Japan, these notebooks retail for $12.75 each and feature baroque styling and acid-free paper that works perfectly well with either ink or pencil.

The three available color choices indicate the type of paper bound inside: Black is plain paper, red is graph paper, and blue is standard ruled paper.

For a more modern look, the LEUCHTTURM1917 – Medium A5 Ruled Hardcover Notebook is another great choice at a slightly higher price point. 

These notebooks feature multiple bookmarks and an elastic closure band.

They are also thread-bound to open flat, which helps make reading and writing much easier.

They are available in a wide array of different colors and can be lined with plain, ruled, squared, or dotted pages.

6.  A Family Tree Chart

Genealogists spend their days mapping out ancestors and filling in pedigree charts, but many of them have never put their skills to work on their own family tree.

Perhaps your favorite genealogist would appreciate a blank slate to showcase their own heritage for once!

Etsy offers all types of customizable, display-worthy pieces.

This one is a particularly handsome specimen and a steal for only $17.05!

7. A Time Capsule Kit

Is there anything more exciting for a history lover than opening up a time capsule?

The next best thing would have to be creating and sealing away a capsule of their own creation.

Just imagine how excited your family historian would be to have the opportunity to fill a time capsule with the family treasures they have collected over the years.

This Stainless Steel Time Capsule will keep your chosen artifacts safe and sound for ages for only $59.99!

And this 100 Piece Time Capsule Preservation Kit is the perfect add-on for ensuring that whatever documents you choose to include will stand up against the test of time.

https://www.futurepkg.com/assets/images/supplies/preservation-kit-large.jpg

8.  DNA Kits

DNA testing is central to a lot of genealogical research and can open up a world of fascinating self-discovery.

This year, why not give the gift of scientific knowledge?

The following test kits are comparatively priced and consistently rank among the best on the market for gaining deeper insight into your origins:

If the historian or genealogist in your life is also a dog owner, they might get a real kick out of discovering more about their furry friend, too!

Embark Dog DNA Tests can reveal a dog’s complete genetic makeup and potential health risks.

It can even connect you with their siblings and relatives via Embark’s extensive social network!

9.  A My Heritage Family Discovery Kit

A My Heritage Family Discovery Kit combines DNA testing, ancestry research, and scrapbooking in an attractive giftset for only $79.99!

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10.  A Mini Museum

Finally, we’ve saved the best for last.

If you’ve been pulling your hair out trying to come up with a gift for the history buff on your list, a Mini Museum is THE THING that you’ve been looking for.

Mini museums might not look like much from a distance but encased within these unassuming little blocks of Lucite are actual, physical pieces of mind-blowing history.

Mini Museum offers editions from many different categories, like the age of dinosaurs, natural history, air and space, and world history. They also offer editions that bring multiple categories together.

How cool would it be to give a history lover a plesiosaur bone, a medieval knight’s sword, a brick from The White House, and a piece of the space shuttle all in one package?

Well, now you can thanks to the offerings at MiniMuseum.com!

While the site sells many gifts for under $20, you can also purchase certified fossils, rare gems, and meteorite jewelry, or, if you’re feeling really generous, you can even pick up a shield window from the Manhattan Project for a cool $3.4 million!

Photo by Jill Wellington from Pexels

Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas for how to surprise the historian or genealogist in your life with a gift that they’ll truly cherish.

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays from all of us at The Writers for Hire!

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