AAHGS | Program

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History

	Marlene Garrett Bransom	Slavery and the Underground Railroad in Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
This lecture will discuss slavery in Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties, and the effect the Act for Gradual Abolition had upon the slaves and slave owners in the state. It will also identify the sites and agents who aided fugitive slaves in these counties.

	Zann Nelson	The Louisiana 16: History of Domestic Slave Trade, Researching Ancestors, Tracking Living Descendants Friday, Oct. 12 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
The presentation will provide an overview of the Domestic Slave Trade, its impact on the families of politics and economics and the decimation of enslaved families. Uitlizing the case study of the Louisiana 16- sold by James Madison of Orange County Virginia to William Taylor and removed to Louisiana, the presentation will illustrate methods and resources to find ancestors.

	Dr. Samuel T. Livingston	Reframing Our Historical Lens: Reshaping The Epicenter Of African American History Friday, Oct. 12 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
This presentation recasts African-American history toward a longer a longer African diaspora-oriented historical context by arguing that, contrary to Anglo-centric scholarship of many noted historians, including e.g., Ira Berlin, African American history does not begin in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Ninety-three years Before those 20 twenty some odd Negroes were traded for food at Point Comfort, 100 Africans plotted a slave rebellion to initiate a tradition of resistance that culminated with the participation of nearly 200,000 Black soldiers defeating slavery in 1865.

	Dr. Lawrence Livingston	Peter Spencer, The Black Church, & The Right to Assemble: The Original Civil Rights Movement, 1813 Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
In 1813, when Peter Spencer started the first incorporated religious body in the nation—the African Union Church, the nation was still in the Holocaust of Enslavement. In 1813 the so called nation of the United States of America was brand new; the country was only 37 years old. In declaring itself free from England, this new nation had the audacity, to suggest, in its struggle for freedom, that it held “truths to be evident that all men (and women) are created equal by The Creator, and are given the rights of life, liberty (freedom) and the pursuit of happiness.” … Wilmington, Delaware, in many respects, is one of the gateways to freedom for African Americans in entire the nation. It was here in Wilmington where the first stand for civil rights was taken, more than 125 years before what people would brand the Civil Rights Movement. It was in Wilmington where the first challenge was made for African Americans to have the right to assemble in the public square, 150 years before the historic March on Washington. It was in Wilmington where the first stand was taken for African American religious freedom...'

	Adrienne G. Whaley	Lifting Up the Dead: Exploring a Cemetery- Genealogy Group Partnership Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
Session attendees will leave with a familiarity of the history and significant burials at Eden Cemetery – including veterans of every American war, artists, performers, religious leaders, and civil rights activists. They will learn more about the status of African American cemeteries as a whole, across the United States, including some of the dangers they face and reasons for hope. Finally, they will leave with one example of how a local genealogical society can work with an African American cemetery, including lessons learned and suggestions for the others looking to start a similar project.

	Richard Sears Walling	Sold Down the River: The Forced Migration from the North to the Antebellum South Friday, Oct. 12 - Session III - 2:45pm-3:45pm
“Sold down the river” is an expression describing betrayal and exploitation deeply rooted in America’s past, when African Americans were sold south into cruel slavery. In 1818, one hundred people were illegally and forcibly taken from New Jersey through the actions of a local judge. This is their story.

Genealogy

	Dean Henry	Genealogy Site Security Considerations Friday, Oct 12 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
Conducting genealogical research through the use of websites provides a wealth of information but it does not come without risks. This presentation will cover basic security and privacy concepts, and provide instruction on implementing many of these.

	Dr. Evelyn McDowell	Finding Enslaved Ancestors Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
A panel of members from the Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage discuss how they connected to their enslaved ancestors.

	Dr. Ione Vargus	Family Reunions: Telling the Story Friday, Oct. 12 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
Family Reunions: Telling The Story is a workshop that expresses the many ways our stories get told. The information presented is a compilation of work including over twenty-five years of research, info gathered at The Family Reunion Institute Conference which was held from 1988 to 2007, and Chapter 4 of my unpublished book Finding the Rest of Me: African American Family Reunions.

	Dr. Janice Lovelace	Who Owned Solomon? Tracing Slave Owners in 19^th century Kentucky Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
Many African American researchers struggle to break through the brick wall of slavery. This presentation looks at techniques to identify slave-owners through the use of land, probate and court records.

	Margaret Jerrido	Funeral Programs -- more than a genealogy tool Friday, Oct. 12 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
This presentation will focus on the use of church records, specifically the funeral programs. All churches have funeral programs. However, if genealogist or researchers look at the program for more than birth and death dates, the funeral programs can be very educational.

	Dean Henry	Using Computer Based Genealogy Programs Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
This presentation will cover various ways to capture pictures and documents to supplement your genealogy research. The lecture will include a demonstration of how to sync Family Tree Maker to Ancestry.com, display the results in a smartphone app, and use the app to sync with other software.

	Cherie Bush	Beyond Subscriptions: 25+ Free Genealogy Websites Friday, Oct. 12 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
Subscription websites are great and have many offerings, but can be expensive. However, many free websites are available for family history research. These free websites can be a robust and an incredible resource for beginning and advancing genealogical research. An overview of some of these websites will be introduced or act as a reminder of resources available.

Research Methodologies

	Alison Barnes	Fire in the Courthouse: Using Alternate Records and Deductive Reasoning for Researching in Burned Counties Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
There are many obstacles that plague genealogical researchers. Of these, researching in “burned counties” can be the most frustrating. This presentation chronicles the research in the burned county of Jasper, Mississippi and the techniques used.

	Amy Bertsch	Who Were "Felix Richards Slaves"? Identifying Enslaved People Photographed Near Alexandria, Virginia Friday, Oct. 12 - Session III - 2:45pm-3:45pm
Two women and seven children in a Civil War-era photograph were identified as “Felix Richards slaves.” Amy discusses how probate records, pension applications, and the former owner’s compensation claim allowed her to identify the individuals in the photo, now in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

	Dr. Cheryl Janifer LaRoche	Following Emancipation’s Footprints: Searching for Descendants at Hampton Plantation Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
Hampton Ethnographic Project traces descendants of 300 plus people once enslaved at Hampton Plantation, Towson, MD. The 1829 death of Governor Ridgely, the state’s largest slaveholder, prompted the gradual emancipation. Using inventory lists and other historic documents and relying on the memory of Park Service employees, we are understanding what happened to the newly freed after emancipation between 1829 and 1864 and into the modern era.

	Edward McLauglin	The Cemetery Monument Hidden in Plain View: Black Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Buried at Philadelphia National Cemetery Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
There are 1,000 Civil War soldiers and sailors, including about 350 USCT soldiers who died at Camp William Penn during the war who are buried at Philadelphia National Cemetery (PNC). On April 21, 2018 the Veterans Administration, the 3rd Regiment of the US Colored Troops Re-Enactors, the Camp William Penn Museum and the Mutter Museum celebrated the unveiling of an informational storyboard describing the USCT buried at the cemetery. Prior to this storyboard the troops buried at PNC were less well known that the presence of the 187 Confederates buried in the cemetery. Genealogist Edward McLaughlin will describe how his genealogical and historical research led to installation of the storyboard. He will share the sources and methods of his intimately detailed account of the deaths, war service, pension records, and life stories.

	Justin McHenry	Building a Slavery Database - Presentation Narrative Friday, Oct. 12 - Session III - 2:45pm-3:45pm
A look into how to build a database of slave names for Franklin County, Pennsylvania and also hopefully help provide new ideas for sources for those looking into researching slavery in Pennsylvania or anywhere else.

	Dr. Paula Whatley Matabane	Georgia Supreme Court Case of Alison vs Settle, 1850: A Peep into the Enslaved Life of My Great Great Grandmother Friday, Oct. 12 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
Discovery of a Georgia State Supreme Court case contesting ownership of my ancestors opened previously unknown facts about their lives and the lies told to possess them. The case broadened my perspective in researching and understanding life of my enslaved forebears.

	Robyn N. Smith	Using Court Records To Uncover The Lives of Slaves Friday, Oct. 12 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
Court records can be intimidating with their legal language. It can be difficult to understand what the records mean. In this lecture, Ms. Smith provides a brief description of the various kinds of courts and the records they create. For those researching slaves and slaveholders, court records can be rich terrain since families often fought over their “property.” The audience will learn through examples and case studies what kinds of information can be discovered about their ancestors and their communities in county –level court records.

	Rosalyn Green	Strategies for Answering Genealogy Research Questions and Breaking Through Brickwalls Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session II - 1:30am-2:30pm
The presenter will give and explain seven research strategies she routinely uses to research her family genealogy. She will show how they were used to answer seven research questions. The quest to answer them helped her expand her family tree, break through brickwalls and find both free and enslaved ancestors.

	Joyce Mosley	Let's Get Organized Friday, Oct. 12 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
In this presentation Ms. Mosley explains her system for organizing over three hundred year of family history. Her system of preserving/cataloging her family’s history is easy to learn and apply. Being organized helps you to better collate sources, compare them, evaluate them, identify discrepancies, and make reasonable conclusions. Well-documented family group records are the best source of ideas for research objectives. Up-to-date family group records also help you judge the reliability and fit of newly discovered sources with what you already know. Being well organized saves you time, and it contributes to better research and results. Let's take your documents and pictures out of those shoe boxes and get organized.

	Adrienne Whaley	Finding Revolutionary Ancestors: Understanding Your Resources Friday, Oct. 12 - Session III - 2:45pm-3:45pm
People of African descent played significant roles in the American Revolution, as soldiers, sailors, spies, camp followers and more. Some were Revolutionaries, others Loyalists, and many were people in-between. This presentation explores useful resources for uncovering African American participation in the Revolution, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

	Dr. Heather Williams	Help Me Find My People Friday, Oct. 12 - Session III - 2:45pm-3:45pm
Journey into an innovative history of the individual, familial, and communal pain that resulted from forced separations of black families, charting their grief and sense of loss, as well as their resilience and hope. After the Civil War, African Americans placed poignant ''information wanted'' advertisements in newspapers, searching for missing family members. Inspired by the power of these ads, Heather Andrea Williams uses slave narratives, letters, interviews, public records, and diaries to guide listeners back to devastating moments of family separation during slavery when people were sold away from parents, siblings, spouses, and children.

Chapter Capacity

	Sherri Camp	Board Governance Chapter Presidents
The Society management session for AAHGS Chapter Presidents is based on the Society Management Handbook created for societies by FGS and delivered at the 2018 FGS Conference. It is broken up into seven sections with appendices and models to illustrate management principles. We will discuss for of the sections. The first one is Understanding the need to Plan Sources of Income and Expenditures. It discusses strategies on how to make financial decisions, develop a budget based on the size of the chapter, and understanding available resources We will discuss the components of a business plan and how to plan expenditures for Chapter activities. Ideas for social media marketing plans for chapters will be given to Chapter Presidents participants to promote their chapter and educate their board members on how to best use social media. Succession planning tools will be provided to help assess current board members. This section will help chapters to replace those skills in the outgoing board member that are pertinent to the positions so that important responsibilities continues uninterrupted. These objectives will help Chapters plan ahead and plan according to their mission and goals. The most important part of this session is leadership training. Chapter Presidents will be given tools that will help them to be effective in their leadership and conflict management as chapter board members. These same tools can be given to their board members so that all AAHGS Chapters work with the same set of tools.

	Ric Murphy	Grant Writing Chapter Presidents/ Designees Thursday, Oct. 11
This training will provide a broad overview of the grant writing process. The topics covered include: fundamentals of good grant writing, general preparation of the grant application (i.e., specific aims, research design, budgets, analysis of reviews and strategies for rebuttal and reapplication), roles and responsibilities, and an overview about the various available funding resources. The session is designed to help each chapter to have a grant application template to take back to its membership. This training is intended for AAHGS leadership - chapter presidents, board members and their designees. Register for Grant Training

	Shelley Murphy	New Member/First Time Conference Attendee Orientation Thursday, Oct. 11 - Session I - 4:00pm-5:30pm
This session is designed to help you make the most of this experience. When it is over, you should be able to recognize national officers, access locations in the conference hotel with relative ease, select sessions that will meet your needs, and know, if necessary, who to ask for assistance.

Education

Shelley Murphy, Facilitator

Panel Members:

PANEL WORKSHOP: How to teach African American History to our Children

Preservation

Dr. Robert Bubb

Re-Discovering Camptown: Preserving African American History at Local Cemeteries

Friday, Oct. 12 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am

This presentation uses the revitalization of Camptown Cemetery to discuss the process, strategies, success, and challenges to preserving African American history at local cemeteries. This presentation includes a brief history, community involvement benefits, cemetery association formation procedures, and preservation imperatives. Cemetery association members will be available via Skype for Q&A’s.

DNA

	Karen Burney	Combining Traditional Research With DNA To Grow Your Family Tree Friday, Oct. 12 - Session II - 1:30pm-2:30pm
TBA

	Shannon Christmas	Get More from Your DNA with GEDMatch
Learn how to resolve genealogical questions using tools in genetic genealogy’s most popular 3^rd party DNA database.

	Shannon Christmas	The Beginner's Genetic Genealogy Friday, Oct. 12 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
Learn how to use DNA testing to power genealogical research, confirm oral history, and demolish brick walls.

Technology

	Tiffany Hilson	Connecting Genealogy through Social Media Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
Social media is a powerful tool that is used every day. It is a means by which we can instantly connect with people all over the world at the click of a button. We are able to share every aspect of our lives from photos, likes and dislikes, milestones – and even genealogy! Using genealogy for social media has catapulted our access to certain information and has allowed for some remarkable discoveries. Knowing how to navigate through social media platforms will help broaden your understanding of how to connect your genealogy and learn how to network with others online in the genealogy community. Let's get to work!

	Dean Henry	Genealogy Site Security Considerations Friday, Oct 12 - Session I - 10:30am-11:30am
Conducting genealogical research through the use of websites provides a wealth of information but it does not come without risks. This presentation will cover basic security and privacy concepts, and provide instruction on implementing many of these.

	Dean Henry	Using Computer Based Genealogy Programs Saturday, Oct. 13 - Session IV - 4:00pm-5:00pm
This presentation will cover various ways to capture pictures and documents to supplement your genealogy research. The lecture will include a demonstration of how to sync Family Tree Maker to Ancestry.com, display the results in a smartphone app, and use the app to sync with other software.