Day 2: Primary Resources

  

  On Wednesday morning, we dove into research on Ancestry.com and discussed different types of sources and the reliability of each. 

Primary sources - questions to consider

        Ancestry.com is full of primary documents that may or may not belong to the person we are researching. Ms. Harrison made a list of questions for us to ask about the primary sources. By questioning the author, intended audience, purpose, and historical context of the source, we can determine whether or not it is reliable information written by or about our ancestor(s). We also were encouraged to ask our parents and/or grandparents about the legitimateness of information we found about them or their relatives. For example, I found my grandfather's naturalization appeal from 1971, but before adding it to my family tree, I sent a picture to my dad. Sure enough, he recognized my grandfather's signature!

Screenshot; verifying a primary source

        The second half of the day we spent watching an episode of Finding Your Roots, a PBS show in which Henry Louis Gates Jr. traces the lineage of various public figures. Episode 5 of season 7 (titled "Write My Name in the Book of Life") centered around two African-American celebrities: accomplished artist and producer Pharrell Williams and award-winning directer and actress Kasi Lemmons. Gates took each of them on a journey that granted them knowledge and connection to their blood relatives, something that many people in their community never get. Learning about what their ancestors experienced generations ago as slaves in America brought both guests to tears.

Williams thanks Gates; "I am forever changed."