Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

A photo from the Illinois Digitial Archives'   Bloomington-Normal Black History Project collection, contributed by the McLean County Historical Society In honor of Black History month,  Fold3 is making the records in its Black History Collection available for free through the end of February!  Their collection includes over a millions records spanning the Civil War era through the Civil Rights Movement. Florida Atlantic University provides an excellent list of African-American genealogy resources! Family Tree Magazine also provides a great list of African-American Genealogy books, groups and other resources. FamilySearch offers some tips for tracing your African-American Genealogy  and celebrating Black History Month. The National Archives' Library Information Center also provides some resources for researching black history. The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) promotes the rich diversity of African-American History.  ...

Celebrate your Illinois and midwestern ancestors this February with these fantastic upcoming events in honor of Black History Month! ISGS Associate Members Our friends at the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago can help you with your research questions, anytime- check out their website! Don't miss the South Suburban Genealogical & Historical Society's next meeting on Saturday February 12th, featuring "The Underground Railroad South of Chicago," with author Larry McClellan! Virtual Learning Events (most are FREE!) International African American Museum- "African American Genealogy Challenges," presented by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, February 5th International African American Museum- "Researching AFrican/Native American Genealogy, " presented by Angela Y. Walton-Raji, February 12th North Carolina AAHGS Regional 19th Black History Genealogy Virtual Conference- February 5th The City of South Fulton- "Getting Started-...

Be sure to check out these excellent resources for researching your Illinois African-American Ancestors!  More resources are provided in this ISGS Blog post from 2020! READ "Rev. John B. Dawson: Social Activist and Early Settler of Chicago's Avondale Neighborhood" by John D. Cameron- featured in the Spring 2019 issue of the ISGS Quarterly John Cameron's research of the Rev. John B. Dawson was inspired by Nia Easley's art "intervention" about the Dawson community in Avondale. Check out Easley's project HERE FamilySearch Blog  "All about Black History Month" provides resource links and features a NEW FamilySearch record set- "African Heritage Records." Also check out the "African American Resources for Illinois" research page on the FamilySearch Wiki The Illinois State Archives online databases include Illinois Servitude and Emancipation Records.  This database includes about 3,400 names found in government records i...

Celebrate your African American heritage this Juneteenth weekend by learning more about Black history in Illinois! The city of Peoria celebrates 7 Peoria natives who have made an impact in Illinois and beyond, including comedian Richard Pryor. Each has been made into a special collectible card that will be available at the Peoria Freedom Festival on June 19th! Naper Settlement is acknowledging the city of Naperville (and other U.S. towns) history of discriminatory housing with a new exhibit, "Unvarnished: Housing Discrimination in the Northern and Western United States." Learn more about the project HERE.   and in a Chicago Tribune feature.   Learn more about Juneteenth, its importance to African American family history, and find lots of resources from the National Museum of African American History & Culture. There is so much more to learn about Black history in Illinois- be sure to check out past posts on the ISGS blog for genealogy resources focusing on African Amer...

Are you a Chicago resident, or planning a trip to the city? Be sure to check out Chicago for Chicagoans,   a non profit organization that offers "pay what you can" walking tours, scavenger hunts, and lecture events featuring Chicago neighborhoods and community history! Upcoming events will highlight many different neighborhoods, including Albany Park, Chinatown, Lakeview, Pilsen, and Lincoln Square. The Chicago for Chicagoans staff and collaborators are knowledgeable on a wide range of Chicago history topics, including industrial history, criminals, controversies, vintage advertising and journalism history, Black history, Irish and Jewish history, and LGBTQ+ history in the Windy City.  For genealogists, be sure to take a look at the Chicago for Chicagoans resources page , which includes a huge list of online research databases for Chicago history! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Black History Month may be in February, but learning about the importance of African-Americans in Illinois history is important all year-round. Don't miss these great upcoming events! Our friends from the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois passed along this event! Darrel Dexter will present “Stories of Bondage in Egypt: Slavery in Southern Illinois” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25, via Zoom. The lecture is based off research presented in Dexter’s book, “Bondage in Egypt Slavery in Southern Illinois.” While conducting research for his book, Dexter visited the courthouses of the southern 24 counties of Illinois and discovered many official records of slavery. He found the primary source documents to provide a concise picture of how the enslavement of thousands of individuals was carried out in Illinois for 150 years under the shield of the law. By sharing the stories of several people who were enslaved in Illinois, Dexter hopes to emphasize the effect slavery has had on the state in...

Here are some more great resources for researching African-American ancestors in Illinois and beyond! Freedom On The Move is a joint project of Cornell University and other universities across the country. It is a searchable database of "runaway slave" ads that provides a rich history of "stories of resistance" and a glimpse into the life of fugitive slaves prior to the Civil War. There are over 32,000 ads in the database and growing! The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog offers several tips and resources for African American Genealogy Research - and explains how DNA has helped transform African American genealogy research. Great Books for researching the history of slavery in Illinois- by Local Authors! Larry McClellan: The Underground Railroad South of Chicago and To The River: The Remarkable Journey of Caroline Quarlls, A Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad (with Kimberly Simmons) Learn about the history of the Underground Railroad in Chicago and NW Indian...

Celebrate your ancestors this Black History Month with these unique genealogy resources! Freedom On The Move - a collection of runaway slave advertisements, which can provide details of a slave ancestor's personality and physical traits Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery - a collection of newspaper advertisements placed by formerly enslaved people, looking for their loved ones Caribbean Roots-  an excellent starting point to learn about researching ancestors that came from the Caribbean Northeast Slavery Records Index -  a compilation of records of enslaved persons from the states of New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey Got Hoosier ancestors? Check out Indiana University South Bend's virtual  African American Landmark Tour. Learn about the Descendants of Enslaved Communities project and its resources, created by the University of Virginia Be sure to check out past ISGS Blog posts for even more Black Hi...

At this morning's Annual Virutal Meeting, ISGS was proud to announce our 2020 Honors & Awards Winners. Congratulations to all of our winners; your contributions to Illinois genealogy are greatly appreciated! COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS Tara Cajacob, Genealogy & Local History Specialist, was nominated by Kristen McCallum from the Algonquin Area Public Library for her work developing weekly Zoom meetings where librarians and genealogists across Illinois came together to discuss a different topic within genealogy each week. Tara created these events to serve the genealogy community while the Governor’s Stay at Home order was issued due to COVID-19. Tara was hosting the Zoom chats from the beginning of April and was still hosting the events at the time of her nomination. Attendance ranged from 19 to 79 people.  The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society was nominated by Susan Rynerson of the same society for their services and contributions to genealogy. They are ...

Thursday marked the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. The History Channel is airing a new documentary for that event. I was honored to be interviewed for the program. The second episode will air this Tuesday that I am scheduled to appear in. You can watch the first episode online at the History Channel website. The second episode can be watched online after Tuesday's airing. I hope you can watch and tell your friends. BLOOD AND GLORY: THE CIVIL WAR IN COLOR Bloodbath Premiere Date: Tuesday April 14, 2015 - 08:00-10:03PM CT BLOOD AND GLORY: THE CIVIL WAR IN COLOR brings this important historical event to life in a two-part documentary special as never seen before. With unprecedented access to government and private archives and using state-of-the-art technology, over 500 rare and compelling black and white photographs have been painstakingly colorized to illustrate the story of the Civil War in breathtaking detail. (Part 2 of 2.) Can be watched online after original a...

Title :  Reconstructing Black Community Life Through Benevolent Societies Date : Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 8:00 pm Central Description : Benevolent societies had a major impact on the social fabric of African American communities. This session explores several groups that impacted black families in multiple states. Most of the organizations of the late 19th century and 20th century are long gone, but their stories lie buried in cemeteries throughout the nation and a rich community history can be discovered by knowing how to recognize them in African American cemeteries throughout the nation. Presenter : Anglea Walton-Raji Angela Walton-Raji is nationally known as an author, genealogist, podcaster and blogger. She hosts the weekly African Roots Podcast devoted to African American genealogy news, methods and events, and is also one of the founding members of AfriGeneas.com, the oldest online website community for African American genealogy. Ms. Walton-Raji hosts ...

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is proud to announce the creation of a new database at the ISGS website . In honor of Black History Month, ISGS member volunteers have been busy scanning and transcribing a selection of African-American genealogy articles which were first published in the ISGS Quarterly during the late 1970s. Located under Free Databases and titled African-American Genealogy , items so far include these articles: Black Women's Descendants Sought (ISGS Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 1977) Introduction to Black Genealogy (ISGS Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring 1978) The Negro in Montgomery County, Illinois (ISGS Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring 1978) Register of Slaves (Indentures) and Emancipation of Slaves (ISGS Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring 1978) Published during the exciting post-Roots era when the genealogy community experienced a re-awakening and a renewed interest in African-American genealogy, these articles provide valuable data f...

UPDATE : ISGS is pleased to announce that we are extending online registration for the Fall Conference until Sunday, October 18, 2015 , due to arrangements with the Oak Lawn Hilton. This is the last chance to sign up for the Friday night Banquet and hear Geoffrey Baer’s presentation “They Came to Chicago.” It is also the last chance to guarantee that you will receive lunch on Saturday with your conference registration. Illinois State Genealogical Society 2015 Fall Conference October 23rd & 24th, 2015 Oak Lawn, Illinois Co-host: Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago Two days filled with genealogy education, nationally-known speakers, and the opportunity to network with other genealogists and family historians, and meals. Featured speakers include: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG℠, FMGS, FUGA : Professional genealogist specializing in genealogical and historical research, lecturing, consulting, and writing. Her lectures, research, and con...

Illinois State Genealogical Society 2015 Fall Conference October 23rd & 24th, 2015 Oak Lawn, Illinois Co-host: Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago Two days filled with genealogy education, nationally-known speakers, and the opportunity to network with other genealogists and family historians, and meals. Featured speakers include:   Paula Stuart-Warren, CG℠, FMGS, FUGA : Professional genealogist specializing in genealogical and historical research, lecturing, consulting, and writing. Her lectures, research, and consultations for individuals, societies, law firms, and Indian tribes seeking records and advice has taken her to many states, courthouses, archives, historical societies, and libraries. Her Illinois research covers many counties. Geoffrey Baer : Multiple Emmy award-winning Public Television writer, producer and program host Geoffrey Baer is known for his masterful storytelling, conversational style, and contagious enthusiasm. Ton...

Looking for those bad girls in your family tree? Then join us on March 10, when Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. will share her tips and tricks on finding those corrupt cousins and naught nieces in her presentation Finding Your Femme Fatales: Exploring the Dark Side of Female Ancestors . Date : Tuesday, March 10, 2014, 8:00 pm Central Description : Male ancestors weren’t the only ones who had secrets, or got caught behaving badly. Whether we like it or not, the black sheep of our family may have been the women, and they leave fabulous records! Through sample case studies, this session will show how to use court, census, newspaper, and other key records, and study social history to explore the law breakers, vigilantes, and other scandalous female ancestors. Through sample case studies, learn how to use key records and social history to explore law breakers, vigilantes, and other scandalous female ancestors. Presenter : Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A., is a freelance writer, instru...

The Colored Conventions Project is lead by Kate Masur, Professor of History at Northwestern University. The project seeks to gather information about Black organizing in pre-Civil War Illinois, a lesser known part of Illinois history. Here you will find a rich source of historical information about Black Illinois ancestors in the antebellum period, including a list of delegates to the Convention of the Colored Citizens of the State of Illinois, held in Chicago, and their family members. Click HERE to read more about the project, in a feature published in the Chicago Tribune! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The North Suburban Genealogical Society and the Glenview Library will present their next event on Saturday, February 11th at 1:00pm (hybrid- in person at the library or on Zoom). Diane L. Richard will present "Sign of the Times: Timelines in Genealogy." CLICK HERE for more information and to register! FREE webinars from the Southern California Genealogical Society! Wednesday, February 15th at 8:00pm Central, Kelli Bergheimer, MSM, will present "Ancestry Dots, ThruLines, and an Organized Plan." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! CAGGNI will hold their next hybrid meeting on Saturday, February 18th at 10:30am (virtual and at the Schaumburg Library). Diane L. Richard will present, "Post Office Records: Geography, Politics, Religion, and More." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The Villages Genealogical Society (Florida) is holding a hybrid seminar on Wednesday, February 22nd featuring Sunny Jane Morton. Join via Zoom!- CLICK HERE for more i...

Illinois State Genealogical Foundation To Support Genealogical and Historical Activities The Illinois State Genealogical Foundation (ISGF), a private, not for profit, tax exempt organization, was recently established in Illinois to help support genealogical and historical activities in the state. ISGF is governed by nine Directors who have an interest in supporting and promoting genealogy and Illinois history. The purpose of ISGF is to assist in developing and increasing educational opportunities for the genealogical and historical community of Illinois. It also will be providing service and support for students and organizations whose primary interest involves the study and education of genealogical and historical events in Illinois. ISGF encourages gifts of money, property, historical papers and documents, and other material having educational, artistic, scientific and/or historical value. ISGF will receive, hold, and administer such gifts with the primary intent of servi...