Another year has come and gone. It’s time to look at the Genealogy Research Journal to see what blog posts our readers enjoyed. These are our most popular blog posts of 2017.
The blog post with the most visitors and Facebook likes was…
Caucasian But Not White 3,843 views and 2.6 thousand Facebook likes!
Did you know that because of their darker complexion, Azoreans and Madeirans were classified as caucasian but not white in Hawaii for almost a century? The classifications started during the sugar plantation era and ended roughly around 1950. It affected everything from the job titles they could hold to the wages they earned on Hawaii’s sugar plantations.
In two years, this article has earned 6,224 views. I think this proves the internet loves controversy. It’s not easy discussing issues of race even when it pertains to problems from over 100 years ago. While most of the discussion surround this article has been insightful and constructive, it did get called out as “gobbledygook”, which I interpret as “struck a nerve.”
I think it’s important to discuss issues that affected our ancestors to better understand the times they lived in. It may make us uncomfortable, but we can’t understand our ancestors otherwise.
Let’s see what other articles our readers enjoyed.
How to Find DNA Cousins on GEDMatch Using GEDCOM Search 1,154 views
If you’ve uploaded your raw DNA files to GEDMatch, you know about the different comparison tools that help you identify matches.
Did you know that you can search the GEDCOM files at GEDMatch to find possible cousins? We don’t always share enough DNA with distant cousins so that they rate being a match. By searching the GEDCOM files you can find new cousins. (It’s a good reason why you should upload your GEDCOM file to GEDMatch, too!
Azoreans and Royalty 847 views
Not many Azorean American genealogists realize that the islands were first populated by minor nobles. This means that if you can get back far enough you are going to hit royalty. It’s inevitable.
I detail how early Azorean settlement affects our connections to nobility and how my ancestor, Antonio Medeiros Cordeiro, was the key to finding my royal connections.
Fun with GEDMatch Chromosome Painting 594 views
One of the neatest features on GEDMatch is chromosome painting. I’ll show you how to use this feature so as to better understand what DNA came from which ancestor. It’s neat to see it in living color. Give it a try!
Even it you don’t learn anything new, it makes some really nifty graphics.
GEDMatch’s Latest Feature: GEDCOM + DNA Matches
Although this post is from 2015, the instructions within still apply. You can view all your DNA matches who have posted a GEDCOM file (i.e. their family tree) to GEDMatch.
I walk you through finding this useful information. 547 views
How I Did It: Translating Foreign Language Documents When All I Know is English 503 views
I wrote this up for Elizabeth O’Neal’s 2nd Annual Genealogy Potluck Picnic. I know how intimidating and frustrating it is when you first work with foreign language records. Been there, done that, suffered the migraines.
But, you don’t need to know the language of your ancestors to learn how to read the records. See how I conquered my fear and learned to read Portuguese, French, Latin, and more foreign language records.
EPSON Perfection V550 Scanner Review: Photo Scanner Scans Negatives, Too 406 views
Two years ago, I learned how to scan black and white negatives on my EPSON NX430 printer/scanner. However, it could not scan color negatives.
Last year, I got an EPSON Perfection V550 Scanner for my birthday. It scans photos, documents, and negatives. I used it endlessly for several months bringing out the hidden images in decades worth of negatives. This is my review.
10 Reasons Why You Can’t Find Your Portuguese Ancestors 295 views
I hear this a lot “I can’t find them anywhere!”. True, some ancestors are more difficult than others to root out.
However, I’ve found from my own experience that their are pitfalls that Portuguese American genealogists fall into. Look over the list. By correcting one or more of these you may open up new avenues of research.
Have any of these held up your research?
I love reading old newspapers. I learn many details that can’t be found in documentation. By searching old Hawaiian newspapers, I learned that the SS Hansa which brought my Pacheco ancestors from the Azores to Hawaii was the very first ship to also bring contract laborers from Portugal.
I was flabbergasted when I found articles that showed there was opposition in Portugal to allowing the Portuguese (as opposed to the Azoreans and Madeirans) to migrate to Hawaii. After 30 years of research, I am still learning!
Organizing My DNA Results 252 views
DNA matches are overwhelming. That’s an understatement! I’m still trying to figure out the best way to tame my hundreds of DNA results on three different websites.
I’ve worked out a few things along the way like how to keep track of who matches me on which chromosome sequence.
I hope you had a chance to read the reader favorites. Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope to provide more interesting reads in 2018, so visit us again soon!
