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Before you read these answers, make sure that you've read over the Test Your Genealogy IQ questions and made your choices of what YOU think the right answer is. ANSWERSAnswer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 1 Which is more likely to be found? The WPA stands for Works Progress Administration. It was a federal government program created by the Roosevelt presidency during the Great Depression that provided jobs for some 8.5 million people. Most of these jobs consisted of manual labor. The Federal Writers' Project of the WPA employed 6,500 writers who undertook two major projects, namely, the travel guide series for each state and the Folklore Project. The latter project involved the transcribed oral histories of over 10,000 people from all walks of life. These biographies tell of people who lived at the turn of the century--Civil War veterans, cowboys, suffragettes, teachers, homemakers, and sweatshop survivors. The writers of this project were paid twenty dollars a week. Many of these life histories have been digitized and can be read from this address: http://rs6.loc.gov/wpaintro/wpastate.html The answer to question number one, however, is not the WPA since the program was not initiated until 1935. Likewise, you would not be able to see a social security record dated 1930 because this program was not created until 1935. The Social Security Administration was another program borne of the Great Depression. It was charged with providing grants-in-aid to assist the needy elderly, the blind, and dependent children. Obviously, Confederate War records dated 1935 are a bit late since the war ended in 1865. You might find 1890 Federal Census records-at least a few- since approximately 95% of the census was destroyed in a fire. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 2 The most correct method of writing the date. One of the most difficult tasks of a family researcher is figuring out what other people meant when dates were written. One trip to an old cemetery will demonstrate this quite nicely. If numbers are used exclusively there is a much greater chance of error. The recommended format would be to use the day first in number form. Then spell out at least the first three letters of the month. This is followed by all four digits of the year. Do not use commas or slashes to separate the elements in the date. Four digit years should be used because "99" (or any other two-digit number) would not specify the exact century. (Talk about Y2K problems!!!) Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 3 The least accurate record to obtain information. A birth certificate is usually filled out at the time of the event. (well, maybe a few minutes later...) This is also true of a christening and a marriage-the record is contemporary with the event. Death certificates, on the other hand, might be fairly accurate as to the death date, but the rest of the data (parents names, place of birth and date of birth) is reconstructed. The data is usually dependent on the memory of a family member. This problem extends to other records such as tombstone data because the birth information is second hand knowledge. Also note that marriage certificates are relatively accurate but marriage licenses don't have the same validity. A marriage license was obtained to allow a couple to be married but the date for the license may have been several days, weeks, or months later. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 4 Where would genealogy books be filed using Dewey? The Dewey Decimal Classification system is one of two standard organization methods used by libraries to sort the books in logical groupings. This system was devised around 1885. The Dewey system divided all knowledge into ten broad categories. In Dewey, 000 would reflect all books of a general reference nature. Science is found in the 500 section while literature is found in the 800's. Each three-digit section is further broken down to ten more specific sections such as 110 or 340 or 790. The numbers are further broken down into ten more categories like 111 or 342 or 793. Most books that you see classified in the Dewey system also use fractions of numbers also, like, 835.218. The 900 series is devoted to biographies and history. The 929 section is devoted to genealogy. And if you explore this section more carefully, you will discover how this system works. For example, books in 929.1 are the textbooks; these books explore how genealogy is done. Books in 929.2 deal with family histories. In 929.3 you will find records that deal with the census and county records. The list goes on: 929.4 takes care of books on specific family names, 929.5 catalogs cemetery records. What is the other classification system? It is called the Library of Congress system. All knowledge is divided into 26 general areas from A to Z. To the right of this primary letter you might find another letter or a number. Like the Dewey system, it has a decimal point with further numbers on the right of the point. The category CS21 is designed for the general topic of genealogy; CS71 is for U.S. family histories. American newspapers can be found in PN4840 through 4899. Most public libraries rely on the Dewey system to catalog their holdings. Research libraries such as private institutions and universities lean towards the LC system. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 5 Which immigrant to 1775 Colonial America was not naturalized? This is a trick question unless you remember who possessed colonial America in 1775. Naturalization is the means by which foreigners become citizens of a country. Be aware that not all immigrants to America had to apply or accept citizenship. But in the colonies, which was claimed and protected by the British Crown, only a member of the British Empire would not need to be naturalized. Immigrants coming to America had to go through a two-part process to actually become citizens. First, the person had to file a declaration of intent to become an U.S. citizen. The evolving law regarding naturalization required the person to wait months to several years before filing a petition for naturalization. These declarations and petitions were filed in any court-federal, state, or county-until 1906 when the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization centrally collected all such records. Prior to 1906, these documents might be called any one of several names used to refer to naturalization: oaths of allegiance, first papers, naturalization certificates, or declarations of intent. These court records were part of the civil division of the court system-not the criminal justice system. Interestingly enough, the WPA (see question 1) hired people to conduct county record inventories of each state in the Union. These records have been put on microfilm. All proceedings that went through federal court (prior to 1906) are housed in the National Archives. Don't rush to Washington, D.C. until you check with the regional archives in the area where your naturalized ancestor resided. One final note about naturalization involves women and children. Prior to 1922, the wife and children of a man were automatically made U.S. citizens when he became a citizen. After this date the law required women to file their own petitions. As is today, children become citizens when their parent(s) are granted citizenship. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 6 The phrase "the 28th ultimo." Why all the fuss about Latin? This particular phrase, the 28th ultimo, means the 28th of last month. Fortunately (or not) Latin was the language of the intellectual and the church. We owe much of our language to Latin. It would behoove the researcher of records to have access to a dictionary which lists common Latin words, abbreviations, and phrases. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 7 The difference between a state land state and a public land state? This all has to do with land and how people came to possess it. State land states include the original 13 states, 5 states created from within original state boundaries (Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Vermont, and West Virginia) and 2 annexed territories (Hawaii and Texas). Public land states (totaling 30) were created from land ceded (given) by the original 13 states. In public land states, the federal government was the authorized agent to sell public domain lands. On the other hand, state land states retained ownership of public lands with the authority to sell the land to private individuals. These states created general land offices to manage the sale of land by way of land grants. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 8 Which record is the most complete and seldom used? Another question about land? Yes, land records contain a wealth of information for the genealogist. Before 1850, it is estimated that nine of every ten white adult males owned land. The greatest and oldest collection of records available to the family historian is land records. The concept of "who owns what" superceded the desire to know who was born, who was married, and who died. This makes for a significant record collection and resource for the researcher. An example of an land deed abstract: Granville County North Carolina, Book A, pages 78-80, January 24, 1748. John Richeson to Benjamin Lanier, son of Bird Lanier and his wife Mary, for 40 pounds. 300 acres which was granted to Joel Barker April 20, 1745 and conveyed to John Richeson at Lemuel Lanier's line on north side of Tarr River... Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 9 The Federal Census and Soundex. The first federal census to be organized using the Soundex system was 1880. This system sorts names by sound. Each name is coded on the basis of similar name. A Soundex code begins with the first letter of the surname (or the name that would be considered the surname as with Chinese names) followed by a numeric code using the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. When using the system all vowels and the letters h, w, and y are excluded to determine the numeric sequence. Use the following guide to determine which numbers to use in the code:
There are a few other rules needed to use the code or find the name you are seeking in the census:
Converting the names in the above examples:
The Soundex system was used to catalog the 1880, 1900, and 1920 census. The 1910 census was partially organized by Soundex. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 10 An Ahnentafel chart is used to list direct ancestors' names and vital statistics. It is a German word for ancestor chart. It is also known as the Sosa-Stradonitz system and dates from the seventeenth century. In these charts, each person is assigned a unique number. Other than name number one, all males are given even numbers and females are odd (numbers). To find the father of anyone on the chart, simply double the number of the child. To find the mother, double the number of the child and add one. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 11 Which would not be found in Probate records? The conditional release of a prisoner is called parole. It is a criminal matter and would not normally be found in probate court. These courts did handle estate settlements, proving wills, and records pertaining to insanity and guardianship. People who die without a valid will are said to have died intestate. It then becomes the court's duty to appoint someone to handle the affairs of the estate (the settlement of the estate). This person is called an administrator. If a will is disputed then the court determines its validity. If the deceased person (the testator) left a valid will, the person designated to handle the affairs (the disposition) will be indicated. Such a person is called the executor if it is a man and executrix if a woman. In the case of insanity, records related to establishing competency were found in county courts along with all of the previously mentioned records. In general, competency hearings dealt with appointing guardians to manage the affairs of the person. Privacy acts now prevent contemporary records from being made public. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 12 Military records you will not probably find. The majority of the military records of personnel serving in the twentieth century were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in Missouri on 12 July 1973. Older records can be found in various units of the National Archives (meaning the main archives and the various regional centers). These collections begin with the American Revolution and provide service records, draft registration cards, pension applications, bounty land warrants, and discharge information. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 13 About Roman numerals. The answer to this is 1864. What does knowing how to read Roman numerals have to do with genealogy? Well, if you are researching material in old books or magazines (whether directly or through micrographic forms like microfilm or microfiche) you will need to know how to read the publication data. Just for reference sake, M = 1000, D = 500, C = 100, L = 50, X = 10, V = 5, and I = 1. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 14 The least likely place to find a death date. If you find the testator's death date in his or her will, you might question its validity. It falls into the same category as finding children born before their mother. Ancestral File (AF), International Genealogical Index (IGI), and sexton records (church caretaker who may keep cemetery records as to who is buried where) each contain a wealth of information. Cemetery records, by virtue of the nature of the record, might have equal or greater reliability than Ancestral file or the IGI. Why? The AF is a voluntarily contributed database that may or may not contain reference to documentation to verify the information. Many times the AF record is sent in hopes that others can supplement the information. The IGI has a mixture of data from primary and secondary sources, as well as, data that has not been verified. Primary source material includes, for example, eyewitness accounts, wills, marriage certificates, and deeds. Secondary sources are based on primary source material. For example, the 1880 Soundex of the census is a secondary source because someone compiled the information from the original census schedules. The IGI, AF, and any other database you can access are all examples of secondary source material. Anything that has been abstracted or indexed is secondary. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 15 What is a GEDCOM? GEDCOM is the acronym for Genealogical Data Communications. It is the file format that is universally used by researchers to share genealogical information. All of the major software programs have the ability to create, send, and read GEDCOM files. This format keeps information organized and orderly. So, when I send a file with birth and death information to someone else, this data is placed in the appropriate birth and death fields of the recipient's software program. Learning to send and receive GEDCOM files is a researcher milestone. This means that working with a GEDCOM file the first time is quite an accomplishment and opens the door for you to explore new vistas and possibilities. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 16 Filing out family group sheets and other working forms. A working form is one that captures the information you find in your research endeavors. It might be a pedigree sheet or a family group sheet--whatever you use to write down your discoveries. As such, it is used to write down all data--even if contradictory or just incomplete. It is the sheet that indicates that Aunt Mary was born on July 4, 1922 in the social security index and July 14, 1922 according to her death certificate and April 7, 1922 on a passport application. A working form is prone to being crowded with information. Above all else, the info must be readable. Pencils have been the standard for such worksheets but the most significant factor to reading what you have written is that it is legible. The ink used in most ball point, roller ball, and felt-tip pens is prone to fading or bleeding into the paper fiber. Erasable ink should be used only after you have written with everything in your home (including barbecue briquettes). Indelible ink, otherwise known as permanent ink, is good but don't look for it in the stick pens packs you can buy for a dollar. Pencils, on the other hand, are cheap, don't fade, won't bleed, and can be erased if you misspell something. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 17 What does it take to be a good genealogist? Well, relatively few genealogists live in Salt Lake City or the nation's capitol. Certification indicates training and accomplishment in the field of genealogy but there are many folks who have equal ability without the credential. Money, time, space, and persistence definitely help facilitate the task of genealogy but do not address accuracy. The core ingredients for success in this endeavor involve patience, desire, and reasonable judgement to evaluate the relevance of data. Which is better: 15 generations of questions or 2 or 3 generations with accuracy. Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 18 What is a genealogist's greatest folly? You might say that all four choices make up the cornerstones for genealogical disaster. Computers have helped add a third piece to the statement: the only sure thing in life is death and taxes. Now, it is death, taxes, and lost data. It does not matter whether you have the latest Pentium or a 286 dinosaur, the time will come when you lose computer data. (There are rumors that people have actually walked away from genealogy after losing their data.) The only preventive measure is to make sure you back up your data. It really is worth the few minutes it takes to do it. As you prepare to leave your data program, ask yourself, "How long would it take me to enter all this data again?" The next folly is to rely on your memory. What was the third question in this quiz? Don't worry, I wrote it and still need to scroll up to answer my own question. I don't have Alzheimer's yet but I recognize the fact that my memory never was what it should have been. So if I do not write things down they do not exist. (Nice logic, right?) Have you ever had the experience of talking to a family member on the telephone and not write down information you learned during the conversation? You might remember a week later that there was something you had wanted to jot down but now... Did you ever come across a web page that might have information about your family and not bookmark the page? The key to retaining all these tidbits of information is to write them down. Splurge and buy some post-it notes. Keep pad and pencil near the telephone. Keep a notepad and a pen in your car. Of course, I can not say enough about keeping a journal. Writing in a journal is a long-term work in progress. How valuable is a journal? What if you had access to a lifelong journal of your parent or great-grandparent? Well, do the next best thing: start one for your descendents. Write it down! The third great folly is not citing sources of where you got the data that you possess. Several articles have touched upon this subject in past editions of Treasure Maps. Suffice it to say this folly is easily preventable. The fourth folly in our beloved endeavor is treating data as factual without verification. One of the most horrendous examples of this involves getting information off the Internet. Just because someone posted it does not mean it is absolutely accurate. I have seen several people use the same erroneous source to set up their various web pages. When someone finds all these pages, their logical conclusion is that the data is correct because several different sites corroborate it. It is impossible to turn secondary sources of data into primary sources of data. Well, how did you do on this Genealogical IQ test? If you scored a perfect 18 out of 18 and did not use any reference to verify your answers, you have done well. If you like you can refer to yourself as a genealogical genius. Back to the Test Your Genealogy IQ QUESTIONS
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