What have YOU done to trace your family history? Find any skeletons in the old f

Question:

What have YOU done to trace your family history? Find any skeletons in the old family closet?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Wow! I was hoping someone would ask this question. First, I discovered my family migrated from Albemarle County, Virginia. The same Albemarle County, Virginia of Thomas Jefferson. I am currently trying to confirm the parents of my great great great grandfather who was born circa 1805. He was the same age as Madison Hemmings, the son of Sally Hemmings. I found an article published in 1995, in The Magazine Albemarle County History which list the Hemmings along with individuals with whom I believe my great great great grandfather shares kinship. This is amazing because all of these people in this article are people of color and they were put in this unofficial census-- because the local and State governments--under the auspices of the American Colonization Society-- were about to ship these individuals to Liberia. I am trying to read history to understand the economic, political, racial factors which were at play.

Again my family migrated from Albemarle County, Virginia and land in the Old Northwest Territory--Ohio. I wonder if they used the Underground Railroad? Were they involved with the UGRR? I just recently found a family in the 1840 Census which resembles my family. This is amazing because people of color or black people weren't officially counted until the 1870 Federal Census.

Through the use of military records, I discovered I have two relatives who fought in the Civil War. I have their pension records.