We have all been there...you are on a roll with your research and then out of nowhere you hit a brick wall and cannot seem to get through it. Most African Americans will face the brick wall as they get closer to 1865. Unfortunately slavery has almost completely eradicated any path that will lead back to our ancestors. I don't see brick walls as my enemy...I see them as an indicator that it is time to readjust. The first emotion is frustration because it seems insurmountable, however there are a couple of paths that we can take to get past the brick wall.
Take a break: Usually we become fixated on a particular family member or a branch of the family. Eventually we have stared at the details for so long that we cannot see clearly. Take a break and work on someone new. I usually find a link I have missed previously or I discover a detail that will take me on a journey to brand new information.
Sometimes you just need to Google: In this day and age, web searches can bring along a dearth of information that was not available months or years ago. I was having such a hard time with the Windhams that one day I decided to Google them. What a fantastic thought! I happened onto a post by a Windham in Louisiana who had traced his whole line and had plenty of information on the Windhams of Mississippi. In the course of a week I had gone from a brick wall to a whole new trail.
Ask for help: Because of shows like Follow Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are, there are webpages, blogs and Facebook groups dedicated to genealogy research. There are thousands of people who have dedicated years to their genealogy and have become very experienced in the trial and error in how to research and how not to. The fellow genealogists in my group are all at different levels in their research. The information that I have been able to utilize has been invaluable. The worst thing someone can tell you is no but you'll never find out if you don't ask.
DNA: Now...an Ancestry DNA test can open up all kinds of wonders for you, prove that Aunt Myrna's stories were correct or in my case, confuse the hell out of you. Before deciding to take a DNA test it is important to realize what you want to find out. For me, I genuinely wanted to find out my DNA Ancestry. My great-grandmother told us that her great-grandmother came from Madagascar. Well my DNA only showed West African, Central African and Scandinavian DNA...which was a surprise. I got what I wanted...now I have to figure out what it means and where it leads me. Do a lot of research before you pick a test. Be honest and realistic about what you hope to find and don't take a DNA test promising to show how you're related to Queen of France.
Most importantly, remember that while there will be some mysteries you'll never be able to solve, never quit and never feel like it is a lost cause. Two years ago I had not found any of my father's ancestors...now I can trace back to the 1700's definitely and I am one link away from tracing the Windham back to the 1200's.
Happy Searching!
