This "searchable database" is a directory about African-American history in New Hampshire. The database has demographic information for people of interest.
Add a Source (citation)
Historical research is often based on records that exist somewhere. So each Name, Event or Detail can have a "Source" of data. One Source can have information about several people. The life history of one Person might come from several Sources.
Source citations are strongly encouraged, but not absolutely required.
= They follow rules and conventions that are customary for a published bibliography.
= Look at the list of existing Sources to get a sense of the style.
= To see our current Sources, click "List all Sources" on the Main (Welcome) page.
In the database, each Source has an identifying Code.
= The Code is often a few letters of the author's/editor's name and the year of publication.
= When you enter a new Source Code, make sure it is not a duplicate.
= Make a note of the Code, so you will be able to re-enter it later for Person data.
Each Source has a "type" that may be:
| Source type | Such as... |
|---|---|
| Vital record | (birth, death, marriage, ...) |
| Bill of lading | |
| Cemetery record | |
| Census | |
| Church record | (baptism, marriage, ...) |
| City directory | |
| Court record | (civil, criminal) |
| Deed | (land and property) |
| Gravestone | |
| Immigration | |
| Letter / Diary | |
| Miltary record | |
| Newspaper | (article) |
| Obituary | |
| Passenger list | |
| Probate record | |
| School record | |
| Tax record | |
| Town directory | |
| Will | |
| Book / Journal | (secondary source) |
... or more.
Add a Person (names)
The primary record in this database is a Person. To see them, click "List all Persons" on the Main (Welcome) page. For more about finding Persons, see the Help page about Searching.
Each Person can have one or more names.
We identify a Person with a "Context Name" and a "Person Name" taken together. Each name can be one word, two words, or a short phrase.
- A "Context Name" is usually a family surname.
= For enslaved people, it may be the owner's surname.
= For unnamed people, the Context may be an associated location.
= Examples: "Whipple", "Moffatt (Samuel)", and "Portsmouth NH" are possible.
- A "Person Name" is a given name or nickname within the context.
= It can also be an identifier, such as "Two servants" or "Unknown".
= Data is usually entered exactly as it appears in source documents.
= Examples: "Abigail", "Abigail or Abi", "Abigail / Abi", "Abigail (Abi)", or "negro girl".
- A Person may also have an "Also Known As" Name. This Alias is optional.
= For an enslaved person, an Alias might be a birth name, when known.
= It may also be a subsequent Context Name or Person Name.
Any Search "By Name of Person" looks through all these fields (Context, Person, and Alias).
There is also an optional "Remark" field, to help identify unnamed or same-name people.
= This is not a complete description, and this "Remark" field is not searchable later.
Of course, the data for one Person may come from more than one Source. When that happens,
just edit the record and enter another Source Code on the "Source(s)" line for that Person.
= Do not create a duplicate record for the Person!