our history is in our genes
Tracing Descendants of American Enslavement to Africa
The first time my paternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph (Livas) Anderson, appears in an official record is the 1851 Canadian Census of Canada East and Canada West. He is sixty-four years old.
The first official record of my maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Charles Boswell, was his marriage bond in 1818. He is between twenty-eight and thirty-eight years old.
It has been told that both were born free, but there is no paper trail detailing their births. Both were born in the late 1700s, Joseph in Maryland and Charles in Virginia or North Carolina. How did they and/or their parents attain freedom? Who were their parents?
Using yDNA (male line) and mitochondrial DNA (female line), companies like African Ancestry Inc. have successfully linked many American Descendants of Enslavement to regions, ethnic groups, and sometimes tribes. However, establishing direct links to particular families is exceedingly rare.
Tracing Descendants of American Enslavement Across the Americas
Whether you're looking for a quick and easy lunch or something more substantial, we have a variety of recipes to choose from. Try our homemade soups, hearty sandwiches, or flavorful salads.
Tracing Descendants of American Enslavement
Whether you're looking for a quick and easy lunch or something more substantial, we have a variety of recipes to choose from. Try our homemade soups, hearty sandwiches, or flavorful salads.
anderson-freeman yDNA
information about dna testing
SHOULD I DO DNA TESTING?
> DON’T DO IT if you are unprepared to find unpleasant surprises!
> Genealogical testing is a tool to augment traditional research. Finding a parent or sibling is possible, but DNA matches often open further research avenues for continuing research.
> Ethnicity Estimates are ESTIMATES!
> CHECK THESE OUT:
This short NPR article provides excellent insight: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/02/12/466379200/can- you-tell-your-ethnic-identity-from-your-dna
This Vox video about what DNA testing can and cannot tell you is also very informative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIWlatQt4KE
WHAT COMMPANY SHOULD I TEST WITH?
There are several great DNA testing companies. The most notable companies are:
> AncestryDNA
> Family Tree DNA
> 23andMe
> MyHeritage
> AfricanAncestry
Many descendants of Charles and Hester Meehan have tested with AncestryDNA and 23andMe. I have found more Freeman and Anderson family connections through Ancestry.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DNA TESTS?
> Autosomal DNA Test
> y-DNA Test
> mtDNA Test
> Genetic DNA Tests
> DNA Paternity Testing
GENEALOGICAL DNA TESTING, LAW INFORCEMENT AND PRIVACY
This topic has been in the spotlight for the past few years, especially in light of decades-old police cold cases that are being solved using genealogical DNA databases. Understand what this could mean for you before you mail that sample off. The following article is one of many on the subject.
Those Audacious Meehans, LLC
All pictures used on this site are the property of Catherine Meehan Blount unless otherwise noted. Other images are used with permission.