Several times a year for almost three decades, D.C. resident Calvin Osborne has suited up in a Civil War uniform to reenact the stories of Black soldiers who fought for the abolition of slavery.

Ever since he saw the 1989 movie “Glory,” about one of the Union Army’s first Black regiments, Osborne said he has felt a calling to honor Civil War troops of color.

“That movie shook my soul,” said Osborne, 59, who is the associate director of the D.C. Office of Federal and Regional Affairs. “Until that time, I didn’t know that Black soldiers had fought for their own freedom.”

Osborne joined the District’s Black Civil War reenactment group, Company B, and is now president of the volunteer organization. He said he has found purpose in researching the lives of Black Civil War soldiers, most of whom were once enslaved.

But then last year, he found out about an even more personal connection to the Civil War: He learned his great-great-grandfather, William Lacy, had escaped slavery at age 14, then fought in the Civil War.

You can read more in an article by Cathy Free published in the Washington Post at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/07/21/civil-war-black-soldier-grandfather/.

The following announcement was written by the North of Ireland Family History Society:

This September sees the return of the popular DNA School run by the North of Ireland Family History Society and this time it is online. Previously it was held in-person at the society’s research library near Belfast and the society frequently got comments from people living overseas wishing they could attend. The society hopes that the new online DNA School will attract the Irish and Scots-Irish diaspora or indeed anyone wanting to make the most of the opportunities that DNA research allows. There is huge interest these days in using DNA to help with genealogy research and the aim of the school is to make the whole subject more understandable by helping attendees improve their skills and knowledge.

A spokesperson said that the society is very pleased that Jonny Perl, the developer behind the popular DNA Painter tool, will be a speaker this year. Jonny has family roots in Northern Ireland where the society is based so he is an ideal instructor. American genealogist David Allen Lambert recently said:

“What Jonny has done for genealogy and DNA analysis never ceases to amaze me”.

Classes will last for around 90 minutes – usually a one-hour talk followed by a question and answer session. All four types of DNA will be covered (X, Y, mitochondrial and autosomal). Classes will provide practical advice to allow concepts to be understood and new skills to be learned. There will be a focus on making progress on DNA research within Ireland, however, classes are suitable for anyone using DNA research to trace their roots. There are two sessions each day, at 3pm and at 7pm BST, so 10am and 2pm ET for anyone wishing to “zoom” across the Atlantic.

As a bonus, attendees will be invited to the NIFHS monthly DNA interest group, where a wide range of DNA topics are discussed. These meetings are a great way of keeping up to date with DNA developments throughout the year and are an opportunity to ask questions.

The DNA School will be held from Monday 6th to Friday 10th September. The full class list is:

· Achieving Success with DNA
· Using DNA Painter
· Using X Matches in your DNA Research
· The Advantages of Y-DNA
· The Advantages of mtDNA
· The Leeds Method
· The DNA Family Matching Tool
· Stories from the Ballycarry and Islandmagee DNA Projects
· Using the Chromosome Browser Effectively
· Ethnicity Estimates

The classes are £10 each or all 10 classes can be booked together at a discounted rate of £80.

To book online and to find more details, please visit www.nifhs.org/courses

Genealogists love scanners. I often get asked, which is the best scanner? Or the best portable portable scanner? Occasionally, I get asked which is the best scanner for use on photographs?

As a single person writing lots of articles daily, I find it impossible to answer that question. I would have to purchase a number of scanners and then spend hundreds of hours testing all of them. As a sole author, I find that to be impractical. HOWEVER, there are other sources of data that have done exactly that with their teams of employees.

I am always leery of may "reviews" published online proclaiming that one product or another is the best. Many of these so-called "reviews" are actually thinly-veiled advertisements, written by someone who is actually promoting his or her employer's product.

Two sources I do trust for publishing factual and accurate online reviews or PCMag.com and Wirecutter.com. They seem to always be impartial and describe things accurately. (Wirecutter is owned by the New York Times.)

To read about recommended portable scanners, take a look at https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-scanners, https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-photo-scanners, and at: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-portable-document-scanner/.

American schoolchildren always learn of the United States Declaration of Independence, printed July 4, 1776. They are also told that a copy (not the original) is on view at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

The same schoolchildren may or may not be told that 200 copies were printed on July 4, 1776. What they usually are not told is that at least 26 copies are known to still exist. What fascinates me is that three of those copies are held in one place: The National Archives in Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

Yes, The National Archives of Great Britain has more original 1776 copies than does the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

In 1776, one copy was officially entered into the Congressional Journal and the additional copies were distributed, some by horseback, throughout the colonies to be read aloud to colonists and the militia. In addition, one copy was sent to King George III. I guess the Colonials felt they should notify the King that his subjects in the 13 North American colonies were rebelling.

Two other copies came from senior officers of the British Army and Navy who were commanding troops in North America at the time. It isn’t clear if the documents were sent directly to the officers or if they obtained the copies from captured documents.

I saw the documents in Kew (a neighborhood of London) on a trip I made a few years ago. They certainly looked the same as the copy I had seen at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. a few years earlier!

You can read more in Wikipedia at 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_history_of_the_United_States_Declaration_of_Independence. 

If you love privacy, there's a lot to love about Signal. This is another "off-topic" article but one that every computer owner who cares about privacy should be aware of:

The secure messaging app Signal has been around for years. But thanks to heightened awareness of the need for privacy the app recently exploded with new users. 

Known for its end-to-end encryption and independent structure as a non-profit organization run by a foundation — not a big tech company — Signal has previously been the communication method of choice for activists, people in the hacker community, and others concerned about privacy.

In recent years, Signal has also been investing in more infrastructure and features to support its users. That's a good thing: Signal first saw an increase in users in the spring of 2020 as people participating in anti-racist protests around the murder of George Floyd realized how closely law enforcement was surveilling them and asking companies to hand over user data. It’s only become more popular since then.

So, thinking about joining Signal? Bottom line: If you care about privacy, it’s a good idea. Here’s what you need to know.

OK, so what is Signal?

Signal is a free, privacy-focused messaging and voice talk app you can use on Apple and Android smartphones and via desktop. All you need is a phone number to join. You can text or make voice or video calls with friends, either one-on-one or in groups, and use emoji reactions or stickers just like in other apps. But there’s one big difference: Signal is actually really private.

You can read all about Signal at: https://bit.ly/3iunprx.

NOTE: This article is "off topic." It has nothing to do with the normal topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, DNA, lifestyles of our ancestors, and similar topics. However, it does reflect interest in computing and other state-of-the-art technology and I suspect many readers of this newsletter are also interested in those topics so I am including it.

If you are looking only for articles relating to genealogy and related topics, you might want to skip this article.

Quoting a new article on Microsoft's web site at https://bit.ly/3isPsaU:

"Today we’re excited to announce Windows 365, a cloud service that introduces a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it’s generally available later this calendar year) for workers from interns and contractors to software developers and industrial designers. Windows 365 takes the operating system to the Microsoft Cloud, securely streaming the full Windows experience—including all your apps, data, and settings—to your personal or corporate devices. This approach creates a fully new personal computing category, specifically for the hybrid world: the Cloud PC."

Another quote from the same web site:

"Much like how we’ve embraced the cloud for other products, our vision for a Windows 365 Cloud PC is to deliver a new way to experience Windows through the power of the cloud—while solving both novel and traditional challenges for organizations. This new paradigm isn’t just about allowing and securing remote access. The user experience is more important than ever for attracting and retaining talent, improving productivity, and ensuring security.

"The Cloud PC draws on the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device to provide a powerful, simple, and secure full Windows 10 or Windows 11 experience that you can use to empower your workforce, regardless of location or device. Windows 365 provides an instant-on boot experience that enables users to stream all their personalized applications, tools, data, and settings from the cloud across any device including your Mac, iPad, Linux device, and Android. The Windows experience is consistent, no matter the device. You can pick up right where you left off, because the state of your Cloud PC remains the same, even when you switch devices. You can get the same work done on a laptop in a hotel room, a tablet from their car between appointments, or your desktop while you’re in the office. Seasonal workers also can ramp on and off according to the needs of the business, allowing the organization to scale for busy periods without the complicated logistical and security challenges of issuing new hardware. Further, companies can be more targeted in how they outfit specialized workers in creative, analytics, engineering, or scientific roles who need greater compute power and access to critical applications."

The article goes on to describe Microsoft's latest release: the Windows 365 Cloud PC.

If you only have one computer and have no desire to add more or a newer computer, this new product won't interest you. However, if you are thinking of purchasing a new and more powerful Windows computer or perhaps an additional laptop, tablet, or perhaps a second computer for the office or for home, this article will explain how to gain a more powerful system at (perhaps) a cheaper price.

The Windows 365 Cloud PC is intended to be used as your only computer but available at multiple locations. This piece of magic is accomplished by having the customer rent a new, high-powered Windows system that is installed "in the cloud." That is, the new Windows system will be installed in (possibly multiple) data centers, possibly in different locations around the world, and being accessed via low-powered computers remotely through the Internet. This "remote computer" could be an older, lower-powered Windows computer or even a Macintosh, a Linux system, a laptop, an iPad, or even a (less than $100) Raspberry Pi. It also could be easily portable so that the user may access the Windows 365 Cloud PC from any location: from home, from the office, from on-board an airliner, or perhaps from a hotel room in a foreign county.

The Windows 365 Cloud PC has almost all the same capabilities as a standard Windows PC and can be used as the user's only computer (not counting the remote computer that simply provides a screen, keyboard, and mouse).

I travel a lot and would love to travel with a tiny laptop, iPad, or Android tablet computer and to still have access to all my files and to a high-powered computer from any location, even from Singapore or from Moscow. If you travel frequently, you may want the same thing.

If you do not travel much and have no need for a second, remote computer, this probably will not appeal to you.

To read more about this new Windows 365 Cloud PC, read the full introduction on Microsoft's web site at: https://bit.ly/3isPsaU.

This new device is generating a lot of publicity and you can find dozens of more articles, each describing the new product from a different author's viewpoint, by going to any internet search engine and performing a search for "Windows 365 Cloud PC".

I expect to write about my own "hands on" experience from a genealogist's viewpoint as soon as these things become available and I can get my hands on one (remotely, of course).

There is a Constitutional issue brewing in the United States concerning the use of genetic genealogy to solve major violent crimes. Which is greater: the constitutional guarantees of personal privacy or the need to find and apprehend the culprit?

An article by Dan Grossman published in the WTVR.COM web site summarizes both sides of these contradictory issues. You can find the article at: https://bit.ly/3xQqo44.

A condensed edition of the Maine State Library reopened this past week, in temporary quarters on State Street.

The library’s much smaller spot at 242 State St. is in a state building that over the years has been home to offices of the state Department of Health and Human Services, Public Utilities Commission, and Department of Motor Vehicles. The new location is expected to be its home for about two years, while work continues to remove asbestos and perform mechanical upgrades at its longtime regular home at the state Cultural Building, which is undergoing about $15 million in renovations.

With only about 5,500 square feet of space for the public, versus the permanent library’s 22,000 square feet of availability, space is tight, and the collection of books and other materials is limited to about 25% of what was once on hand. But nearly the full complement of materials is in storage fairly nearby in a Winthrop warehouse, and can be made available to borrowers within one to three days or so, if requested.

You can read the full story by Keith Edwards at: https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/07/15/maine-state-library-reopens-in-temporary-quarters-in-augusta/.

The following was a message posted to the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) Records Access Alert mailing list and is republished here with permission:

In December 2017, Montana started to issue new birth certificates with an updated name and gender upon request of an affidavit from the individual, a government-issued ID showing the correct gender or a court order. No court order or proof of surgery is required. (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a2314a3a803bbf60aea3d4d/t/5b589c8b0e2e723fea135c41/1532533901004/Trans+birth+cert+change.pdf)

In 2021 a new law was signed, MT SB280 https://legiscan.com/MT/text/SB280/id/2375525/Montana-2021-SB280-Enrolled.pdf,  which states that the sex designation on a birth certificate can only be changed if the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services "received a certified copy of an order from a court indicating that the sex of an individual born in Montana had been changed by surgical procedure." The law suit further states, Montana's law requires an individual to reveal their private medical information in a public court proceeding, and, as a result, "deprives that person of their rights to equality and privacy in violation of the Montana Constitution."

On July 16, 2021, two transgender persons sued the date over the law that makes it difficult for transgender people to change their sex on their birth certificates. The suit says, the law prohibits trans people who don't want or can't afford gender-affirming surgery from obtaining accurate birth. The plaintiffs argue in their lawsuit that the measure violates their constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection of the law and due process. Being sued are: state of Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Adam Meier, the state health department's director.

According to NBC News, Twenty-three states allow self-attestation to change a gender marker on a birth certificate and do not require surgery nor a court order, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit LGBTQ think tank. Fourteen states allow an M, F or X, a nonbinary gender marker, on birth certificates.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/aclu-sues-montana-transgender-id-law-requiring-proof-surgery-rcna1440

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

If you're looking for free ebooks to download and dive into, these digital libraries are worth checking out.

With the advance of digital technology, more and more people are choosing ebooks and audiobooks over printed books. Amazon alone offers millions of ebooks in every category you could think of. Some are free, while others come with a hefty price tag.

The good news is, you can always head over to a digital library to get the information you need when you need it. You just need to know what to look for. With that being said, check out these five digital libraries for free ebooks, audiobooks, and other online resources. There are thousands of books available, all are free, and quite a few of them are genealogy books.

You can find an excellent list of free (and mostly out-of-copyright) books in an article by Andra Picincu in the Make Use Of web site at: https://www.makeuseof.com/digital-libraries-download-ebooks-free/.