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VERSION:2.0
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CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference 2026
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:session-01a06f7d-0883-794a-b7b2-9ed4a02ba4ac@events
SEQUENCE:0
DTSTAMP:20260927T021635Z
DTSTART:20260821T200000Z
DTEND:20260821T205000Z
SUMMARY:Turning a Brick Wall into a Community: Using Documents and DNA Toge
 ther
DESCRIPTION:A single record can feel like a dead end—or it can open the d
 oor to an entire world. Beginning with a militia record for Isaac Cloud\, 
 my brick wall patrilineal ancestor\, this session shows how I used one doc
 ument to uncover the intersection of several family lines while reconstruc
 ting the community in Spring Place\, Georgia between 1820 and 1840. By pla
 cing individuals within their historical and geographic context\, we can m
 ove beyond isolated ancestors to understand how families\, neighbors\, and
  communities were connected across cultural lines—and how those non-matc
 hing surnames may have entered our Y-DNA results. This presentation follow
 s the process of tracing documentary evidence\, expanding to associated fa
 milies\, and using that network to form testable hypotheses. It also demon
 strates how DNA can be used not just for analysis\, but to identify and re
 cruit targeted testers to confirm—or challenge—those hypotheses. Along
  the way\, we will examine how to evaluate conflicting evidence\, how new 
 information can shift conclusions\, and why unexpected DNA results are sti
 ll meaningful. You’ll leave with a practical framework for breaking thro
 ugh brick walls by reconstructing the world your ancestors lived in—usin
 g records\, DNA\, and historical context to build stronger conclusions.
LOCATION:Suffolk
URL:https://events.dnagedcom.com/ecggc-2026/sessions/01a06f7d-0883-794a-b7b
 2-9ed4a02ba4ac
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