This "searchable database" is a directory about African-American history in New Hampshire. The database has demographic information for people of interest.

Add an Event (dates)

The life history of each Person is composed of Events. Some examples are Birth, Marriage or Death.

=== An Event has a Date ===

For many events, we know an exact date or a year. Sometimes, the actual Date of an Event may not be known to us. For example, we might know that someone was married and to whom, but we may not know exactly when. The event had a date; we just don't know what it is.

To add an Event for a Person:

1. Click the [Add Event] button on the person's life history.
2. Select a type of Event from the drop-down list.
   

   If an Event is not in the drop-down list, please...
   see the "Types of Events" section below.

3. Enter the Date (YYYY-MM-DD) of the Event.
4. Click [Save].

To appear in the life history of a Person, an Event must have a Date entry.

• Our Dates have a YYYY-MM-DD format.
• An entry can have only a year YYYY, missing a month and day.
• An entry can have a year and month YYYY-MM, missing a day.
• For an unknown date, enter a "(?)" by itself.
• For an estimated date, enter the date, then enter a "(?)" after the date.

For example, suppose we know where someone was born, but we don't know when. In that case, select "Birth" as the Event and enter "(?)" as the Date. Then enter the location as a Detail.

In the life history of a given Person, any type of event can occur more than once. For example, a Person may have more than one Marriage or more than one Enslavement. Even records of singular events – like Birth or Death – can have differing dates in various sources.

Also, two different events can occur on the same date. For example, suppose someone fought in a battle and was killed. That is two events, both with the same date. (One is Military, one Death.)

Data for an Event 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 Event.
  = Do not create a duplicate record for the same Event on the same Date!

---

Types of Events

The database has three kinds of Events. Knowing about them is important for both searching and data entry. The three kinds are:

• "Vital" events
  These common events – often recorded by municipalities – are named in the database.
  The events include: Birth, Death, Marriage, and Enslavement (whether sale or probate).
  Each one has its own associated details.
   
• "Survey" data
  A census record or directory listing is an observation of a Person on a Date.
  Such an event is represented by one choice, named "About" in the database.
  There can be several "About" events for a Person, each on a different Date.
  Details of an "About" event include Residence, Age, and other personal stuff.
   
• "Group" categories
  All other events are not specifically named. The idea is like writing a resume today.
  Instead, the database has generic "Events" (sections) with specifics to be written in.
  These "Events" are: Education, Military, Work, Religion, and Civic (membership).
  In each one, a specific event name is a Detail. Thus, the event names are unlimited.

So... If you are searching for an event that is not named above, it may not be missing. For example, "Baptism" is not named as an Event. It does not appear in a drop-down list. Instead, the name of any religious ceremony has a place in the "Religion" Event.

This may sound complicated, but read the "master list" in the database to make it obvious.

If you are still convinced that your type of Event is missing from the database, then see the "master list" instructions.

---

Add a Detail (description)

Each Event can have some associated Details. For example, one Person may have a "Marriage" (event) where "Place of marriage" (detail) is "Portsmouth NH" (description).

=== A Detail has a Description ===

There are many possible Details. For each Person, only a few Details may be known. Whatever is known about one Person will differ from what we know about others.

To add a Detail for an Event:

1. Click the [Add Detail] icon – for that Event – on the person's life history.
2. Select a type of Detail from the drop-down list.
   

   If a Detail is not in the drop-down list...
   please see the "master list" instructions.

3. Enter the Description (text).
4. Click [Save].

To appear in the life history of a Person, a Detail must have a Description.

• Enter a "(?)" after any description that is uncertain.
• Do not enter a "(?)" by itself. That's simply unhelpful.

Only enter Details that have Descriptions. Omit Details that lack a Description.

The data for one Detail 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 Detail.
  = Do not create a duplicate record for the same Detail!