I received this posting on another listserv and thought it might be on interest. ASSOCIATED PRESS by Raphael G. Satter LONDON -- A genealogy Web site said yesterday that it will post 3 million names of slaves held across the British Empire during the early 19th century, putting hundreds of thousands of pages of searchable information online to help slaves' descendants research their pasts. The project will use registers that the British government created between 1813 and 1834 in an effort to stamp out the slave trade by ensuring plantation owners did not buy new slaves. Britain abolished the trade in 1807. Slavery itself was outlawed in the colonies 17 years later. Information from 700 registers from 23 British territories and dependencies will be made available online, free of charge, Within the next 12 months, said Simon Ziviani, a spokesman for Ancestry.co UK. The database will be searchable by first and last name, island, plantation, age and sex, he said. One of the most exhaustive documents, the 1834 Barbados Slave Register, was posted online by the site yesterday. Slaves generally left few written records, making it difficult to reconstruct their lives, Ziviani said. "Hopefully (the database) will provide a missing piece of the puzzle," he said. The site could help those outside Britain do research not otherwise possible said Mia Morris, founder of Black historical and cultural Web site Blackhistory-month.co.UK. Colonies were required to count slaves and their owners every three years. Records were kept on site and c opies submitted to the Office for the Registry of Colonial Slaves. After the office was disbanded, 200,000 pages of names were placed in the National Archives in Kew, in west London. Kenyatta D. Berry http://www.slavegenealogy.com Rebuilding African American History Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

Early humans Showed Traits of Neanderthals >From our ANI Correspondent Washington, Apr 24: A new study by a Washington University anthropologist has revealed that early humans showed traits of Neanderthals. As part of his study, Erik Trinkaus, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, examined the earliest modern humans in Europe, including specimens in Romania, Czech Republic and France. According to him, those specimens did exhibit evidence of Neanderthal ancestry. "When you look at all of the well dated and diagnostic early modern European fossils, there is a persistent presence of anatomical features that were present among the Neanderthals but absent from the earlier African modern humans," said Prof. Trinkaus. "Early modern Europeans reflect both their predominant African early modern human ancestry and a substantial degree of admixture between those early modern humans and the indigenous Neanderthals," he said. The study appears in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of America's fastest growing religions, and its influence circles the globe. The church has 12 million members today and over half of them live outside the U.S. Yet the birth of Mormonism and its history is one of America's great neglected narratives. This four-hour documentary brings together FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in their first co-production to provide a searching portrait of this fascinating but often misunderstood religion. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero," John Paul II: The Millennial Pope"), the film will explore the richness, the complexities, and the controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians, and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith. http://www.pbs.org/mormons/ Check above site for times in your local area. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

I live in one of the towns next to the Steuben House in River Edge. You cannot imagine the devastation caused by this rain storm. People who didn't have any problems with Hurricane Floyd in 1999 faced flooded basements and even first floors under water. Half of our town was closed because the river came over the road. One woman said the thing she was most upset about losing was all her family pictures. So not only were Revolutionary War artifacts lost but family artifacts were lost forever as well. Please think about how you store your own family artifacts. Make copies of everything you can and share them with other relatives. In the event of a disaster at your house, you will still be able to have those precious memories. Lynn ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Here is an announcement of a new genealogy social networking site. Social networking is quite different from "regular" genealogy sites. Here is the announcement from FamilyLink: FamilyLink: New Genealogy Collaboration Web Site Rapidly "Links" People at a Whole New Level Geographic and language barriers minimized to improve genealogy research with launch of FamilyLink Provo, UT, April 18, 2007 -- FamilyLink, the newest social genealogy networking Web site created to rapidly link people across the world launched Today. "The recent surge in social networking sites demonstrates the need for people to connect around diverse types of interests" said Michael Tanne, Founder and CEO of Wink, a People Search Engine. FamilyLink provides a perfect venue for families, genealogists and family historians to share their common interests and heritage as they connect with one another and upload their photos, family tree, and family history." FamilyLink has been created to facilitate genealogists in working together in ways that have never been attempted before in the genealogy world with a tool that is easy to use and understand. "During the early years of Ancestry and MyFamily, I could hardly sleep. I was so excited about what we were building. I feel the same way about FamilyLink," said Paul Allen, CEO, WorldVitalRecords.com. Using FamilyLink, geographic and language barriers are minimized as individuals connect with their loved ones, research their family history, and preserve memories. "For the first time ever, if I'm looking for an ancestor in a particular part of the world, I'll be a click away from the expert researchers who live there, and from others who have done research there," Allen said. FamilyLink users can view the profiles of other individuals, communicate with individuals who have researched or are currently researching in their area of interest through the City Link feature, meet new individuals who also participate in the service, share photos, genealogical information, and post comments. "One thing that is really interesting right now is that there really is nothing out there on the Web to help someone who lived in a certain city gather information from another city, unless they fly there. The need for this type of social networking definitely exists. FamilyLink allows people who are in different cities to connect with each other in an amazing way," said Jason McGowan, Product Manager, FamilyLink.com. Additional features include a news feed system, Ancestor Pages, announcements pages, email features, shared connections between WorldVitalRecords.com and FamilyLink.com, and will soon include a family Tree. "Putting FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com together is a great way to preserve, share, and grow your family tree," said Barbara Renick, professional genealogist, nationally known lecturer, and author. In the past genealogists were able to make connections with other genealogists. However to do so required a lot of time, and effort, two scarce resources for genealogists. FamilyLink is a tool that connects people in such a way that it makes everyone and everything more efficient, and will become even better as people join the site. "As with other social networks, the more people that use FamilyLink, the more useful it will become to everyone else. So we invite you to join and encourage others to join as well, so that we will soon have members in all of the cities of the world--all helping each other to find and preserve their heritage," Allen said. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

New Jersey Historical Documents and Artifacts Damaged in Flood Nearly 1,000 priceless Revolutionary War era historical objects and documents were damaged last week. Antique furniture is now being sprayed in an attempt to stop the mold, and soggy piles of documents from the late 1700s have been frozen in an attempt to preserve them. Meanwhile, state bureaucrats are involved in a high-level blame game. A New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection official defended efforts to protect the museum collection at the state-owned Steuben House in River Edge, where rising floodwaters from the recent nor'easter caused an estimated $1.5 million in damages. State legislators and members of the Bergen County Historical Society, which owns the collection, are blaming the department's Division of Parks and Forestry, which operates the house and is responsible for securing items during a storm. Amy Cradic, assistant commissioner of natural and historic resources with the DEP, said the on-site employee, Andrew Anderson, spent two days moving furniture and other artifacts to the second floor and the attic. "We took appropriate action based on our experience with past floods and the information available about the storm," she said. "It was an extraordinary weather event." Sadly, that was not enough. There was sufficient room to move the items to a higher floor in the house. Tim Adriance of the historical society said, There were plenty of volunteers available." Members of the historical society even offered to help April 15 during the storm, but the Division of Parks and Forestry said that no assistance was necessary. Once the storm was over, the finger-pointing began. You can read more about this sad story in the NorthJersey.com web site at http://tinyurl.com/2d9a37. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

US Army Heritage & Education Center http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/ An Afikim Foundation .. One Soul Exhibition When Humanity Fails is the first in a series of Afikim Foundation One Soul exhibitions that explore the Holocaust. Each will present historical events that help us consider contemporary lessons. http://whenhumanityfails.com/ Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

A correction to the URL I sent yesterday. A member of the mailing list was kind enough to send this shorter, correct URL. Genealogical Prison Records & Jail Records www.ancestorhunt.com/genealogical_prison_records.htm Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

The correct URL is http://www.ancestorhunt.com/genealogical_prison_records.htm -----Original Message----- From: genealogybitsandpieces-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:genealogybitsandpieces-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Sally Rolls Pavia Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 7:06 PM To: Genealogy Bits and Pieces Subject: [GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES] Genealogical Prison Records & Jail Records Genealogical Prison Records & Jail Records www.ancestorhunt.com/genealogical_prison_records htm#Genealogical%20Databases%20of [might be a 2-line URL] Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus" No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.6.0/775 - Release Date: 4/24/2007 5:43 PM

Genealogical Prison Records & Jail Records www.ancestorhunt.com/genealogical_prison_records htm#Genealogical%20Databases%20of [might be a 2-line URL] Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

The Deerfield Raid From Robert Cole Massacre in a New England Colony The cannon of King Louis XIV of France were cast with the following legend raised near the touchhole: Ultima ratio regnum - "The final argument of kings." Unfortunately for Britain's American colonists these "arguments" always had a North American impact, and decent, work-a-day people often paid a terrible price for Europe's dynastic quarrels. As the monarchs of Europe went about their head-knocking during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), for example, the French King's wrath once again spilled over into the woods and meadows of New York and New England. Thus, on the bitter cold night of Feb. 29, 1704 little Deerfield, an English outpost on the western fringes of the Bay Colony, once again found itself in the cross-hairs of imperial hatreds. Before dawn, and with the snow blowing sideways, a combined force of French soldiers and their Indian allies launched their attack about 90 miles west of Boston. The commander of the strike force was Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville, and his assignment was to carry out a hostage-grabbing raid on the little village whose name the invaders "heard" as Guerrefille. This fragment of Trans-language confusion is a bit ironic, because it means "war daughter" in French. The raiders had been sent out by a man despised by New Englanders, Pierre de Rigaud, Governor of New France who bore the title of Marquis de Vaudreuil. His Indians were Hurons, Kahnawake Mohawks and Abenaki of the St. Francis mission stronghold. Many of them were nominal Catholics, referred to by the Québecois as sauvages domiciliés . This is not to say they were in any way tamed by their contacts with the French. On the contrary, they were as ferocious an enemy as any person could have, and no one was more adept at forest warfare. They asked no quarter from any warrior, and usually gave none, unless there was a sufficient reason for doing so -- like a fat ransom payment. Deerfield had been on North America's front lines since King William's War in 1689 (called The War of the League of Augsburg in Europe, 1688-1697), and had had to confront attackers before. This time, however, the enemy gained access to the fortified portion of the community because the snow had drifted high upon the palisade walls. They dropped silently into the fort before sunrise, and began their assault on the 11 houses inside the stockade Seven were torched and, with darkness covering the screams of women and children, they went about their business in a rage that was at the same time wanton and systematic. Some few of the English escaped, but all too many were cut down in their homes. There was no pity, and when the sun rose on the mayhem 42 villagers and 5 militiamen lay dead, and 112 had been quickly rounded up and headed northward. Blinking snow from their eyes, their bones not yet under the hammer of the morning's dreadful cold, the captives began the 300 mile forced march to Montreal. Most were not dressed well enough for such an ordeal but, before long, winter's cruelty was trumped by that of the captors. The aged and weak including mothers and the littlest of children, were brained with tomahawks so as not to slow down the raiders. More than one baby had its head smashed against a tree. Today, distinguished historians strain to find excuses for the butchery, declaring that those unable to make the forced march to Canada endangered the war party, slowing it down and setting it up for English vengeance. [See: John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive (1994) and Evan Haefeli & Kevin Sweeney, Captors and Captives (2003)] In fact, English militiamen did arrive on the scene before the raiding party had completed its withdrawal, and there was a bloody fight just outside the smoking village. The raiders had the best of it, however, killing nine and wounding others. They were able to disengage with their terrified prisoners and set out for Canada in reasonably good order. All told, 88 of the captives survived the overland march, 33 of them children under the age of 13; and many of the prisoners were eventually ransomed. Some, like Eunice Williams, however, taken when she was 7 years old, refused repatriation. All told, 29 of the captives remained in Canada. Of these, 26 were children and 16 of this number were females. But of those women and babies and elderly persons cut down because they couldn't keep up the pace the question endures. Couldn't they have simply been left behind? They posed no threat. In fact, they could have been quickly identified as physically deficient and left in the settlement itself. No matter the questions concerning English imperialism, individually and collectively the Indians made choices, and they were hideous choices that no amount of political correctness can cover. On Feb. 27, 2004, The New York Times writer, Wendy Noonan, in an otherwise sound article ("A Historic Raid, from all sides"), mentioned that 50 Deerfield people "died" in the attack. No. They were "killed." One "dies" of fever, flu, or the pox; one dies of old age, or even boredom. One is killed when shot at home at point-blank range, or when a tomahawk is driven into the brain with enough force to shatter concrete. There is a difference. Looking back on the Deerfield Raid, many seem willing to massage its history Such an enterprise might seem satisfying, but it's not really honest. The slaughter of innocents is never to be excused or explained away, nor should their sacrifice disappear under the clatter of either Birkenstocks or ideological hail. It shouldn't be obscured by that cloying fog that seeks to smother history, making it "acceptable" to current tastes and the lofty buzz of those who have never faced danger. In the end, all should know that what holds true for innocents in Rwanda or Kossovo, in Lódz or Lidice, at Sand Creek or My Lai, applies even to colonial Massachusetts. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

I used the link to try to access the archives. I had an anser that said I was not authorized to access the archives. So what do I do now? Laurelyn Fanshier

In 1866, the state of West Virginia authorized the minting of over 26,000 medals to honor its Union Civil War soldiers. Today, over 4,000 medals remain unclaimed. In order to claim an ancestor's medal, a claimant must submit his or her line of descent from the veteran along with documentation to support this line of descent. http://www.wvculture.org/history/medals.html

If the USGenWeb State site doesn't work, here is the homepage and instructions sent in by a list member. Use this URL and then click on State on left side of the page. Don't forget to click on Research too. http://www.usgenweb.com/

Using Ancestry: Nosy States Equal Pay Dirt for Researchers by Mary Penner In 1875, my ancestor George Wise owned eighty acres of land valued at $400. 500 rods of rail fence enclosed seventy of those acres. He planted twenty-five acres of corn and one acre of sorghum, plus he had two acres of orchards. That year his family made 150 pounds of butter. He had two horses, one milk cow, ten swine, and one dog. Who's responsible for cataloging these ancestral tidbits? The state of Kansas. Kansas was curious about all sorts of agricultural happenings in 1875. The state inquired about how many pounds of cheese farmers made and how many pounds of honey their bees produced. They also wanted to know how many sheep had been killed by wolves or dogs. Was the Kansas government being particularly nosy? Some farmers may have thought so, but, actually, the state was conducting its regular census. Kansas surveyed residents every ten years between 1865 and 1925. In fact, many states obtained their own census data apart from the federal census. The states generally took their own censuses to apportion voting districts and to divvy up state government representation. But, since they had census takers slogging across the state counting heads, they figured they might as well get as much information out of their citizens as possible. A state census can provide details about your ancestors that you might not find anywhere else. For example, in some years, the Kansas census asked individuals where they had lived before coming to Kansas. That's a particularly handy clue for our nomadic ancestors who moved frequently. The 1856 Iowa state census asked how many years you had lived in Iowa, and the 1925 Iowa census asked for your mother's maiden name and the location of your parents' marriage. The 1935 Florida census asked how much education you had, and the 1885 Colorado census asked where your parents were born. If you can find a state-sponsored census record for your ancestor, you're likely to find valuable clues. That's the good news. The bad news is the erratic availability of state census records. Because states have independent natures, census-taking was a sporadic affair. Not all the states were as disciplined as Kansas. Some states, like Kansas, conducted a census every ten years, while others conducted one every two, four, seven, or eight years--whatever suited its needs. Mississippi, for example, was particularly ambitious, taking at least fifteen censuses between 1801 and 1840. On the other hand, some states didn't bother taking a census until seventeen or eighteen years after the previous one. Other states took none at all. Not only do researchers have to contend with the random nature of the census years, they have to deal with finding those records. States managed to take the census, but didn't always manage to hold on to the records. Some records were deliberately destroyed, and others were lost, misplaced or casually tossed, while others were victim to unfortunate disasters such as fires. Begin your hunt for state censuses in the Ancestry Card Catalog. Type "state census" in the keyword search box and you'll get a list of the many different records available online. You can also check out the useful book by Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records. (GPC, 1992) This book outlines which records exist for each state. Ancestry's Red Book, by Ancestry Publishing (2004), also summarizes the state census records taken in each state. Most of the original state census records are housed at state archives or libraries. Check the online catalog for the state archives where your ancestor lived. Many states have outlined on their websites what state census records are available. Genealogist Mary Penner writes "Lineage Lessons," a weekly genealogy column, for the Albuquerque Tribune. She can be reached through her website.

The following is an announcement written by Daryl Lytton, Assistant Editor of the USGenWeb Newsletter: For the first time in the 10-year history of The USGenWeb Project, a project-wide search is being enabled on a State-by-State basis at http://www.USGenWeb-Search. Us with a great deal of success. The free-access USGenWeb, along with many of the state and county sites and Special Projects, are hosted by RootsWeb.com. Although Search Us opened to the public on February 1st 2007 with only the 13 original states (and the last two, Alaska and Hawaii) searchable, 5,975 people visited the home page 8,699 times and conducted a total of 25,163 state searches during the month. February and March saw the addition of many more states, some now receiving as many as 1,000 searches per week. Yet more are being added in April, and it is expected that all states will be searchable by sometime in May or June. Now, instead of a researcher asking, "I can't find your search, do you have anything on Jane Smith?" the researcher can say, "I found Jane Smith via your search, and have more information I would like to contribute to the USGenWeb."

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Riders of the Pony Express. "Wanted : Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Irish welcome to apply." http://www.rootsweb.com/~irish/igsi_published/misc/ponyexp.htm or http://shorl.com/bryhirelurobu Examples: Last, First Anson, John Avis, Henry Babbit, Rodney Ball, Lafayette Banks, James Barnell, James

[Downloaded from Eastman's Online Newsletter] Free Access to Ellis Island Records, 1892-1957 The following announcement was written by The Generations Network, the Parent company of Ancestry.com. Note that you must create a free account in Order to access these records: PROVO, Utah, April 12 -- To honor the 100th anniversaries of the largest Year and single day of immigration through Ellis Island, Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, is offering free access To the only complete online set of Ellis Island passenger arrival records (1892-1957) FROM APRIL 12 TO APRIL 30. In addition, Ancestry.com is inviting users to relive the remarkable Journeys of their gateway ancestors at the click of a mouse at: http://www.ellisislandexperience.com/ -- an interactive, multimedia Tour of this national landmark. More than 11,500 immigrants passed through America's "Golden Door" on April 17, 1907, the single-day record. In total, some 1 million immigrants would Come through the island in 1907 alone, making it the busiest year in Ellis Island's 60 years of operation. Each ship that docked at Ellis Island was required to give island officials A list of people on board. Known as passenger lists, these records reveal Invaluable pieces of a family's immigration story, from place of origin and Intended destination in America to birth dates, names of family members and Even the amount of money in their possession. "For millions of Americans, Ellis Island is a monument to their ancestors' Hope, will and sacrifice -- not just a New York tourist site," said Megan Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com. "More than 12 million Immigrants came through Ellis Island and though some settled in New York, Most boarded trains bound for Minnesota and Colorado and other destinations Across the country. Ellis Island's influence is felt throughout America." >From cramped, unsanitary conditions during their Atlantic voyage, to long Lines and dreaded medical inspections, http://www.ellisislandexperience.com Brings the "Isle of Hope" to life, illustrating the story of this great Immigration station through oral histories, original photos, maps and First-hand accounts. At the click of a mouse, site visitors can now discover The legacies of immigrants' sacrifice, survival and success, learning what Drove so many millions of immigrants to leave everything they knew for a Country they had never seen. This 100th anniversary comes on the heels of the November launch of Ancestry com's U.S. Passenger List Collection, the largest compilation of its kind, Which includes more than 100 million names of people who arrived at more Than 100 U.S. Ports of entry between 1820 and 1960, the height of Immigration. Ancestry.com's easy-to-use search and navigation tools help users find their Ancestors''s passenger lists. Users can view a digital image of the actual Passenger list document, save to their online personal family tree, print For future reference and share via email with their family members. From April 12 through April 30, Ancestry.com is offering free access to the Entire U.S. Passenger List Collection, which includes the Internet's most Comprehensive set of Ellis Island records. The U.S. Passenger List Collection complements and combines with Ancestry.com's eclectic and growing compilation of historical records, Which also includes birth, marriage and death records, military records And the exclusive online U.S. Federal Census Collection (1790-1930).

[Downloaded from Eastman's Online Newsletter] The Mormons: A Television Special Millions of genealogists owe a great deal to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for all the records that the church collects and makes available. Everyone can easily obtain access to these records, regardless of religion. Yet many genealogists have little knowledge of the history of this Church or the reasons why the Church collects such records. A major television special on PBS should teach many of us about the Mormon Church's history. I don't see any mention of genealogy in the press release. I would guess that a four-hour series would have to make some mention of the Church's reasons for collecting old records. Since genealogy isn't mentioned in the announcement, however, I doubt if it will receive more than a passing reference or two. I suspect that Mormons and non-Mormons alike will find this television special on April 30 and May 1 to be very interesting. You can check local listings for stations and times in your area at http://www.pbs org/wgbh/amex/schedule_customize.html. You can also watch a six-minute trailer" from the show at http://www.pbs.org/mormons/. Here is the press release: FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Profile a Religion That Is One of the Great Neglected American Narratives The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of America's fastest-growing religions and, relative to its size, one of the richest. Church membership, now at 12 million and growing, sweeps the globe. But from the moment of its founding in 1830, the church has been controversial. Within a month, it had 40 converts and almost as many enemies. In the early years, Mormons were hated, ridiculed, persecuted and feared. Yet, in the past several decades, the Mormon Church has transformed itself from a fringe sect into a thriving religion that embraces mainstream American values; its members include prominent and powerful politicians, university presidents and corporate leaders. Mormons have always had a peculiar hold on the American imagination, but few know who the Mormons actually are, or who they claim to be, and their story is one of the great neglected American narratives. This spring, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, two of PBS' most acclaimed series, join forces to present THE MORMONS, a new documentary series about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In two, two-hour episodes, filmmaker Helen Whitney ("John Paul II: The Millennial Pope" and "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero") explores both the history and the current reality of the Mormon faith. Whitney gained unusual access to Mormon archives and church leaders as well as dissident exiles, historians and scholars both within and outside the faith. "Through this film, I hope to take the viewer inside one of the most compelling and misunderstood religions of our time," says Whitney. The two-part film airs Monday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS. Devout Mormons believe that in 1827 in the town of Palmyra, New York, 21-year-old Joseph Smith dug up a set of golden tablets that contained the seeds of a new religion. According to Smith, he was guided to that spot by an angel who appeared to him in a vision. "The kind of revelation that Joseph describes is the scandal of Mormonism, in the same way that the resurrection of Christ is the scandal of Christianity," says Terryl Givens, the author of several books on Mormon history. But Smith's visions, which reportedly began when he was 14, are central to Mormons' faith. "We declare without equivocation that God the father and his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, appeared in person to the boy, Joseph Smith," says Gordon Hinckley, LDS president. "Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision." THE MORMONS begins Monday, April 30, 2007, with the turbulent early history of the Mormon faith, from Joseph Smith's astonishing visions and the creation of The Book of Mormon through the Mormons' contentious and sometimes violent confrontations with their neighbors and the founding and ultimate abandonment of three major religious communities a in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. "The persecution of the Mormons was officially sanctioned by at least two different state governments," says Dallin Oaks, elder of the Mormon Church. Adds Truman Madsen, author and historian, "House burning, rapings, abuse, taking over land and possessions, all that was part of it, but it was also denunciation from every other level, from state houses to pulpits." "Why would they be so hated?" asks Jon Butler, professor of religion at Yale "It has to do with ... Fear of unknown personal practices, polygamy, fear of unknown beliefs, the fear of power and hierarchy a did the Mormons really think for themselves or did Joseph Smith think for them?" The cycle of violence climaxed in 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois, when Smith was killed by an angry mob. Following Smith's death, Brigham Young led the faithful across the continent to the Great Salt Lake in what would become modern-day Utah, now the seat of the Mormon Church. "Mormons have a very complex relationship with their own sense of persecution," says Sarah Barringer Gordon, historian. "It is unfair to say that they courted persecution. On the other hand, it is fair to say that it brought them exhilaration and conviction that what they were doing was the right thing because God's prophets have never been welcome in their own lands." THE MORMONS continues on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, with a look at the contemporary realities of the Mormon Church. Whitney explores the massive missionary program, how the church has entered the mainstream of American culture, the intricacies of Mormon theology and ritual, and the excommunication of those who challenge church doctrine or who do not follow its teachings. "Being gay in that culture is beyond hell ... I wanted to be cured so badly, says Trevor Southey, artist. "The family is the center of Mormonism a it is the sacred, potent unit. ... It is a great failure that family can only be the family almost by the Ozzie and Harriet definition, and anything outside that is not family at all." "The only marriage sanctioned by God is of a man to a woman," says Marlin Jensen, official LDS historian. "In the case of a gay person, they really have no hope. ... And to live life without hope on such a core issue I think is a very difficult thing." The Mormons' protection of their view of family life also became political. The Equal Rights Amendment was threatening because it changed the role of women ... from a nurturing housewife staying at home, taking care of the children, to someone who could now make decisions for herself," says James Clayton, professor of political science. Author and feminist Gloria Steinem says Mormon involvement in the ERA issue of the 1970s was pivotal: "If the Mormons had supported the Amendment, it would have passed. They were enormously powerful in opposing it because there are certain key state legislatures which they control." "On the one hand [Mormons] have this long tradition of encouraging knowledge and education, and yet at the same time there is a real anti-intellectual strain," says Margaret Toscano, one of many ex-Mormons whose questioning of the status of women was punished by excommunication. "To be a Mormon intellectual means that you are opening up yourself to being called into a church court." But Elder Dallin Oaks sees the church's position on these issues as the fulfillment of a sacred duty: "The scriptures speak of prophets as being watchmen on the tower with the responsibility to warn when an enemy approaches," he says in the film. "The watchmen on the tower are going to say intellectualism is a danger to the church ... and if people leave their faith behind and follow strictly where science leads them, that can be a pretty crooked path." THE MORMONS traces the Latter-day Saints' transformation in recent decades from the status of outcasts to mainstream players in U.S. politics and culture and into a global religion with as many as 240,000 converts annually thanks to the efforts of Mormon missionaries. Each year, 50,000 Mormon teenagers join "God's Army" and march across the planet from Latin America to Mongolia to Zimbabwe. "You go," says Bryan Horn, a returned missionary. Dad went. Grandpa went. And Grandpa, who's a descendant of Wilfred Woodruff, who was taught by Joseph Smith, went on missions." The mission can be dangerous; missionaries have been kidnapped, tortured and killed. This crucible can provide a profound spiritual strength to the missionaries for the rest of their lives. "That was the moment really when my hope and my tender belief turned into something really solid, which has been the foundation for the rest of my life," says Jensen. "So when people say, 'how was your mission?,' I say, 'it was everything.' Because I've never been the same since." Underwriters: The Park Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Liberty Mutual, The Scotts Company, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Public Television Viewers and PBS. Co-producers: FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (WGBH/Boston) and Helen Whitney Productions. FRONTLINE executive producer for special projects: Michael Sullivan. FRONTLINE executive producer: David Fanning. AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series producer: Sharon Grimberg. AMERICAN EXPERIENCE executive producer: Mark Samels. Producer/director: Helen Whitney. Writers: Helen Whitney and Jane Barnes. Editor: Ted Winterburn. Format: CC Stereo DVI Letterbox/HD where available.