FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Colonial Records
Colonial Records Project for Underserved Countries[edit | edit source]
Project Leader: Janae Brown
Task List: Task List
Examples:
Egypt Colonial Records page example
Ghana Colonial Records page example
Malta Colonial Records page example
Purpose: To create colonial records pages for each country of the world. You will need to find information for how to access these records. You will use a lot of your best judgement to make these pages better. Please reach out anytime you have questions or have difficulties knowing where to place information.
Instructions[edit | edit source]
Part 1: Organizing[edit | edit source]
1. Before you start organizing this page, look at this example. Each of these topic pages will be organized by the imperialist countries that occupied your country. So, these topic pages may have anywhere between 1 to 7 sections.
2. Go to this spreadsheet.
3. Find your country in the "Colonized" list. Click on it's name.
4. It will take you to the main landing page for that country on the Research Wiki. Select Colonial Records from the sidebar on the right (it should be a red link).
5. Add the sidebar and breadcrumb templates for this page. Add this code:
{{COUNTRY-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[COUNTRY Genealogy|COUNTRY]]
| link2=
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[COUNTRY Colonial Records|Colonial Records]]
}}
6. Replace COUNTRY with the country's name. Select Save changes.
7. Refer back to this spreadsheet. Find your country and look to the right cell in the dark blue "Colonizers" column. This cell lists the country/countries that colonized this area.
8. Create headings for these "colonizer" countries. Title each heading with the name of the nation and/or administration and the years they were there. Your headings should look like this:
== Ottoman Empire Colonization (1516-1830) ==
or like this:
== French Colonization (1830-1962) ==
9. How do you find the years a country occupied another? Go back to the spreadsheet and select the bottom tab of the "colonizer" country.
Find your country in the very left column under the heading "Wiki Page".
10. Use the years under the "Years of Colonization" column for your heading.
11. Make sure you organize your sections by chronological start date order. (Note: there may be overlapping colonization years or you might have just a rough estimate of when they were there.) Make adjustments if needed.
12. Underneath each heading for each section, post the following code:
{| width="70%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1" bgcolor="#F0F0F0"
|-
| width="20%" bgcolor="#CFF3FF" align="left" | '''Record collection'''
| width="15%" bgcolor="#CFF3FF" align="left" | '''Years covered'''
| width="15%" bgcolor="#CFF3FF" align="left" | '''Record type'''
| width="15%" bgcolor="#CFF3FF" align="left" | '''Language'''
| width="35%" bgcolor="#CFF3FF" align="left" | '''Who is in the records'''
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|}
This code will be later used to create record tables.
13. At the bottom of the page, add the following:
==References== [[Category:COUNTRY]]
And replace COUNTRY with the name of your country.
14. Select Save changes. Make sure the page looks similar to this:
15. After you have checked your page to make sure it looks good, type Done in the "Organized" column on the spreadsheet.
Part 2 : Adding History Blurb[edit | edit source]
1. For this section, we will be adding a very brief description of a country's occupation in another country. Go to this Google Spreadsheet and refer to the "Colonizers" column.
2. Select the tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet for each "colonizer" to see more info about that country.
3. Each country tab lists colonies by country. And each of the columns give info about those colonized countries. This is what each of those columns mean:
Area(s) Colonized: This section may or may not be filled out. But it's important to include if only part of the country was colonized (Example: Spain colonized what is now the present-day Southern U.S. while Britain colonized the east coast.)
Years of Colonization: Sometimes a precise range of years the country was colonized. Or, more of a rough estimate. OR, it may be more in depth (ex. sometimes a country becomes a colony and then a protectorate and then gains independence).
Independence Year: Year the country gained independence OR gives details of when the colony moved over to another imperialist power.
Other Colonial Powers: List of other countries who colonized this country. (And tabs you'll need to look up.)
Wikipedia Articles: Used as a reference for where we got information about these countries.
Notes: This column may or may not have notes for clarification, especially if it is confusing.
4. Use these columns and their info to briefly explain how/when that country colonized the other country. Also, select the Wikipedia Article for more detailed information/clarification.
5. When writing a history blurb, be brief, give clear dates for when your country was occupied, and succinctly describe changes in the power or administration. Make sure you write in the description whether it was colonized, a protectorate, or if another country occupied it.
The regency of Algiers (parts of modern-day Algeria) was administered as a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire in North Africa from 1515 to 1830. Rule changed over to France when the French invaded in 1830.
Notice how the above history has the following characteristics:
- It's very brief.
- It gave clear dates of when that country was occupied.
- It succinctly describes changes in power or administration.
6. Also, include a reference. Use the Wikipedia Article for a reference. Copy the code and paste it at the end of your brief history. Modify the details.
<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "ARTICLE NAME," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', URL, accessed DAY MONTH YEAR.</ref>
Your history blurb should now look something like this:
The regency of Algiers (parts of modern-day Algeria) was administered as a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire in North Africa from 1515 to 1830. Rule changed over to France when the French invaded in 1830.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Ottoman Algeria," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Algeria, accessed 27 June 2019.</ref>
7. Select Save changes and write up blurbs for the other sections.
8. Your page should now look something similar to this:
9. After you have checked your page to make sure it looks good, type Done in the "History" column on the spreadsheet.