Sarah Elizabeth Grant, also known as Betsy, was born enslaved in 1837 in Greene County, Georgia. In 2022, a tweet from the Smithsonian Transcription Center shed light on a letter she wrote to the Freedmen’s Bureau, showing up on the timeline of one of her great-nephews: Orice Jenkins. Further research by Orice revealed Betsy’s complex story, as the daughter of an enslaved woman and a free man of color, who sued her enslaver after emancipation. Various resources were used to determine the identity of her parents, including DNA results, court records, Freedmen’s Bureau records, newspapers, and the new Full-Text Search feature on FamilySearch, leading to the uncovering of a historical phenomenon in the Grant family.
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Syllabus
Hi cousins! I’m so happy that our ancestors passed down such great and intelligent offspring! My great grandmother, Matilda Thomas spoke about her grandparents, Mr. James Reese and Betsy Grant to me when I was a child. She has her grandfather’s picture in her Bible but I wasn’t fortunate enough to see a picture of Grandma Betsy. She spoke highly of them and said she had a very happy childhood in Madison Ga. I attributed that to the love she saw between her grandparents and parents. It’s nice to know that their biography has extended beyond the black traditional griot story telling and now recognized by the Smithsonian institute
This webinar was absolutely incredible! As a direct descendant of Betsy Grant, I found it especially meaningful. I’ve been researching my family history for over 20 years, and this presentation brought new depth and connection to that journey. Orice is a dynamic and captivating presenter—his storytelling, insight, and passion truly brought the history to life. The presentation was not only informative but also inspiring. I’m deeply grateful for this platform and the opportunity to engage with such powerful
It was excellent, all the information was presented in a way that kept me glued to my seat. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing your family information. IYou have giving me renewed energy to continue to move forward with my family research.
Very informative but also presented in a beautiful way. It was almost as if he was giving his family a warm hug throughout the presentation. His breadth of research skill and steadfastness was inspiring. Thank you for sharing Betsy’s story.
Kudos for your research efforts in following the story to a fairly successful resolution.
Very informative. Thank you, Orice, for educating me on our family ancestry. My information stopped at Betsy & James. It’s beautiful to have this information about our family stemming back in time.
Very Interesting and informative. I have Grant and Thomas surnames in my tree I will have to check them out. It makes me want to search more of the kinds of records you searched for. Melody Knight
Great presentation and very interesting! Thank you!