In July 2022, I started putting my family history information on WikiTree as one of the ways to validate my research and share my research with distant family.
WikiTree is a collaborative world tree with the Mission "to grow an accurate single family tree that connects us all and is freely accessible to us all, forever." The WikiTree site further explains its Vision as balancing "privacy and collaboration so that living people can connect on one world tree to common ancestors. . . Collaboration on deep ancestors is between distant cousins who are serious about genealogical research, careful about sources, and willing to see their research validated or invalidated with DNA." (www.WikiTree.com)
I was drawn to WikiTree because of the emphasis on documenting genealogy through sources. Also, important to me was the ability and encouragement to connect enslaved with enslavers -- whether it's a biological connection or not.
Once a week members get a WT News email with updates along with a "Featured Connections" to famous people. This week, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, was among my 12 connections. When I looked at the connection, it was through a marriage in my paternal line. I recognized the surname immediately -- Adair -- but the surname is connected to my maternal line.
Ms. O'Connor's third great-grandfather's brother, John Brooks, married Jane Adair who was the daughter of Whitmill Harrington Adair, who was the son of Bozeman Adair who was the enslaver of a branch of my maternal Washington family line (July 11, 2020 blog). Also, Whitmill's sister, Judith Adair married Elijah Williams who is the brother of John W. Williams, Jr. who is an enslaver in my paternal Williams line. John W. Williams, Jr. is the father of my great-grandfather, William Turner Williams. My blog of June 26, 2023 chronicles my paternal Williams enslavement.
So for me, WikiTree has proved it's point that we are all connected in some way or other. Below is the graphic of my connection to Sandra Day O'Connor.
