[Genealogy] She Still Could be an Alien
Michael John Neill
mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Fri Aug 21 14:03:04 CDT 2026
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** She Still Could Be an Alien
** Notebook for Genealogy--new day time offering
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She Still Could Be an Alien
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The problem with reading is that it makes one think (or at least it
should). The problem with thinking is that it leads to questions, more
thinking, and sometimes conclusions. The problem with thinking about the
law is that there’s not always one easy answer. Everything needs to be
viewed in context and sometimes that context is not all that simple.
I’m reading *A Nationality of Her Own: Women, Marriage, and the Law of
Citizenship
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520206509/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520206509&linkCode=as2&tag=gentipoftheda-20&linkId=DKG7ELHILYOLWV4N>
*by
Candice Lewis Bredbenner. It has often gotten me to thinking. After a brief
discussion of the 1855 Naturalization Act, Bredbenner states on page 21:
“In the nineteenth century, naturalization could also furnish the means of
inheriting property in the United States. As a noncitizen, an immigrant
woman would have been barred by common law tradition from owning,
transferring title to, or inheriting land in most states.”
It is important to remember that Bredbenner is speaking about women,
particularly women who were not citizens. If women were “barred by common
law tradition” from real property ownership rights, I wasn’t certain if it
really was because they were women or because they were not citizens. For
much of American history, women (citizens or not) were generally not
afforded the same property rights as men. In some locations, during some
time periods, aliens were restricted from engaging in certain transactions
involving real property.
I thought about German native Barbara Bieger whose immigrant husband Peter
Bieger died in the fall of 1855 in Warsaw, Illinois. It’s not clear whether
Peter ever naturalized or not, but it is known that the Biegers married in
Ohio in 1849. Peter bought property in 1850 in Warsaw, Hancock County,
Illinois.
There are two questions:
- Could an alien purchase real property in Illinois in 1850?
- Could an alien inherit real property in Illinois in 1855?
We’re going to leave the first question to another blog post–because it’s
the second one that came to mind after the quote in *A Nationality of Her
Own
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520206509/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520206509&linkCode=as2&tag=gentipoftheda-20&linkId=DKG7ELHILYOLWV4N>*
.
“Barred in most states”
The statement in Bredbenner’s book was general and uncited. It may actually
have been true in general or it may not have been. Genealogy, like law, is
about specifics. It was time to look at the state statutes in effect when
Peter Bieger died.
An 1851 Illinois law gave aliens the “same rights as citizens, in relation
to the devise and inheritance of real estate.” There are also
no limitations on whether or not aliens can purchase real property. This
act was still in effect when the revised statutes were published in 1865–so
it was in effect when Peter Bieger died. This does not address what may
have been in effect in 1850 when Peter Bieger purchased his property. I
need to reference that statute.
But Barbara could have been an alien and still have inherited the real
estate from her husband when he died in 1855. Her inheritance of that
property was not dependent upon her citizenship status. It is known that
she operated the tavern on his property until at least 1859 (when she
married Conrad Haase) and still retained title to the property upon her
death in the early 1900s. [image: aliens1855]
<https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/aliens1855.jpg>
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Notebook for Genealogy--a Four Week Class
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Notebook for Genealogy–A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course
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Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology,
and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google’s suite of AI tools)
in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and
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additional direction.
*What is Notebook?*
NotebookLM (often simply Notebook) is Google’s suite of AI-driven tools to
analyze data from files and information you provide it. .
Notebook uses sources of your choosing, not what it found online. You
upload your own materials—including PDF files, text files, Google Docs,
slides, or web links—and the AI creates a private workspace built
exclusively around that data. You can upload any genealogy information to
it tht you wish , but it is recommended that only deceased people be
included and that you not upload DNA information on living people.
Capabilities
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Answers with Citations: When you ask questions or search your uploaded
files, every response includes citations to your uploaded documents,
allowing you to double-check sources.
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Synthesis & Content Creation: Notebook automatically generates concise
summaries, outlines main themes, and identifies connections or conflicts
across dozens of sources at once. You do need to validate its summaries and
conclusions.
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Audio-visual Outputs: Beyond text answers, Notebook can create study
guides, briefing documents, timeline charts, slide decks, podcast
interviews, and videos based on your content. Even if you never share the
created materials, just viewing them and interacting with them may give you
some insight into your genealogical problem.
Course Prerequisites & Required Materials You should have digital records
for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant
record available.
-
Format: PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.
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Preparation: Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem
you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts.
Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.
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prompts, results, challenges, and questions.
Class Focus & Weekly Assignments
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Weekly Assignments: One assignment per week focused on Notebook's media
outputs using your own research problem.
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Scope: The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of
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Community Discussion & Communication
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Upcoming Trips:
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Midwest Genealogy Center–Independence, Missouri
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Library of Virginia
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Ready-to-Go Webinars–download immediate:
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DeedMapper webinars
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17, Henderson, IL 61439
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
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