My name is Kate Blankenship, and I am a professional genealogist and researcher with over 15 years of experience. I am a Wisconsin native and a lifelong history enthusiast with an academic background in archaeology and Latin American studies. As I developed my research chops in graduate school at Brown University, I realized I could use those skills to dig into questions I had always had about my heritage. That curiosity-driven hobby has evolved into a deep-seated passion for genealogy and public history, especially in my home-away-from-home state of Rhode Island.
Affiliations:
Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (New England Chapter) and a Board Member of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society
Education:
- M.A. in Anthropology, Brown University
- B.A. and M.A. in Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
Past Projects:
- Uncovering the French-Canadian, Irish, and English ancestors of an adoptee with deep New England roots
- Constructing detailed biographies of teachers and students at a 19th-century school for Black children in Providence, Rhode Island
- Tracing the property records of formerly enslaved families building a new life in North Carolina after emancipation
- Transcribing and annotating the early 20th century diaries of a Jewish-American teenager in New York City
- Tracking down living relatives of notable Rhode Island Black and Indigenous businesswoman Christiana Carteaux Bannister
- Documenting the life and career of a 19th-century British champion jockey and horse trainer
Experience With:
- Documenting historic Black communities in Rhode Island
- African-American genealogy
- Editing and writing for publication
- Paleography/Handwriting
- Spanish-language records
Geographic Specializations:
- Rhode Island
- New England, Great Lakes, Deep South, Texas, New York City, United Kingdom, Germany, Latin America (digital records only)
Kate Blankenship 