Research by Amberly R. Carter-Mills
Research Briefs
Each brief states a question, the sources consulted, the evidence drawn from them, the current conclusion, and what remains unresolved. Briefs are versioned; older versions are superseded, not deleted.
Evidence cases
Case briefs
Case brief
Laura Tolliver Smith
Case 001 · enslavement, literacy, and the Vicksburg College tradition
Public Beta · Version 0.1 · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
Case brief
Hilliard Taliaferro / Tolliver
Case 002 · estate records, sale, separation, and the road to freedom
Public Beta · Version 0.1 · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
Case brief
Bettie Alexander Tolliver
Case 003 · the silent years and the record that first carries her name
Public Beta · Version 0.1 · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
Case brief
John Smith
Case 004 · household, marriage, and the limits of a common name
Public Beta · Version 0.1 · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
Family and descendant analysis
Reconstruction and branch briefs
Family reconstruction
The Smith family, 1870–1910
Household by household, with the 1890 gap left visible.
Read the briefBranch project 001
George Smith → Emmett Till
The generations behind a name the world learned in 1955.
Read the briefBranch project 002
Amanda Smith → Amberly R. Carter-Mills
The founder's own descent, held to the same standard as every other line.
Read the brief
The relationship between Emmett Till and Amberly R. Carter-Mills is computed from the published parent–child links rather than asserted, and is presented with its own evidence trail and revision history at Where the Branches Meet.
Filed in the archive
Published briefs of record
BT-BRF-00027 · v1 ·
The Smith–Tolliver Family Line
BT-BRF-00028 · v1 ·
Laura Tolliver Smith
BT-BRF-00029 · v1 ·
Hilliard & Bettie Taliaferro
BT-BRF-00030 · v1 ·
The Family Before 1955
Every brief is original analysis by Amberly R. Carter-Mills. The historical records it cites belong to their repositories. For the correct form of citation, see Cite BEFORE TILL.