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Archiver > ESSEX-ROOTS > 1997-11 > 0878662293


From: Bruce Remick <>
Subject: Re: An editorial on source citations
Date: Tue, 04 Nov 1997 11:51:33 -0500


Paul Redden wrote:
>
> One of the most fascinating things I've found about genealogy in the
> relatively short course of my hobby is that it opens up new ties to
> historical events that make history come alive. although I may be
> descended from a few famous ancestors and have distant cousins who were
> famous (who doesn't if they care to look), I don't think it has any
> bearing on me as a person. the only way it affects me is that these
> historical figures are no longer mythical entities and are now human beings
> that I can identify with and realize that there is no reason, other than my
> own self esteem, why I, or anybody else, can't do just as well.

Good points. Imagine how better our children would understand and
relate to History if we could show them how their ancestor "tree" wraps
itself over local and world historical events of their times. Family
movements and early deaths can not only be explained by local conflicts,
epidemics, etc., but may also reflect westward expansion, Gold Rush,
Civil War, etc.-- events that often uprooted whole families. Children
seem to identify with these more "glamorous" events, and if they can see
how they may have affected the life of a personal ancestor, the children
may be more likely to pursue additional historical connections on their
own.

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