Genealogy Teaches History

An aspect of genealogy research I enjoy is the need to re-familiarize one's self with history. Family history was often affected by such things as what side the family was on during the Revolutionary War, or the Civil War (aka War Between the States, or War of Northern Aggression). Many of the records I rely on for names and dates of birth are the War Draft documents associated with WWI and WWII eras. It is fascinating to see an ancestor's hundred year old signature as clear as if signed yesterday, on his Draft Board Card.

When I see a young man show up on the 1860 census, but can not find him on the 1870 census, I have learned to start looking for a report of his being lost in battle during the Civil War. It is amazing how many were.

Some of the family lines go back to Pennsylvania or Baltimore. These were major ports of entry for immigrants and that accounts for so many of the families having their American roots branching out from those areas.

I have tracked several lines back into Europe. Places such as Ireland, Wales, England, France, Switzerland and Norway all contributed.

One historical fact that many would like to forget is that of slave ownership. I have been surprised at how many of those we have in our tree were slave owners. These were not very wealthy plantation owners like you see in movies. No, they were modest farmers of their own 100 to 400 acres of land. Wills give details of slaves being left to heirs, with some giving instructions for giving the males their full freedom at age 26 and females at age 21.

I have read one newspaper account from the time of the Civil war, when one ancestor answered a knock at the door. On opening the door, he was shot dead. The Sheriff was quoted as saying it was not well known as to which side he had been sympathetic to. Apparently someone decided it was the wrong side. The article went on to say his widow took their kids and moved to Montana.

The record of one 18th century ancestor notes that she was born in a certain hotel in Paris, France. European records I find are very good and go back a long way.

One family line starts in Wales, immigrates to Pennsylvania and then you can see generations gradually move south and west, seeking their fortunes. They move down the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, over the mountains and into what is now Tennessee, first settling in the foothills, and then continuing west and south reaching the Alabama territory and the Indian Lands as the recently established reservations were known.

In the early 1800s the U.S. was involved in treaty negotiations with the native population (mistakenly called Indians by Christopher Columbus). At times, the local white population and the Indians came into disputes over land. One of these disputes revolved around what came to be know as "The Intruders" on Indian land. A letter of petition was sent to the President by the Intruder community making a plea to remain. But more than once the Army was dispatched to move them off the Indian's land. This involved reservations near Fayetteville, Tn and the letter includes the names of Boren families, which could be related to our Bowen line.