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There's a new, similar but different show airing on PBS. It's called "Finding Your Roots", and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It seems to be a bit more social history than pure genealogy, but very interesting none-the-less.
There's a new, similar but different show airing on PBS. It's called "Finding Your Roots", and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It seems to be a bit more social history than pure genealogy, but very interesting none-the-less.
I really enjoyed it. It seems to be as much about understanding the lives of those who lived back then as its about finding them. But then, shouldn't that be a part of it?
Since I discovered most of Mom's family lived in Iowa and Missouri during the civil war, I've been reading about the war in the border states since I'd like to have some idea what they experienced. It doesn't just connect us to names and figures, but to a window on a world.
Oh, to have the money to be able to hire one of these guys... just to look up laura's husband or husbands (as family claims) which probably means access to lots of small libraries and repositorites I can go to...
It was neat when the mayor met his cousin, and they both felt as if they'd added to family. It can be a reminder of how much changes too.
There was good and bad with the show, I thought. I liked the episode about the Mayor and the Congressman the best of the two so far.
It irks me that the whole attitude was that someone should be ashamed for having had a Confederate soldier in their family tree. But then, that's kind of to be expected from Henry Louis Gates Jr. (IMO).
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightbird47
Oh, to have the money to be able to hire one of these guys... just to look up laura's husband or husbands (as family claims) which probably means access to lots of small libraries and repositorites I can go to..
One thing you probably can do is to order in, on inter-library loan, the newspapers for the area they lived in for the Civil War years. And read through them. That will probably give you some good accounts.
I had a Missouri soldier who died in Gratiot Street Prison, in St. Louis. I found a published diary of a man who was also a prisoner there at the same time. It gave me great insight into what his experience would have been like.
I'm enjoying this season as usual. My hope is someone will decide to start looking and has the answers to my brick walls.
I also watched the 2 segments last night on PBS with Dr. Gates and LOVED the segment on Congressman Lewis who I adore and think the world of, hes a hero and his life is a lesson to us all. I was crying right along with him when he found out an ancestor was the first ex-slave to register to vote in that county after the war. And to think Congressman Lewis had to do it all over again during the Civil Rights movement.
There was good and bad with the show, I thought. I liked the episode about the Mayor and the Congressman the best of the two so far.
It irks me that the whole attitude was that someone should be ashamed for having had a Confederate soldier in their family tree. But then, that's kind of to be expected from Henry Louis Gates Jr. (IMO).
One thing you probably can do is to order in, on inter-library loan, the newspapers for the area they lived in for the Civil War years. And read through them. That will probably give you some good accounts.
I had a Missouri soldier who died in Gratiot Street Prison, in St. Louis. I found a published diary of a man who was also a prisoner there at the same time. It gave me great insight into what his experience would have been like.
That's true. My relatives who are said to have been in Iowa were clearly not supporters of the Union, and the family who lived in Missouri took off for Illinouis for the duration. It' s not surprising that they did given it was one of the counties where everything standing was burned to the ground. Not a single one of that family enlisted.
But my family certainly did get an early taste of what was to be the methodology of twentyth century war. I think what I'm getting most of all from looking up ancestors is that they were tough, nobody pushed them around people which is still reflected in present generations.
The Iowa site has people who will do lookups for you and I'm thinking of contacting them. Family and my mom and grandmother have always said her mother had a second husband who was very tall in a short family (grandma was almost six foot, her mom not even five) and from England but all I see refered to is her first, Irish husband. No documents have shown up online and she could have married him in Iowa or Minnesota or points inbetween. Oral history says he died before she was born. I'd like to see a census or something with her and my grandmother but no such luck, and being born in 1890, or 91, ten years of no national cencus...
If it wasn't that I could barely afford my own bills, I'd go to Iowa and look myself and find dozens of relatvies who still live there.
Is the diary published where it can be bought online? Treatment of POW's is one of the things I have an expanding space in the library for. First generation histrory is a treasure to read.
Is the diary published where it can be bought online? Treatment of POW's is one of the things I have an expanding space in the library for. First generation histrory is a treasure to read.
The man whose diary it was (for the Gratiot Street Prison) is named Griffin Frost. Looks like the book is now out of print, but still in copyright. There're some excerpts at this webpage. Or, again, you could try inter-library loan.
The man whose diary it was (for the Gratiot Street Prison) is named Griffin Frost. Looks like the book is now out of print, but still in copyright. There're some excerpts at this webpage. Or, again, you could try inter-library loan.
Thanks. I found two versions on Amazon. One has campscenes as well and is more expensive.
The best way to learn about a time is to read what those of the time said and how they saw their world.
There's a new, similar but different show airing on PBS. It's called "Finding Your Roots", and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It seems to be a bit more social history than pure genealogy, but very interesting none-the-less.
Another thanks. I will have to catch that one.
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