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Mine never "clumped" in one place for more than 2 generations. The concept of people living somewhere for 200 years is unknown in my family tree. I'm now back where we started.
Mine arrived along the mid eastern seaboard, both lines, by the early 1700's, both sides, and both ended up leaving via Kentucky. Dad's went south, largely in Tennessee and Alabama. Mom's hit Iowa and stuck until working for Union Pacific and moving the whole core of the family, including both sets of grandparents, to Los Angeles. Iowa is still central ground for the family.
What I find so fascinating is that despite different destinations and routes, how mom and dad's family ended up built on foundations and journeys so much alike. Both have a lot of scots, (and scots irish) and were never rich, but not poor. And they kept family together. In one cencus, there are two sets of grandparents, a set of parents, adult children and their children on the farm together. I think sometimes, especially that I live alone, that maybe we lost something along the way.
But your ancsestry as history really struck me when I looked up my great great grandfather, they lived in the county of Missouri which bordered Iowa, the one the Union troops came through when they moved into the mini-war the border state had become. When a county was 'cleared', the farms were ordered left, everything of use taken by the military and the residents turned into refugees. There wasn't even anything to come home to since the buildings were burned. They went to Illinious and great grandfather, all adult sons and connected family sat out the war there, not enlisting in either army. But reading about that and looking up places and dates, made what would have been a bit of text into something very very real. THAT is the real value, in the personal sense, of connecting history to real walking talking suffering human beings who aren't just unknows stats of a page.
THAT is the real value, in the personal sense, of connecting history to real walking talking suffering human beings who aren't just unknows stats of a page.
Exactly. Beautifully said.
Courtesy of internet access to new digital file of an old archived record, I had the thrilling experience, on July 3, of viewing the handwritten enlistment record of my great-great-great-great grandfather into the 4th New York Militia at Ticonderoga in 1775.
That put a completely different perspective on my celebration of July 4th. THAT'S history that moves me.
Most of my ancestors have been here since the 1700s. To me, that doesn't make them uninteresting, or any research about them unimportant.
I don't like people suggesting that your ancestors had to come from somewhere else fairly recently to matter either. America may not have its own unique traditional dress, but it does have its own history, literature, dialects, music, art, cultural traditions. I enjoy (usually...) explaining those things to my immigrant husband.
Some of my paternal father's ancestors have been here since the 1600s. Some of my maternal grandparent's ancestors have been verified as being here since the late 1500s. They have their own stories since coming here from their original countries. But some of my ancestors came as recently as the turn of the 20th century.
I think the interest in the original country of origin comes from the fact that the vast majority of us are descendants of immigrants. We wouldn't be here if the ancestors didn't come from somewhere. Who were they? Why did they come (assuming they came willingly)? What was their story?
I found it interesting where some of my ancestors came from and spent some time learning about the culture, history, and language of those peoples, even visiting some of the countries. But that is just the history of who I am, not who I actually am. I used to identify with ancestry, but don't really bother anymore, since living abroad for awhile gave me a smack in the head about that. Just give that info if asked or it comes up for some reason.
Researching the genealogy to me, is learning all about the journeys and the stories and the really difficult stuff people went through to come to America. I think it is important that people appreciate that we have it unbelievably good here.
Yeah, in Chicago, and maybe other metro areas.... there are pockets of people that are still in Polish neighborhoods, Greeks, the Irish, etc. and still connect with relatives. I know the southside esp. has a large reciprocal contact with Irish groups and festivals and all that. And yes, there are people in Europe that are looking for relatives in America too, so it goes both ways.
Personally I always think it is lame when someone doesn't know the nationality of their own last name. For chrisakes, you write your name daily and they never even thought about it once?
Personally I always think it is lame when someone doesn't know the nationality of their own last name. For chrisakes, you write your name daily and they never even thought about it once?
So while some names can have very obvious origins and therefore I'd agree it seems silly when one doesn't stop to think about it, not all name origins are so easy to spot without a lot of research, which not everyone is interested in.
In Upstate New York people are still very aware of their ancestry. Many neighborhoods are still predominantly certain ancestries. I'd hardly call it meaningless, but it probably varies based on where you live.
In Upstate New York people are still very aware of their ancestry. Many neighborhoods are still predominantly certain ancestries. I'd hardly call it meaningless, but it probably varies based on where you live.
I was born in Western New York, and from what I hear there are still neighborhoods, churches and schools that are predominantly certain ancestries.
I was born in Western New York, and from what I hear there are still neighborhoods, churches and schools that are predominantly certain ancestries.
Very much so. In Broome County, which isn't even very big, it is still very much that way. The First Ward in Binghamton is still very Slovak, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian etc. North side of JC and Southside of Bing are around 40% Irish. Obviously Little Italy in Endicott is still heavily Italian. There are Russian churches, Greek churches, Polish community centers, Sons of Italy lodges, St. Anthony's church is very Italian dominant, German American lodges etc. Alot of areas, especially in the Rust Belt are very proud of their ancestries and I think that is great for a city to be aware of their backgrounds. And as for Western NY, there are entire municipalities like Sloan, NY that are 50% polish. Maybe in some areas people don't care, but It couldn't be any different for around Upstate. And nowadays people don't care in a sense of Italians don't like Polish etc. they are just proud of their family backgorund. Also, for the Rust Belt areas it really isn't that far removed from when people were immigrating here, many people still have grandparents or parents who came from another country and spoke another language.
It occurs to me, rereading this thread, that one of the reasons people care about ancestry is because it fulfills one or both of two basic human psychological needs.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow was famous for determining that there is a natural ranking to the things that motivate people, which he elucidated in 1943 as The Hierarchy of Human Needs. His theory is that people are motivated first by physiological needs... hunger and thirst, the need for sleep and warmth... and that until they have satisfied those needs in at least a fundamental way, they can't even consider the next level of need... which is safety and security.
Once these needs have been provided for, however, humans next turn their attention to their social needs... for love and friendship and family. And for many people, ancestors are considered a significant part of the family. Many cultures support this view with traditions and customs like visiting family grave sites. Genealogy can play a significant role in helping people feel connected to a group in history that is larger than themselves.
Then the fourth level in Maslow's ranking is esteem. Once you feel secure that you belong to a group, your position within the group and the recognition of others becomes a natural progression. Here again, genealogy can play a significant role if it gives you a sense of pride or perhaps "bragging rights" with others.
Obviously the study of one's ancestry is of great importance to some people, but is of little or no consequence to others. Part that may relate to how much you associate the study of your ancestry with your own Third and Fourth Level needs.
Anecdotal, but interesting to me is that my father had a very highly developed circle of lifelong friends, and a very active social life, including a high ranking within the group from which he derived his sense of self-esteem. And he had almost zero interest in the past and his ancestry. I think that is because his needs were already so well satisfied that he didn't need anything else.
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