Randy Lindsay, author of The Milkman's Son, shares tips for writing a family history others will want to read, PLUS a giveaway for a copy of his book.Randy's StoryIn the summer of 2005, an ordinary trip to visit my dad changed my life. I should have known I was in for a surprise when he muted the sound on the television and had an actual discussion with me. Dad told me he was having dreams. He saw the faces of people he believed were his ancestors and even though none of these ghosts spoke … [Read more...]
Using History to Tell Your Family Story
Everybody loves a good story. Here is one experience where genealogy was brought to life by developing and understanding local history and culture of the time. Everybody in my family - at least on my dad’s side - is a storyteller. Every event in their lives was and is a story. You never simply got up and went to school. Every day was a potential epic adventure. To hear my dad tell it, his life as a boy on the farm was one narrow escape after another, followed by record-breaking … [Read more...]
What is Social History?
As a subgenre of historical research, social history delves into the societal aspects of a certain time and place. Social history is different than personal history in that it looks at the wider population—structural change within society, social change, and social movements. It also deals with how things were for the common man during any time period. Social history focuses on the group rather than the individual, but it can be just as fascinating as learning one of your … [Read more...]