Few people working on their family tree take the time to familiarize themselves with historical events that were surrounding their ancestors. Most Americans have a basic knowledge of history but do not consider how those events shaped the lives of our ancestors.
The Effects Of War
The most obvious example is war. Your ancestors were undoubtedly affected by and were probably involved in the civil war. Perhaps they moved to a different state during or right after the conflict. The reconstruction went on years after the war and affected people in the south deeply. There were outbreaks of violence that continued long after the war.
In many cases an ancestor will be killed in action and the wife is left to raise the family by herself. Kids were sometimes sent to their grandparents or other relatives to be raised. Look for clues in the census regarding how the ancestor is related to the head of household. Understanding what the circumstances were is key to figuring out exactly what was going on in their lives.
The Homestead Act
If your family members were farmers which a lot of people were, you may have noticed that a lot of them owned 160 acres of land. Was this just a coincidence? Was that just an acceptable number that most people chose? The answer is that Abraham Lincoln as part of the Homestead Act gave anywhere from 160 to 640 acres of land to each willing individual with the stipulation that the person would agree to stay on and improve the land. Then they were required to file for a deed in the end.
Arriving In The British Colonies
When did your ancestors arrive in the colonies? Check and see what the population of the colonies were at the time of their arrival. It will probably surprise you. If they came early enough, they may have been part of the first 100,000 people here or perhaps even less.
Check to see what was going on in the country they just came from. Were their reasons for leaving because of conditions in their native lands? Was it due to religious reasons? Many saw the colonies as a religious refuge because they were being persecuted in Europe. There was hope for a new start in a new land.
If you want to know more about your own family than look to see what was going on around them. It will answer questions as to why they moved around when they did and made the decisions they made.
Creating A Rich And Fascinating Family History
When you take the information you have gathered on your family tree, try to include as much about what was going on around your ancestors. Doing this will add a human element to the tree instead of having only a list of names and dates representing your history.
Imagine how fascinating it would be to read a story about your family's history when you include these facts. You will begin to imagine your family members as they struggled through hard times. Look up what company or what division your ancestor served in during war time. In many cases you can find out exactly what that unit was doing, what battles they were involved in and you may find photos people have uploaded onto the internet that you did not already have.
Brush Up On Your History
It wouldn't hurt to brush up on your history. You don't have to go all out and head back to school. There are a lot of resources out there. If you're working on a particular relative, start by looking up the events during his or her lifetime. You can find timelines on the internet that will illustrate what was happening in politics, science, art, etc...
When I tell people the date of my first ancestors arriving here they look at me shocked and ask what was going on that early in this country. It's nice to write down some references so people can get a better visual of the subject's life.
Connecting With A Historical Society
The role of a historical society is to provide information about a particular region or city rather than of individual people. They gather information in the form of maps, records, stories, etc... The society will take this information and sometimes publish their findings in periodicals or online.
Connecting with these societies and using the information they have gathered can be a great resource for use on your own family tree. The information can be used to coincide and enhance your own research.
I found a relative that was working alongside her entire family in a cotton mill. After doing some research about the area and that mill, I discovered there was a fire that totally destroyed the structure during that same time period.
Knowing this information allowed me to figure out why these people moved from the area and migrated to different parts of the country. The information gathered about the town was key to figuring this out.
Everyone is connected to historical events. Finding out how is the fun part.