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eLearning Series: Geneology
My Family Tree is Important to Me
( 50 articles in this series )
Historical
Family Stories:
Separate Fact from Fiction
As you sit down to do a genealogy interview
with your grandfather, he leans over and whispers to you, “You
know, your great-great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian Princess,
don't you?” You will probably encounter this at some point
in your family history research. Most people do. It
can be extremely difficult to decipher fact from fiction as
you are
working through your research. While most of the stories you
hear will have bits of truth embedded in them, it can be difficult
to separate fact from fiction.
One of the first ways to decide what is and is not true is
to familiarize your self with the common family history
myths most genealogy researchers encounter. The first one is the
story about some member of your family being an Indian princess.
This myth almost always takes place in the Cherokee tribe,
though you might occasionally hear of a Navajo or Apache princess.
There are many reasons this myth might have evolved, but the
primary one was prejudice against Native Americans. In past
years, it was very difficult for most parts of American society
to accept any white males marrying Native American women. Giving
her the status of princess, while usually completely false,
made it a bit easier to deal with. It is important to remember,
though, that simply having Native American ancestry may also
be a complete myth. It has become a rather popular ancestry
to acknowledge in the past few years, so it is important to
find some solid evidence before you jump into the belief.
Another
popular myth is that three brothers immigrated to America. You rarely hear about seven brothers or two brothers
and one sister. As a result, it can make tracking passenger
manifests and other documentation difficult if the numbers
and the genders of the immigrants are skewed. You will want
to try to confirm that there were actually three brothers instead
of one brother and two uncles or whatever other numbers, genders,
and relationships your family immigrants may have had. The
myth of having a stowaway immigrant history is also a popular
one. Everyone seems to have had a great grandfather who was
a stowaway on a ship. It seems to be more interesting. The
truth is, though, that this was not a common practice. Even
if you truly did have a stowaway in your family, they will
be listed on the passenger arrival list of the ship, typically
in the index or on the last page, as they were usually discovered
before the ship managed to dock.
Another interesting genealogy myth is the one about having
someone famous in your background. It's hard to have the name
Smith without considering the possibility that you were once
related to John Smith, the explorer. That, however, doesn't
make it so. You will have to do some serious research, here,
because it is possible that you were actually related to someone
famous, but it is not likely. It is just a story people tell
to make them feel as if they are legitimizing the family line.
One final popular myth is that the family surname was switched
at Ellis Island. No such practice ever existed. The most Ellis
Island officials ever did was comparing the passenger names
to the list created at the departure of the ship. In all likelihood,
any names that were switched occurred because the immigrants
themselves wanted the names changed to better fit with current
American society at the time.
Once you've figured out the popular myths, it's time to start
working the truth out of your own family stories. It is best
to rely on actual documentation, or primary sources, for your
major finds. However, that is not always possible. As a result,
if you must rely on oral history interviews, one of the best
tips is to be sure to verify the information you have gotten
through two or three other people. Relatives are notorious
for trying the make the family sound a bit different than it
actually is, and talking to several family members can usually
help you find the level of truth that you need in your research.
Sorting out fact from fiction in family myths can be very
difficult sometimes, but doing it well the first time will
help you get an accurate family history that will help generations
to come will appreciate. # # # # #
by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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