Blame the pilgrims

Blame the Pilgims: Past, Present, and Future Genealogy Research By Dick Eastman

Today’s PowerPoint slides are available at:

http://www.eogn.com/handouts/devonshire

A Brief History Lesson

September 16, 1620 - The Mayflower sails from Plymouth, England, bound for the New World with 102 passengers. The ship was headed for Virginia, where the colonists–half religious dissenters and half entrepreneurs–had been authorized to settle by the British crown.

A Brief History Lesson

In a difficult Atlantic crossing, the 90-foot Mayflower encountered rough seas and storms and was blown more than 500 miles off course.

In mid-December, the explorers went ashore at a location across Cape Cod Bay where they found cleared fields and plentiful running water and named the site Plymouth.

A Brief History Lesson

Not all of the Mayflower’s passengers were motivated by religion.

The Mayflower actually carried three distinct groups of passengers within the walls of its curving hull.

A Brief History Lesson

About half were in fact Separatists, the people we now know as the Pilgrims.

Another handful of those on board were sympathetic to the Separatist cause but weren’t actually part of that core group of dissidents.

The remaining passengers were really just hired hands—laborers, soldiers and craftsmen.

A Brief History Lesson

The term “Pilgrim” was not used to describe the Plymouth colonists until the early 19th century and was derived from a manuscript in which Governor Bradford spoke of the “saints” who left Holland as “pilgrimes.” The orator Daniel Webster spoke of “Pilgrim Fathers” at a bicentennial celebration of Plymouth’s founding in 1820, and thereafter the term entered common usage.

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

The Pilgrims were not the same as the Puritans!

"Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." - a quote from H. L. Mencken first published in the early 1900s.

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

In contrast, the group we now call the Pilgrims mostly consisted of good-natured, fun-loving people who loved life and insisted on the freedom of choice.

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

The Pilgrims are often depicted in popular culture as wearing only black and white clothing, with large golden buckles on their shoes and hats and long white collars.

This stereotypical Pilgrim, however, is not historically accurate.

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

Pilgrims: Facts and Fiction

The Pilgrims, in fact, wore a wide variety of colors.

This is known because when a person died, an inventory was made of their estate for the purpose of probate: and often the color of various clothing items were mentioned.

Mary Ring, died in Plymouth in 1633, and her estate included a "mingled-color" waistcoat, two violet waistcoats, three blue aprons, a red petticoat, a violet petticoat, blue stockings, and white stockings.

In addition, she owned gray cloth, blue cloth and red cloth, ready to make additional clothing.

Plymouth's Church Elder William Brewster, who died in 1644, owned green pants, a red cap, a violet coat, and a blue suit.

Governor William Bradford, when he died in 1657, owned a green gown, violet cloak, and a red waistcoat.

Collaboration

In reality, the Pilgrims dressed for special occasions, celebrated when appropriate,

and worked together collaboratively to create a better life for all.

Collaboration

Each person was to place his production into the common warehouse and receive back, through the Governor, only what he needed for himself or his family. The surplus after seven years was to be divided equally, along with the houses, lands, and chattels, “betwixt the Adventurers and Planters.”

Collaboration

Collaborativelyto create a

better life for all.

Let’s look at today’s Genealogy Research

The Present

• How do we research our family trees today?

• Technology is now almost mandatory and that need will only increase as the years go by.

• Why use the Internet?

– Time

– Convenience

– Wealth of information available

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way, such as in the cloud?

• Do we need to store information in our own computers or is there a better way?

• Or will we someday use something that hasn’t yet been invented?

Today’s technology allows us to…

Collaborate!

Today’s technology allows us to…

Collaborate!

Genealogy Data Rating Systems

Based upon Wikipedia?

Based upon eBay?

• Personal databases can also (optionally) contribute new information to the cloud. This capability already exists in:– Family Tree Builder from MyHeritage– RootsMagic– Ancestral Quest– (to some degree in) Legacy Family Tree– (to some degree in) Family Tree Maker from Ancestry.com

• Prediction #1

• Putting your genealogy research results on the Internet will continue to become simpler and easier.

• Prediction #2

• Finding both original records and the results of others' research on the Internet will continue to become simpler and easier.

• Prediction #3

• The accuracy of the information published on the Internet will continue to be variable but Internet genealogists will recognize and deal effectively with accuracy issues, then will collaborate to groom the data already published.

• Prediction #4

• More genealogically relevant information will be published on the Internet by public institutions.

• Prediction #5

• Traditional genealogical societies will conduct more organized interaction on the Internet.

• Prediction #6

• Traditional genealogy societies will increase the number of their goods and services available for purchase over the Internet.

• Prediction #7

• More collaborative efforts will emerge as a result of Internet-connected genealogists sharing their work towards common goals.

• Prediction #8

• Major genealogy companies will continue to develop and sell Internet-provided products and services.

• Prediction #9

• Interest in genealogy will continue to increase for many more years as information becomes easier and easier to obtain.

• Will all this be perfect?

• Absolutely not. Rough edges will always appear and research errors will continue to plague us, only in smaller and smaller amounts every year.

Today’s PowerPoint slides are available at:

http://www.eogn.com/handouts/devonshire