Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Genealogists and Historians, Together Again?

Jacqueline Jones, who worked along with Mark Lowe, CG, and others on the Lionel Richie segment of Who Do You Think You Are? wrote about her experience in Perspectives on History. I cringed when I saw the title ("A Historian among Genealogists") but she was positive:

My work with the WDYTYA producers and with Lionel Richie reminded me that information about specific family trees holds mass appeal. Genealogical excursions back in time, combined with scholarly analysis of the time period in question, can produce powerful stories that reveal great deal not only about particular families, but about the great drama of human history. Such collaborations, carried out in a  spirit of mutual respect, could very well prove fruitful for the historical enterprise, and for everyone involved.
Jones is the Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History and Ideas and the Mastin Gentry White Professor of Southern History at the University of Texas at Austin.



Jacqueline Jones, "A Historian among Genealogists: Working on Who Do You Think You Are?," Perspectives on History vol. 51, no. 1 (January 2013): 9-10.

Harold Henderson, "Genealogists and Historians, Together Again?," Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog, posted 15 January 2013 (http://midwesternmicrohistory.blogspot.com : accessed [access date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]



1 comment:

Dorene from Ohio said...

Working at a library, I often answer questions dealing with genealogy as well as local history. I think it is impossible to separate people from the land on which they live, so I am so glad to read your post!