Genealogy and History Fan

We all have had events that have changed our lives for good or bad. The following are a few of the countless events which have changed our country.

American history, or really history in general is not always marked with outstanding events, stunning personalities or remarkable speeches. Much of the history of a great nation is slow steady improvement, set backs and then how a people recovers from those set backs. But in the context of American history, there are a number of truly phenomenal moments when everything changed. These are not just one day events, although some are that sudden. But these are events that once they transpired, Americans thought of themselves, the world and their place in the world completely differently. And it’s worth noting what those events were and how they changed Americans forever.

Obviously the revolution itself and the founding of the country changed a small group of colonies who thought of themselves as Englishmen far from home. When the independence of America was done, that vision of ourselves was completely different. We were now a proud new nation, a new type of nationality that had its own view of the world and its own hopes and dreams as well.

World War II was the kind of event that once we underwent the tremendous trial, struggle and victory that such a war demands of a people, we never could go back to seeing ourselves again in the same way as we thought before the war. Our victory against Japan, Germany and their allies gave us tremendous confidence that we could affect world history for the better. But it also gave us a tremendous sense of responsibility. When we dropped those bombs on Japan, everybody on the planet began to understand the horrible power that was now in the hands of mankind, and the huge responsibility for the fate of mankind that came with that kind of power.

Pearl Harbor while part of World War II deserves its own mention because of the fundamental change to how America viewed itself in relation to the world. Prior to that attack, America considered itself invulnerable. Like a teenager that thought they could never be hurt, we had never been attacked on our homeland before. But Japan proved that they not only could attack us but that they could hurt us very badly. Yes, we responded with a fury but from that moment forward, we knew that we, like everybody else in the world, were vulnerable and we had to start behaving differently in a world full of both friends and enemies.

Outside of the military world, the famous I Have a Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963 did not just change the black community forever. Yes, that speech had a mighty impact on the way the African American community saw their future and it gave inspiration and hope to a struggling civil rights movement that spurred it on to victory. But it also affected all Americans because we started to see ourselves as a community of many cultures, many races and many orientations. It was the beginning of acceptance in this country. But that is a process that is far from over.

In modern times, the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 had a drastic effect on the minds and hearts of America and indeed on the world. We are still learning how that effect will finally show itself as the ripples of shock, fear, anxiety and reprisals are still going on. But to be sure, as with Pearl Harbor, the effects on our feelings about our place in the world and our vulnerability will certainly be changed forever.

I love this great country and am so happy to be an American. Three cheers for the USA. Long may She live!

What event do you feel has dramatically changed our country or the world? It could very well be one I haven’t mentioned. I would love to hear your opinion!

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Make history come alive for your family by putting your ancestors in their rightful place in history. The following is a great article to get you started on your journey of discovery.

Finding Your Genealogy

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kadence_Buchanan]Kadence Buchanan

One activity that many families find rewarding and exciting is researching their genealogy. Who doesn’t want to know where they came from? Plus, if you research your roots back far enough, odds are that you could be surprised with some type of connection to a historical figure. While there are many sites that provide genealogy packages, doing the work yourself can really be rewarding when it comes to getting to know your relations.

First, when researching your genealogy, you should get some paperwork organized. You should create forms that you should distribute to the relatives that you know of that consist of places to fill in information regarding the births, deaths, marriages, and spouses of those that they know of in the family. Some people find it important to make the entries as complete as possible, listing family stories, occupations held, and other information about the entrants. You may also want to consider purchasing a program that helps you to log this information to ease the amount of paperwork that you will be doing. When you get information from a relation, be sure to ask them if they have any genealogical information that can help you in your hunt. Family bibles are one thing that can provide information about lineage that you may not be able to find elsewhere.

Once you seem to have reached the end of the paper trail when it comes to those that you can contact, you may want to turn your search towards census records. Census records have been around for almost the complete history of America, with censuses being conducted formally since 1790. These records can provide a wealth of information when it comes to finding relations that you may not know about due to the long length of time. Other sources of records for genealogy may include birth certificates, death certificates, adoption papers, divorce papers, and school records. Searching on the internet for your family name can also prove to be effective.

Now that you know the basics when it comes to finding your genealogy, indulge in it! Get your whole family in on the fun, it’s exciting for everybody to find out about their roots.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including [http://itsfamilytime.net/]Family, [http://letsdosomeyardwork.com/]Gardening, and [http://yourealestatesource.com/]Real Estate

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kadence_Buchanan http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-Your-Genealogy&id=324372

You and your children or grandchildren can develop a meaningful and worthwhile hobby. You can learn together and grow together as you unravel your family heritage. It’s a great adventure awaiting you and your family!

On March 1, 1790 the U.S. Congress passed what is known as the Census Act. The first census was taken that same year and was completed by August 1^st.

The 1790 census showed a population of about 4 million people in the U. S. and it’s western territories. This was quite a jump from the estimated population of a little over 2 million just 10 years earlier.

It was determined by the 1790 census that African Americans made up 19% of the population with, as expected, most living in the South. Native Americans were not counted in that first census, but it is estimated there were at least 80 tribes with a total of about 150,000 people.

The average age for the white population was under 16 which makes sense since most of the families had 8 children. By the 1810 census this white population had almost doubled to nearly 6 million.

In 1790, the largest U. S. city was Philadelphia with about 42,000 people. Next followed New York with 33,000. A few of the other more populated areas were Boston with 18,000, Charleston had 16,000 and about 13,000 called Baltimore home.

The main purpose for taking a census is to apportion seats in the U. S. House of Representatives. The number of residents in a state determines how many seats that particular state gets in Congress.

Of course, the main purpose for genealogists is to track down our ancestors and to find out more about their lives. In some cases, the only information we may find of certain ancestors, are on those wonderful census records. Thanks to James Madison who introduced the Census Act bill and to George Washington who signed it into law!

What would it have been like to have been a medical patient in the early part of the 19th century?  Depending on your ailment you could have been blistered, bled,  purged and medicated with lead, mercury and opium. Never the less, this time period has been dubbed “the golden age of medicine”. The title was earned because of the great strides in diagnosis and treatment of diseases and surgical procedures. For example, the stethoscope was invented in 1819 by a French physician, Rene Laennec. A number of illnesses were discovered and named after the physicians who discovered them. Some of the most well known are Addison’s, Bright’s, Hodgkins, Parkinson’s, and Graves’, diseases.

There were very few medical schools in the United States in the early 1800’s. Most physicians learned their trade as apprentices to established physicians. Some who had the means, went to Europe or to India to study medicine. As interest in medical training increased, more U. S. medical schools were created.

It is reported that ether was discovered for it’s anaesthetic effects in 1842 by Crawford Long. It seems that doctors and medical students at the time were inhaling ether at parties. Dr. Long observed that those men, after inhaling, didn’t feel pain if they fell, were cut, or hurt in any way. Soon Dr. Long performed surgery on a friend who Long insisted inhale ether before the operation. The successful operation was performed pain free! This began a new era for doctors and their patients.

However by the mid 1800’s, there still were very few U. S. hospitals. Less than 300 were scattered throughout the country. Most were located in large cities and were primarily for the mentally ill. Hospitals had a bad reputation and were a place to be avoided. Most patients chose, when at all possible, to be treated by their own doctors in their own homes.

My 4^th great uncle, Dr, Samuel A. Wort (1791-1863), was a physician and surgeon. He practiced medicine in Brownstown, Indiana for over 40 years. He helped form The Jackson County Indiana Medical Society in 1851, and was elected their first president. One of their goals was “the cultivation and advancement of medical science and literature and the elevation of the standard of professional education”.

In 1854 Dr. Sam wrote a rather extensive paper concerning the misunderstood and dreaded disease Cholera. He noted that he had first become acquainted with Cholera while in Calcutta in 1816. He described the different types of Cholera, symptoms, and treatments. After reading this article I certainly could see why Cholera was so horrible and dreaded. A person could feel fine in the morning but be dead by evening from the worse cases of Cholera.

Dr. Sam had 6 wives (4 died) and 9 children. He also found time to own and run a hotel!

He publicly cautioned the citizens of Jackson County against taking too many patent medicines. He said they can irritate the bowels, tax the liver, and destroy health. He further stated that these medicines give much business to doctors - to the great detriment of the community! It seems that Dr. Wort wasn’t afraid to say what he believed.  I’m glad to be related to a caring man who devoted most of his life to helping others.

In 1934, five years after his birth, his family discovered Martin’s name had been recorded wrong on his birth certificate. The certificate said Michael King, so his name had to be legally changed to Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1939, Martin sang with his church choir in Atlanta at the gala premiere of the movie Gone With The Wind.

He skipped the 9^th and 12th  grades in school and entered Moorehouse College at age 15.

He had Bachelor degrees in sociology and theology. In 1955 he received his PH. D. from Boston University.

From 1957 until his death in 1968, he traveled more than 6 million miles. He gave over 2500 speeches during his travels. He also wrote 5 books and had published countless numbers of articles in newspapers and magazines.

In 1964, at age 35, he was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to a Gallup poll, King is the second most admired person in the 20^th century.

In a contest sponsored by the Discovery Channel, he was voted the 3^rd Greatest American of all time.

Presently there are 730+ U.S. cities that have streets named after King.

King is 1 of 10 20^th century world martyrs who has a statue at Westminster Abbey.

Dr. King’s famous speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a hot August 28, 1963 has become so central to our American heritage that it is quoted with reverence by scholars, students and all people seeking their own inspiration from this great man.  It is impossible not to get goose bumps reading these key phrases from that historic speech.

Webster’s dictionary defines a tradition as an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or social custom). It can also be the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another.

Each of us belongs to a family and our family traditions help determine who we are. These traditions create positive feelings and keep family members close as they spend time together. Our family traditions often provide us our best memories of our families. It has been said that if you see a strong family, you will likely find they have strong family traditions.

Some traditions can be as simple as always having pizza on Friday nights. Other traditions may occur at certain times of the year. For example, every August we always went to the County Fair as a family. During the Christmas season we always took several evenings to drive around our area to see the lights and decorations. On Christmas Eve we always read the Christmas Story from the Book of Luke.

These times together help family members to feel more secure, and more unified and loyal to each other. In today’s fast paced and ever-changing world, it is even more important to firmly establish and maintain family traditions.

Some families find that at least once a year they have to leave their hectic lives behind and take their family to a special setting. This special setting could be any place that the whole family enjoys going. For some families it might be a cabin on a lake, an ocean side retreat, or a mountain trek. Other families may have a favorite theme park that they look forward to visiting each year. The list of great places to visit could be endless.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every family could have a special getaway! I hope your family has treasured and established traditions that will always keep you connected. May 2008 be a banner year for keeping and even making great new family traditions.