Genealogy and History Fan

Have you ever read a historical article, novel or old death certificate and come across a strange sounding ailment or disease? The following are some of the more common diseases or sicknesses and what they were called in “bygone days”.

Pneumonia might be called Lung Fever or Winter Fever. Tuberculosis was commonly called Consumption, but might also be described as African Consumption, Galloping Consumption or Lung Sickness. Influenza was La Grippe or Grippe.

The common cold might be called Coryza. General terms for infection were Corruption of Mortification. Anemia was Green Sickness. Skin infections were sometimes called St. Anthony’s Fire. A boil was called a Whitlow.

Tonsillitis was known as Quinsey. Other names for Malaria were Congestive Fever or Remitting Fever. Ague was the persistent recurring chills and fever of Malaria. If a person suffered a stroke it was called Apoplexy.

Small pox was also known or Black Pox. A concussion might be listed as a Commotion. Whooping Cough was called Chin Cough. A sun stroke was known as Brain Fever. Various types of mental illnesses were called Bethlehemite.

I recently saw a number of these diseases listed as cause of death on an 1870 Mortality Schedule. Hope this list helps you identify some “strange” sicknesses that really aren’t so strange after all.

About two years into the American Revolutionary War, the British captured Philadelphia. The humiliated members of The Continental Congress had to flee the city to save their lives.

General George Washington led his army of 12,000 to a place called Valley Forge which was about 20 miles from Philadelphia. It was December with snow and a harsh wind blowing. There were no buildings to use as barracks. They pitched tents for some shelter while they built small huts of sticks and logs held together with mud plaster. Over 1,000 dirt floored drafty log huts were constructed by the army. Their clothes were little more than rags and some of the men had no shoes! These terrible conditions were made worse by few supplies (blankets, medicine etc.) and scant amounts of poor quality food.

Although no military battles were fought at Valley Forge, many lost their lives while camped there for six months. Typhus, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia were the predominant killers - downing about 2,000 men. Also hundreds of horses starved to death.

General Washington stayed with his army throughout the winter (1777-1778). The men who did survive became stronger and more confident. By spring there was plenty of food and the men received proper clothing.

Their German born skilled drill sergeant Baron von Steuben, began rigorously training the army in much needed military tactics. They left Valley Forge with renewed energy, high spirits, greater abilities and a firm will to win the fight for independence.

I have two fifth great grandfathers with the last name of Miller from Pennsylvania. I have written about both of them in previous articles. They were soldiers in the Revolution. Frederick survived the War but Peter did not.

According to family records, Peter fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and also took part in the Boston Tea Party. Sadly Peter lost his life at Valley Forge where he is buried. He left behind his wife and five young children.

May our Country ever remain “the land of the free and the home of the brave”.

Happy Birthday America!

June 17, 1775 was the date of the first major battle between the “Brits” and the Colonial troops. This fighting occurred in Boston and was known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, even though the actual location was on Breed’s Hill.

As 2000 British soldiers marched up the hill, the Americans were given the orders not to fire until they saw “the whites of their eyes.” The Americans held off the British in two separate attacks in quick succession. About 30 minutes later the British attacked a third time. The Colonists soon ran out of ammunition and were left only with bayonets to defend themselves. The British won this fight but lost over half their troops. The Americans lost about 400 men.

On July 6, 1775 The Continental Congress presented a declaration of the “Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms.” The proclamation listed the Colonists reason for fighting Great Britain. It also stated in no uncertain terms, that America was “resolved to die free men rather than live as slaves”.

In November the American Navy was established by Congress. Right before Christmas, British King George III issued a royal edict to close off the Colonies to all commerce and trade.

In June 1776 a huge British war fleet docked in New York Harbor. This fleet consisted of 30 battleships with 1200 cannons, 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 Navy men, and 300 supply ships.

On June 7th Virginia Congressman Richard H. Lee presented a formal resolution to Congress that called for America to declare it’s independence from England. A few days later Congress appointed a committee to compose a declaration of independence. Committee members were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Livingston and Roger Sherman. Jefferson, who was chosen to write the document was able to complete the first draft in only one day! Jefferson presented his paper to Congress on June 28th. A few changes were made by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. On July 2nd, twelve of the colonial delegations (New York abstained) voted to support and adopt Lee’s resolution for independence.

On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress formally endorsed Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Copies of the document were prepared and delivered to all of the Colonies. The actual signing did not occur until August 2nd. All 55 members of the Congress signed their names to that now famous and revered document. The war continued for nearly seven more years which will be topics for future articles.

My German born fifth great grandfather Frederick Miller, lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1776. He was eighteen when he became a soldier in the Revolution. He survived the war, went on to marry and was the father of seven children. I salute all the brave men who fought to make this a free and independent country.

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country: but he that stands… deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny… is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
Thomas Paine (written December 1776)

Have a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!

A family tree is another name for a pedigree chart. Filling out a pedigree chart is a good way to begin doing genealogy or also known as family history.

The first ( free and easy) step is to go to http://www.familysearch.org/ and download the PAF program. The Personal Ancestral File (PAF) genealogy program is user friendly and free! Go through the tutorial if you need some help getting started.

The second step is to pull-up a pedigree chart. Your full name goes on line #1. Line #2 is for your father’s name. Go to line #3 to record your mother’s first, middle and maiden name. Below each name is space to record dates and places of birth, marriage and death. Now you are linked to your parents on your pedigree chart. Then you continue on linking your parents with their parents. This pattern repeats itself for every generation. The father’s names on your chart have even numbers and the mother’s have odd numbers. Hopefully you will be able to fill out the info for your parents and grandparents from your own knowledge.

It is best to write out the months, years and place names. The usual format for writing a date is the day, month then year 26 March 1852. For place of birth, marriage or death record the city or township, county and the state Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. If you don’t know the city put , Marion, Indiana or ,, Indiana if you only know the state.

Once you have filled out all you can on your own, you will want to contact your extended family members to see what help they can give you. Also go once again to http://www.familysearch.org/for a free search of over 2 billions names of deceased persons. You may hit gold on your first search!

After you have filled out your pedigree chart as much as you can, it’s time to start on the family group charts using your PAF program. You will want to make a family group chart for each person on your pedigree chart. If the husband or wife has been married more than once, a family group record needs to be created for each marriage. The family group chart lists the names of the children associated with each couple. As on the pedigree chart, there are spaces for each birth, marriage and death record.

For more genealogy know how, read my articles in this blog under the category genealogy tips.

Genealogy begins as an interest,

Becomes a hobby,

Continues as an avocation,

Takes over as an obsession,

And in its last stages,

Is an incurable disease!

Author unknown

Read this article to learn about the two types of resources that every genealogist will need to become familiar with.

Tracing your Family History - A primer on resources, research methods, problems and solutions

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Yakel]Joseph Yakel

People who decide to trace their family histories seem to fall into of two groups: A) they know next to nothing about their family, and need to begin researching from scratch, or B) they already have a wealth of knowledge about their family, but need to document it properly and fill in some blanks. In both situations, the records review will be the same, albeit it more intense for people in situation A.

Researchers rely on numerous public and private resources and records to confirm family connections. I fit these into a couple of categories as well: Primary and Secondary, or Supplementary resources. Both categories of resources are important and fulfill their own purposes in developing the family history. In fact, they share a mutually complimentary effect with one another that should not be overlooked by the diligent researcher, and will be explained hereafter.

Primary sources are the biggies, such as civil and church records describing births, baptisms, confirmations, marriage, and deaths, census data, naturalization records, newspaper articles, family bibles, and grave markers. All of these records contain hard facts, with names, dates and family relationship landmarks, and serve as the foundation and structure for the family members you are researching.

The Secondary or Supplementary resources provide filler information. You may think of these resources as the ones that add details to bind and hold the structure and foundation together. In other words, they round out the histories of the family members you are discovering. These resources include city directories, tax rolls, voter registrations, property indentures, letters, local history books, photographs, and oral history. Don’t discount these resources! They provide excellent details and can be crucial as you progress through your research work.

If you are starting your research from scratch, the best way to begin tracing your family history is to start with yourself and work your way backward. Consider the important facts, events and dates related to your own life, and what you know about any siblings, and your parents. It’s best to keep a notebook handy to jot things down as you begin your investigation. I also recommend using a genealogy software program to input your research data and notes. After recording details about your parents, move back to your grandparents, being careful to document your reference sources as you regress.

I liken the research process to that of an ebb tide. It is a back and forth flow of information, with highs and lows related to the amount of information available during particular periods in our history. You may actually find it harder to research family history in the 20th century than it is in the 19th century. Why? Well, one reason is the federal census. Census information can only be released to the public after 72 years. The 1930 Federal census was released in 2002. Access to other recent public records, such as birth certificates, can also be much more difficult to come by. I have found that records from the mid-to-late 1800’s through the early 1900’s seem to be most plentiful. As one regresses in time prior to the mid-1800’s, public records become increasingly more difficult to find.

Consequently, one of the major problems with regressive research is that it becomes increasingly difficult to verify family ties. Older records may be missing first names, surnames, list only initials, or be so poorly written that they lack sufficient or specific details to bind a connection (such as linking a child to parents in a birth record, or linking a woman to her parents in a marriage record). Another ‘show stopper’ problem is that, eventually, the researcher will ‘hit the wall’ with the regressive research, and reach a point where there simply aren’t any written records left to review. Generally, as one regresses further and further in time, the more difficult it becomes to verify family relations.

These problems are more often the rule, rather than the exception, for ‘common folk’. Researching families of stature or royalty is often less onerous (up to a point), because these people have well documented historical references. With an abundance of additional documentation and history to rely on, royals and families of status can be traced back, in some cases, hundreds of years further than common stock families. Rest assured, however, that one will eventually hit the wall no matter who is being researched. For common people, the wall is usually reached sooner, which translates into the verified lineage with a smaller number of generations than that of royalty.

However, all is not lost if royal blood does not course through your veins and leaves of stature do not fill the branches of your family tree. It may be possible to extend your reach, and bridge ‘the wall’ for a period of time. For starters, your research must be exceedingly thorough and balanced in approach. If it is, and the conditions are right, you may be able to use a deductive reasoning technique in your research processes to bridge the wall.

What do I mean by this? First let me tell you what deductive reason is not. It is no guessing game, a stab in the dark, or a linkage of names simply because you have found someone else with a family tree with the same surnames as yours.

Deductive reasoning involves using a foundation of known information, and analyzing it in such a way as to make valid, objective, educated arguments for a family ancestral connection. Making such a case requires multiple pieces of information, oftentimes with supplementary resources, that logically tie personal circumstances together, consider facts that would otherwise exclude or negate the relationships in question from being established (in other words, it would take into account known details that would clearly contradict the relationship that the researcher merely ‘wants’ to make), and at the same time, having met those prior conditions, methodically and logically seems to ‘fit’ in with the known family history. The more pieces of complimentary facts and information that can be considered, obviously, the stronger the case becomes. Depending upon the particulars, there may not be enough additional supplementary resources to make a deductive reasoning insofar as establishing an additional family tie.

In my own case, I was able to apply the deductive reasoning approach with great success. My family lineage stopped six generations back. However, I had strong suspicions of linkage between my 6th generation ancestor and those who I believed were his 7th generation parents. No single piece of information explicitly showed this relationship. Partial names on birth certificates, marriage records, etc., prevented a definitive family tie from being established. However, additional details, like birth dates, Godparents names on baptismal records, names of marriage witnesses, references to known siblings, and other supplementary details were enough to bridge this wall, and conclude that a direct family tie existed between the 6th generation male and the 7th generation parents.

Once I made this connection, I was able to follow the 7th generation father back another two generations. So, it was the deductive reasoning technique that bridged the research wall, and gave me three full generations of lineage to claim as my own. I hit the next wall when I determined the 9th generation father. This wall was reached when my research records ran out. This time frame was about the 1600’s, when the first written church records began in the Rhine area where my ancestors once lived. With no earlier records to review, I do not have enough secondary resources to deduce further ties earlier than the 9th generation family. However, I continue to research, and if I come across additional resources, I may, yet again, be able to bridge the genealogy wall.

Reviewing my case, I was reasonably sure that the family tie I deduced, based upon all of the evidence I had collected, validated and objectively compared, and not being contradictory to anything already relevant to my known ancestors, was enough to confirm this 6th-7th generation relationship.

As it so happens, about a year after I had used my deductive reasoning technique to determine this linkage, a friend from Germany sent me some very old records he had obtained. Included therein was proof positive that the father-son link I had deduced was, in fact, correct. Obviously this proof pleased me, but it went further, confirming my own objective, meticulous genealogical research processes. That confirmation was quite satisfying.

Deductive reasoning is not a technique that can be applied by everyone, but it is a possible solution to consider when you’ve hit the genealogy wall, and are looking for a way to break through it.

Best of luck as you trace your history!

Joseph Yakel is a freelance writer and author. His articles have appeared in publications such as Communications Technology, The Pipeline, and Army Reserve Magazine, and have been highlighted on USAWOA Online, USAR Online, and other Internet websites. For great humor, or genealogy and family history resources, visit his bookstore at http://www.lulu.com/yakel

Joe offers free chapter previews of his books, and welcomes reviews and comments. His books are available in paperback, or downloadable format. For previews and purchasing information, visit Lulu Publishing at: http://www.lulu.com/yakel

Joseph Yakel is available for interviews, and accepts e-mail correspondence at [mailto:armeuv1@yahoo.com]armeuv1@yahoo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Yakel http://EzineArticles.com/?Tracing-your-Family-History—A-primer-on-resources,-research-methods,-problems-and-solutions&id=31155

Doing genealogy is my favorite kind of mystery! In my opinion, no mystery novel can be as exciting as one’s own family history.

“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance!”

George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

The American Civil War took over 600,00 lives and led to over 1,000,000 casualties. The war officially began on April 12, 1861. It lasted four long years where father fought son, brother fought brother and neighbor fought neighbor.

My second great-uncle, James Anthony Brown of Jackson County Indiana enlisted August 11, 1862 in Captain Ralph Applewhite’s K Company. This was the 67^th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteer Infantry. From September 14 -17 1862, the regiment was at the battle of Mumfordville, Kentucky. The regiment was captured on September 17^th but was paroled and sent to Indianapolis to reorganize. The 67^th went on to fight battles in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The 67^th lost one officer and 52 enlistees to wounds. Two officers and 194 men died from disease. Sadly James Anthony Brown died March 25, 1862 of a staph infection at the Washington Military Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Back in Indiana, James’ wife Jemima Johnson Brown waited at home with their four month old son and five other children. According to family stories, when word came of James’ death, Jemima “took to her bed” to die also. While in this depressed state, their house caught on fire. She was carried from the house in her bed sheets. It was reported that she sat on a nearby hillside and watched her house burn to the ground. Jemima did recover and raised her children on the government pension she received of $16.00 a month. Jemima remained in Jackson County where she died at the age of 81.

James and Jemima’s story is just one example of why the Civil War has been called the bloodiest and saddest war in American history.

“We here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that the government by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ( portion of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address given November 19, 1863.)

Genealogy tip:  If your immigrant ancestor served in the Civil War he automatically became a U.S. citizen without going through the naturalization process.

Read the following article to find out what makes up a family history.

Getting Started With Genealogy
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrea_H._Burke]Andrea H. Burke

The word genealogy brings to mind a Bible page, mementos or an
obituary, especially when a close relative passes away. A
dictionary definition reads: A record of the ancestry and
descent of a person.

Today, it’s family history, instead of just genealogy. Family
history is about people who lived, worshipped, and toiled to
make our world better than theirs.

These things are what make up a “Family History”, a complete
accounting of their lives, their times and their ways; things
which make each of us unique, and individual. Taken together,
they create the ‘glue’ which holds us together in family ties.

So they are no longer “just” the donors of our unique DNA, or
the building blocks of our biology, they are part of us in a way
that no other small group of people could be- even adopted
children become a real part of our family by taking on family
characteristics.

Begin now to write your own unique history, including you, your
parents and grandparents. Ask questions, find names in Bibles,
legal papers or journals; keep dated news clips and certificates
too.

A local Family History Library can help you get started with a
free computer program; this will help you by grouping fathers,
mothers and children together. It will have a place for notes,
sources, and other important information, like maiden names.

Generally the next step is to search census records as they
list every member in each household. Keeping notes and filing
is important, especially when you get large amounts of
information.

A good way is to use a small tape recorder and record
conversations with grandparents and older family members; it can
be transcribed later and printed. Military records are online
and are great sources of information, and it’s all free at your
local Family History Library (just look in the telephone book).

Next, write your history. It’s a good idea to present the
family information in story form, following the generations as
they move from place to place. Your computer will store
information and pictures of family members along with the
written history and charts. The genealogy programs available
today have places for pictures of each individual. Or you can
print, copy or have them professionally published.

However you decide to do it, your history will be cherished by
your children and grandchildren; they’ll know who they are,
they’ll develop pride and self-confidence as they read about the
accomplishments of their own predecessors.

Andrea Holycross Burke, genealogist/consultant with the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Affiliate with the website Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness [http://www.raogk.org]www.raogk.org; submitter to [http://www.findagrave.com]www.findagrave.com and [http://www.Rootsweb.com]www.Rootsweb.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_H._Burke http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Started-With-Genealogy&id=301909

Take steps now to insure that your family knows “from whence they came.”

“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” Alex Haley 1921-1992

From the following article we learn some of the reasons why people trace their family history. Ready this for some interesting ideas.

What is Genealogy?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Javier_Colayco]Javier Colayco

Genealogy, generally defined, is the study of one’s ancestry. However, in actuality, genealogy is much more involved and interesting than its general definition lets on.

When you begin studying genealogy, you realize just how much interesting information your family history can reveal. Genealogy can shed light on where your ancestors came from, where they lived, what they did for a living, who they married and what property they owned.

Almost everyone, whether they realize it or not, has participated in some form of genealogy activity. In grade school, did you ever make a family tree? That’s genealogy! Genealogy can be as simple as making a record of your family tree from you to your great grandparents or as complex as tracing your entire lineage back to ancient times.

The history of genealogy dates back to the Old Testament of The Bible. In the very first book, the Book of Genesis, we see a family’s bloodline narrated and the importance of genealogy. The New Testament would later also reflect the importance of genealogy in religion and society. Both the Books of Matthew and Luke outline the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth.

But The Bible is not the only written record that lends credence to the importance of genealogy. Throughout history we find records of disputes, murders and even wars where genealogy played a part in the story. Ties to royalty, rights to inheritances and eligibility for rulership are all tied to a person’s heritage, and genealogy provides the map that illustrates who has right to what claims.

There are a number of instances throughout history in which genealogy played an important role as certain dramas unfolded before humanity. From something as significant as the lineage of Jesus of Nazareth to something as modernly-trivial as the true father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, genealogy has oftentimes been at the forefront as history played itself out.

Genealogy also played a large role in England’s historical claim to the throne of France. King Edward III was a Norman-French descendant. When his uncle, Charles IV of France, passed away Edward tried to lay claim to the French throne.

He tried convincing the powers that be that even though his mother could not lay claim to the throne because she was a woman, she could pass on the bloodline’s right to the throne, making him the rightful ruler of France. Of course, the descendants of the male side of the bloodline didn’t agree and the argument eventually led to the Hundred Year’s War.

England and France aren’t the only countries to have disputes over who would be the rightful heir of a throne because of genealogy. Rowena’s, Byzantium, Portugal, and even ancient Egypt all have histories that are rich in bloodline disputes.

Genealogy finds aren’t all ancient history. Modern genealogy issues have hit the media recently. Al Sharpton’s recent discovery is proof of the ironies that genealogy may uncover. Mr. Sharpton, who earlier this year stated that he might run for president in 2008, recently discovered through genealogy research that his great-grandfather was a slave owned by none other than Senator Strom Thurman’s great-great-grandfather. In fact, the two may be related by blood.

Then, of course, there are the less-significant genealogy disputes that don’t have nearly as much importance as some of these historical and political events, but they get enough media coverage to make them world famous. The true family tree of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter is just one instance. Perhaps this dispute over lineage wasn’t historically significant, but it appears that many found it to be a topic of intense interest.

There are a number of reasons why people pursue genealogy. From something as simple as a mild interest in one’s family history to something as significant as trying to find the parts of a broken family and piece them back together, the reasons for studying genealogy are numerous.

Genealogy can help a person get in touch with who they really are. You can find out who your ancestors were, what they did, where they lived, and more. By tracing your roots, you not only learn about those in your bloodline who have gone before you, but you can research and gain an understanding of these members of your family that you never had the chance to meet.

While genealogy doesn’t always dig up buried treasure, it is indeed a possibility. Did you have a rich great uncle who died without any heirs? One you never knew about? If you did, genealogy could help you uncover the details that would help you claim what was rightfully yours.

There have been times throughout history when extreme circumstances split families apart. World War II, for instance, tore brother from sister and mother from child. Genealogy is a tool that can help piece broken families back together and thousands of people have done just that.

Sometimes genealogy is just plain fun. Wouldn’t it be exciting to find out you were a distant cousin of a famous celebrity, or that your great-great-great-great grandfather was a king? Many times genealogy can uncover interesting and exciting facts about a person’s family tree.

Genealogy, while always important, didn’t experience such a widespread explosion in popularity until the advent of the Internet. Gone are the days when researching your family tree meant running from one public records facility to the next, hoping you could find missing pieces to the puzzle by mailing away for information that might never arrive.

With more and more public records being made available online, priceless genealogy information is just a mouse click away and easier than ever to create a fluid family tree. Its no wonder millions of Internet users have started tracing their family lines on the Web. What used to take years to accomplish can now be done in a matter of days or weeks.

With genealogy becoming more and more popular and advanced genealogy tools now so readily available, there really hasn’t been a better time to get involved. Whether you only want to trace your family history back a few generations or you want to see just how far back you can climb up your family tree, the genealogy tools now available will make the process faster, more efficient and much more enjoyable.

Javier Colayco is the founder of TribalJunction.com ( http://www.tribaljunction.com), a site that makes it easy to create a family tree and find distant relatives. With additional features like group email, customizable user profiles and more, Tribal Junction also helps families keep in touch.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Javier_Colayco http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Genealogy?&id=839230

Recently we learned that Barack Obama is distantly related to six presidents and to Brad Pitt. Hillary Clinton is distantly related to Angelina Jolie, Camilla Parker-Boles and Madonna. John McCain is a 6^th cousin of first lady Laura Bush. In my own genealogy, I have a President (Harry Truman) and an outlaw (Jesse James) from the same family line. You never know who might turn up in your family!

“Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

In recent months leading up to the Primary elections, we heard much about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the controversial retired minister of the church that Barack Obama had attended for 20 years. Some say it doesn’t really matter what Rev. Wright speaks from the pulpit. Could Wright’s views really have little or no influence on his parishioners? This current story reminds me of a very old family story that shows the great influence that one minister had on his congregation.

Rev. Peter Muhlenberg, a Lutheran Minister in Shenandoah County, Virginia was chosen to head a “Committee of Safety” on January 10, 1775. He began to enlist Germans and others in the Valley for what many called the “inevitable conflict”.

In the early morning of April 19, 1775 some 70 armed militiamen from Massachusetts fixed upon British guardsmen. This unordered attack which is known as “the shot heard around the world” was what officially began the American Revolution.

A few days later on April 23rd, Congress ordered 13,600 American soldiers to be mobilized. On May 15th, Congress placed the country in a “state of defense.” One month later George Washington was appointed by a unanimous vote to become the General and Commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army.

Meanwhile down in Virginia, Rev. Muhlenberg, preached his final sermon to his parishioners. He resigned as their minister and then threw off his robes. Underneath his robes was the uniform of a Colonel in the Continental Army (blue coat with yellow buttons worn over white breeches). He marched out of the church with the male members of the congregation following him to the recruiting office! We believe that one of our relatives, William Clevenger, was one of those men who was persuaded by his pastor, to sign up for the “cause of independence”.

I can imagine that the good Reverent on that day may have quoted Psalm 31:24 “Be ye of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”

Col. Muhlenberg and his regiment served with Washington at Morristown, New Jersey where Muhlenberg was promoted to Brigadier-General. It has been reported that William Clevenger was also there at Morristown. William was later wounded at the battle of Monmouth.

Do you believe that some ministers of today are over-stepping their bounds? Do you believe they should espouse their political and “non-traditional” views from the pulpit? Has worshipping God, loving our neighbor and serving mankind been put on the back burner for some in this political year? Tell me what you think.

 Did you know that some perspective parents are paying baby name consultants large fees to help them decide on the perfect name?  Read the following article for some free and interesting advice for choosing a meaningful baby name. 

A Meaningful Baby Name

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marie_Wilson]Marie Wilson

Having a baby is one of the most moving and meaningful moments in the life of a parent. Just think, when you go through the big changes that bringing a child into the world entails, your names change forever from the first name your parents gave you to “Mommy” and “Daddy”. In a lot of cases you and your spouse will even get in the habit of calling each other by those names which can become a habit for the rest of your lives, or at least until your names change again to “Grandma” and “Grandpa”.

So it’s not uncommon to want to give your newborn child a name that is rich with meaning as well. Most of the common names that reach great popularity do have a history that may go back centuries in cultures from around the world. So by finding a good book of baby names or a web site such as babynamesworld, you can have some fun looking for names that have special meaning.

However, in reality, you have to wonder how meaningful that name will be to your child. If you took 50 children into a room and asked them to tell the meaning of their names, you would probably be looking at 50 blank stares. And when it comes down to it, western people really don’t think about the origins or original meanings of their names. It is more a trivia game to know that Jane means God is gracious or that Alexander means defender of men or that George means earth worker or that Erin means from Ireland. It is hardly something that will form the character of a child.

So to select a baby name that is meaningful in a genuine way, its best to connect the name to something the child will come to value as he or she grows up. That is why giving your child the name of a revered grandparent or someone from family history is very meaningful. Despite the fact that sometimes they don’t act like it, family is important to children and if they feel a connection to their family history that gives them validation and meaning.

Similarly using your child’s name as a connection to their legacy can be very meaningful to a child. In ancient cultures, a child is born into a village that may have been there for centuries. There is a sense of national identity and social value that comes just from being “a Frenchmen”, “A German” or “An Irishman”. And even though in modern cultures there is patriotic pride, a connection to a child’s ethnic origins can have deep meaning for them over time. And a child’s name can have very rich ethnic meaning to him or her.

There are many sources of meaning that can make the naming of your child an event that touches something bigger and better than the child or even the family. Giving the little one the name of a famous figure from history or popular culture can provide a connection to an inspirational leader. Reagan, Kennedy, Lincoln or Washington are first names for both boys and girls that connect to leaders in our culture that have changed things for the better.

Biblical names or names from religious history have a similar power to put deeper meaning behind the name of a young person. Or if your family has a great appreciation for the arts, names from the world of painting, film making or music can also reflect your admiration for the greats of that genre and connect your child to that world in a very natural way.

Once you open up the world of meaningful baby names, you may have trouble narrowing down just the right name for your child. Use normal common sense when using a meaningful name such as how well the name works with your last name and whether the name will be pronounceable and workable in an every day sort of way as well.

But by adding layers of meaning to the name of your child, you provide history, culture, family connection and role models whose shoes any child would do well to grow into and in a way, you are starting the task of molding that child to live up to that meaningful name in their future as well. And that is a good calling for any young person to live up to.

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I view a lot of census records and other historical records and I often wonder why some people would name a precious baby such a name as Hogg Rhodes, Envy Burger or Tuna N. Fish. These names were on 1930 U.S. census records. Have you found an unusual name in your research? I would love to hear some more “rare ones”. Send them to me please.