A common challenge for any historian is to demonstrate the relevance of the past to the present. Whether in a formal or informal setting, the audience wants to know the connection. Such questions are wholly relevant and appropriate for history is more than chronicling trivia about yesterday. Implicit in historical study is the establishment of the significance of past people, ideas, and events to the now, whenever now might be. Genealogy is an excellent historical approach to demonstrate such linkage and a personal connection makes the study even more fascinating. Shakespeare described the world as a stage and people as players (actors) who come and go in their time.[1] Setting aside the issue of the finite mortality of man, his point can also be interpreted in terms of the connectivity of people. Human beings do not pass through life isolated; rather, much of their life is shaped by those who came before them. Genealogy helps us understand this fundamental aspect of life and reminds us that we are not alone; there is a connection between us and those who came before us.
The point can easily be shown by examining a fundamental question on why someone lives where he does such as why North America and not Europe, Africa, or Asia. I live in Louisiana and to a degree, I made that choice. Nonetheless, my decision was shaped by others such as my wife and my parents; the choice was not made in isolation. I wish to be near to my family and they live in Louisiana. I have never seriously considered dwelling in Minnesota, New York, or California for the simple reason that I have no connection to those places. These facts however do not explain why Louisiana was a choice. To that answer, genealogy provides insight. My parents moved here for employment when I was very young so I grew up here. Likewise, my son was born here and is being raised in a south Louisiana culture because of a decision made almost half a century ago. This aspect of genealogy plainly illustrates the connection between past decisions and the impact they have on future generations. Genealogy illustrates the power of our choices and should humble us in our behavior.
As a nation of immigrants, American genealogy would seem to be an overwhelming task, but such is not the case. A vast array of tools is available, and many are online and free. The National Archives has numerous databases for exploring genealogy.[2] States and many counties (parishes in Louisiana) have a historical society or other institution that collects genealogical information. In my case, the State Historical Society of Missouri has a research center located in Cape Girardeau, my family’s original hometown.[3] Working with Southeastern Missouri State University, this facility has an extensive collection of documents such as property deeds, tax records, marriage licenses, and death certificates. Moreover, non-government and non-academic websites such as Ancestry.com have power search tools which are linked to federal and state records as well to newspapers and other documents.
As an exercise in Genealogy, I researched an old family story to determine the veracity of its claims. Re-told at numerous family reunions, the original Smith was something of an outlaw. Apparently, my ancestor lived in Kentucky as a young man in the 1840s. He was accused of stealing horses which was a hanging offense and so he jumped the border into southeastern Missouri rather than trust the judicial system. He changed his name to “John Smith” and pursued farming. During the Civil War, he rode with the Confederate guerillas known as “Quantrill’s Raiders”, which remains notorious for its viciousness and lawlessness. It was here that he met the James brothers, Frank and Jessie. After the war, their friendship continued and although he did not participate in their criminal activities, his farm was allegedly one of their hangouts in southeastern Missouri, so the story goes.
After further investigation, this beloved family tale appears only partial true. Utilizing the tools of Ancestory.com, the National Archives and the State of Missouri Digital Heritage, a substantially different picture was uncovered. According to the marriage license dated 1847, my great, great, great grandfather, Lewis C. Smith, married Eliza Jane Potts, while residing in Kentucky; a hand-written note from her mother was attached to the marriage certificate granting permission.
The next year, 1848, he left central Kentucky for southeastern Missouri with his wife and remained there for the next thirty-six years as a farmer on his own land. The state of Missouri had no definitive record on his military service during the Civil War; numerous Lewis Smith appear on both Union and Confederate rosters in that region. His name does not appear in extant lists of known members of Quantrill’s Raiders.[4] So, the most flamboyant aspects of the tale do not seem to hold up under scrutiny.
Smith did not change his name for it appears on his marriage certificate to which he and his bride signed with a mark; apparently, they did not know how to write.
So, a genealogical survey revealed that my ancestors did not have an infamous past and yet, the study revealed a much more interesting picture. According to the 1860 Federal census, they were still illiterate, but their children went to school and Eliza’s mother now lived with them.
They were committed Methodists and devoted to their family. They owned their own farm and worked it hard. Education was important to them for each succeeding generation went higher and higher in school. In short, they were average people living average lives in 19th century America which provided the foundation for a free nation. Their story reflects the American dream of being beholden to none and working to make life better for each succeeding generation. My ancestors were simple people but rich in their legacy. Genealogy reminds us that historical greatness isn’t necessarily marked by great events; sometimes, it is just people doing their best to make life better and that is just as true in the 21st century as it was in the 19th century.
[1] William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII. [2] “Online Research Tools and Aids,” Research our Records, National Archives, last modified March 11, 2020, https://www.archives.gov/research/start/online-tools. [3] “Cape Girardeau Research Center,” The State Historical Society of Missouri, accessed April 21, 2020, https://shsmo.org/visit/cape-girardeau. [4] Mike Venable, “Complete List – Quantrill’s Raiders,” Civil War, Genealogy, last modified April 22, 2004, https://www.genealogy.com/forum/general/topics/civilwar/18582/; “Roster of Known Members of: William C. Quantrill, William T. Anderson, George M. Todd and John Thrailkill,” The Missouri Partisan Ranger, accessed April 22, 2020, http://www.rulen.com/partisan/roster.htm.
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