Roots & Branches

Finding the right material for research is always essential part of doing genealogy. Blank forms, worksheets, databases, websites, etc. are just a few of the available tools for your use.  Maps and charts can also be of help.  One item that may give you a better grasp of the area you are researching is a Historical Atlas.  There are many types available these days.  Your local library would be a great place to find one.   

What exactly is a historical atlas?  By definition provided by Wikipedia, a historical atlas is the following:

A historical atlas is an atlas that includes historical maps and charts depicting the evolving geopolitical landscape. They are helpful in understanding historical context, the scope and scale of historical events and historical subjects (such as the expansion of the Roman Empire), and macro-history. Some historical atlases try to present the entire history of the world, such as the Historical Atlas of the World, while others are more specialised, for only one time period or location, such as the Historical Atlas of the American West or the Historical Atlas of China. They may also include historical photographs and explanatory text or essays. The first known historical atlas was the Parergon by Abraham Ortelius in 1579, which was a supplement to the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. William R. Shepherd produced a well-known Historical Atlas in 1911 [1]. Psychiatrist Colin McEvedy was one of the first to produce historical atlases using the same base map throughout many time periods, in his Penguin atlas of history series, which has become common in modern atlases. Recently, historical atlases have been made available online.

Information about the past is gathered and compiled, stored and made available in a variety of ways.  One of these ways is historical maps.  Historical maps provide a chronology of important events and show the impact these events had on the places where they occurred.  Historical maps support and extend information form primary historical resources such as letters, treaties, and census data.  Historical maps are summaries of the past events presented in a graphic form.

Most libraries will carry a Historical Atlas, just check the card catalog or ask at the front desk.  Here are a few titles that the Sweetwater County Library carries:

Atlas of Islamic World by David Nicolle

Atlas of Medieval Europe by Angus Konstam

Atlas of Russian History from 800 B.C. to the present day by Martin Gilbert

Atlas of the World in the age of discovery, 1453-1763 by Duncan Townson

Atlas of World History edited by R. R. Palmer

Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd

Historical Atlas of the Celtic World by Angus Konstam

Historical Atlas of the World by Rand McNally

The last episode of the television series “Who Do You Think You Are?” investigated the family lines of Ashley Judd actress/activist.  During the research she found that she was a direct descendant of William Brewster of the Mayflower and Mayflower Colony. Lucky her!  Wouldn’t we all love to find a connection like that?  Since the episode aired I personally had two people come forward saying that they had also made a connection to William Brewster. 

After watching the story about William Brewster, I became more interested in the Mayflower in general.  I was lucky enough to come across a DVD that is put out by the History Channel “Desperate Crossing:  the Untold Story of the Mayflower”.  Personally I love documentaries and this very one I would highly recommend.  It is as the title states a true telling of the families that were on the Mayflower from their beginnings in England to the Netherlands, and after several attempts to North America.  Because it is presented by the History Channel I trust their research and find the information to be very enlightening. 

From their self-imposed exile in Holland and perilous Atlantic crossing in the Mayflower to unimaginable hardships encountered in their new land, this is the definitive story of the Pilgrims and how they came to live-and ultimately prosper-in the harsh climate of an unfamiliar world.

In the autumn of 1620, over one hundred English Separatists and crew of sailors huddled together in the small hold of the Mayflower as it battled through fierce storms and struggled across the unforgiving seas of the North Atlantic.  Upon finally reaching land, every day was fraught with dangerous weather, disease, malnourishment, and finally the difficultly of trying to reach an understanding with the Native Americans.

Filmed on location in Europe and Plimoth Plantation and featuring dialogue taken from original source material.  DESPERATE CROSSING: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE MAYFLOWER catapults viewers back to the 1600s.  Actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company join members of the Massachusetts Wampanoag tribe in creating dramatic period re-enactments that bring to life the Pilgrims’ harrowing journey and first year of survival.

(This information taken from the DVD)

If you are researching and suspect that you are linked to one of the Mayflower families you can log on to:

http://www.themayflowersociety.com/

http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/Passengers/passengers.php

Another item that tells about the Mayflower and the peoples stories is THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT by Frank Robert Donovan.

One last interesting side story is the Native Americans that lived on the shores of this new world.  Be sure to look into the Wampanoag tribe as well as others.  Their story is also very compelling.