What genealogy is - and isn't!

Welcome to the 10-part ecourse, 10 Tips to Unearthing Your Family History, which provides you with tips on the fascinating topic of genealogy. Each part of this series will teach you about a different aspect of genealogy, a hobby shared by millions nationwide.



So just what is genealogy?



You may think you know what genealogy is, but many individuals confuse it with the closely related term "family history." Genealogy is the study of ancestry and descendents. Period.

Indeed, the study of genealogy pertains only to discovering who is a member of a specific family and how these family members are related to others.

It is, however, closely related to the study of family history.

Family history is the actual narrative of your ancestors' lives. This area of study also includes learning about the context in which your ancestors lived. In essence, it encompasses just about everything about your heritage: tracking the dates of your ancestors' births and deaths, the jobs they held, as well as, any other important factors in their lives.

As you make your family's genealogy chart, it'll be difficult to separate the two. After all, in order to learn who came from where and when, you'll have to learn a little more about their history, as well.

For our purposes, however, the entire effort of who, what, when, where and how of your family tree will conveniently be labelled genealogy. Keep in mind, however, that an occasional relative who likes to take things literally, may correct you when you talk about genealogy in such broad terms.




In Tip #2, we'll take a look at why the study of genealogy is important. In the meantime, I'd like to leave you with - as I will with throughout these lessons - some presidential genealogy. It's like a "Who's Related to Whom?" of the presidential caliber.



Only six U.S. presidents have been directly related. John Adams and John Quincy Adams were father and son, as were George H.W. Bush and George Bush. But in addition to that, William Harrison and Benjamin Harrison were grandfather and grandson! But as we go along, just wait to see the extended families of some of these men!


VoodooGenealogy.com