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Separating Fact from
Fiction in Historical Family Stories
As you sit down to do a genealogy interview with
your grandfather, he leans over and whispers to you, "You
know, your great-great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian Princess,
don't you?" You will probably encounter this at some point in
your family history research. Most people do. It can be extremely
difficult to decipher fact from fiction as you are working through
your research. While most of the stories you hear will have bits
of truth embedded in them, it can be difficult to separate fact
from fiction.
One of the first ways to decide what is and is not true is to
familiarize your self with the common family history myths most
genealogy researchers encounter. The first one is the story about
some member of your family being an Indian princess. This myth
almost always takes place in the Cherokee tribe, though you might
occasionally hear of a Navajo or Apache princess. There are many
reasons this myth might have evolved, but the primary one was
prejudice against Native Americans. In past years, it was very
difficult for most parts of American society to accept any white
males marrying Native American women. Giving her the status of
princess, while usually completely false, made it a bit easier to
deal with. It is important to remember, though, that simply having
Native American ancestry may also be a complete myth. It has
become a rather popular ancestry to acknowledge in the past few
years, so it is important to find some solid evidence before you
jump into the belief.
Another popular myth is that three brothers immigrated to America.
You rarely hear about seven brothers or two brothers and one
sister. As a result, it can make tracking passenger manifests and
other documentation difficult if the numbers and the genders of
the immigrants are skewed. You will want to try to confirm that
there were actually three brothers instead of one brother and two
uncles or whatever other numbers, genders, and relationships your
family immigrants may have had. The myth of having a stowaway
immigrant history is also a popular one. Everyone seems to have
had a great grandfather who was a stowaway on a ship. It seems to
be more interesting. The truth is, though, that this was not a
common practice. Even if you truly did have a stowaway in your
family, they will be listed on the passenger arrival list of the
ship, typically in the index or on the last page, as they were
usually discovered before the ship managed to dock.
Another interesting genealogy myth is the one
about having someone famous in your background. It's hard to have
the name Smith without considering the possibility that you were
once related to John Smith, the explorer. That, however, doesn't
make it so. You will have to do some serious research, here,
because it is possible that you were actually related to someone
famous, but it is not likely. It is just a story people tell to
make them feel as if they are legitimizing the family line. One
final popular myth is that the family surname was switched at
Ellis Island. No such practice ever existed. The most Ellis Island
officials ever did was comparing the passenger names to the list
created at the departure of the ship. In all likelihood, any names
that were switched occurred because the immigrants themselves
wanted the names changed to better fit with current American
society at the time.
Once you've figured out the popular myths, it's time to start
working the truth out of your own family stories. It is best to
rely on actual documentation, or primary sources, for your major
finds. However, that is not always possible. As a result, if you
must rely on oral history interviews, one of the best tips is to
be sure to verify the information you have gotten through two or
three other people. Relatives are notorious for trying the make
the family sound a bit different than it actually is, and talking
to several family members can usually help you find the level of
truth that you need in your research.
Sorting out fact from fiction in family myths can be very
difficult sometimes, but doing it well the first time will help
you get an accurate family history that will help generations to
come will appreciate.
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