For anyone interested in genealogy
or history, I would highly reading Elizabeth Shown Mills’ article, “Bridging
the Historic Divide: Family History and ‘Academic’ History.” It is filled with
beneficial data about the differences between historians and genealogists, as
well as the issues we face together.
It is clear that most citizens have an appalling ignorance .
. . of the substance of American history. . . .
[…]
Horton is correct. Yet I see the
issue through a different prism. The bridge that
needs building between historians and the public needs two-way
traffic. Historians have much to gain from interaction with genealogical scholars.
Yes, much of the public sector has an “appalling ignorance” of history. Still,
outside academe, many historical researchers expertly use a wider range of
primary sources than historians typically consult. Many have developed
sophisticated techniques for mining and linking historical evidence, techniques
not yet common in academia.
Read the article in its entirety
here-
______________________________________________________________________________
Mills, Elizabeth Shown. “Bridging the Historic
Divide: Family History and ‘Academic’ History.” History and Genealogy: Why
Not Both? Papers from the Midwestern Roots Conference. Indiana University
Department of History. Indiana Magazine of History: Online Resources.
http://www.iub.edu/~imaghist/online_content/online_June_2007.html. PDF.
Elizabeth Shown Mills, Historic Pathways. http://www.HistoricPathways.com
: January 14, 2015.