Make Your Genealogy Research Stronger with Historical Context

When researching your family history, it’s tempting to focus only on finding names, dates, and places. But genealogy is so much more than a collection of facts. If you want to really understand your ancestors’ lives, adding historical context to your research can make all the difference.

In this blog post, learn how to incorporate historical context into your ancestors’ stories. You’ll see what a difference it makes!

What was happening in the world at the time your ancestors lived? What laws, events, or cultural ideals shaped their lives? Understanding this can connect you to your family tree in a meaningful way.

If you’re ready to add more to your ancestors’ stories than just the facts, let’s get started.

Why Historical Context Matters

Historical context fills in the gaps between the records. Think of it as the “why” behind your ancestors’ decisions and actions. For example, did your great-great-grandfather move across the country in the 1800s? Knowing about the Homestead Act or the Gold Rush could explain why he made that journey.

Did an ancestor suddenly disappear from the records? A war or epidemic might have forced them to relocate, or worse. Context helps you uncover the “why” and not just the “what.”

Now, let’s explore the types of records and information that can help you build this historical context.

Local and National Laws

One of the best ways to add context is by understanding the laws your ancestors lived by. Laws can explain why they moved, changed occupations, or even why certain records exist in the first place.

• Land Laws: Were your ancestors landowners? Laws like the Homestead Act might explain why they moved or bought new property.
• Immigration Laws: Waves of immigrants were often driven by changes in the law. Look into what was happening politically or socially that might have influenced your ancestors’ decision to leave or enter a country. It’s the push-pull factor and it’s a big reason for some of your ancestors’ actions.
• Marriage and Inheritance Laws: In some periods, women couldn’t inherit property, or marriages between different ethnic groups were illegal. This could explain many things in your genealogy research.

Understanding the laws of the time can be a game-changer, helping you make sense of why certain events happened the way they did.

Black’s Law Dictionary is a wonderful resource to start with. You can find it on HathiTrust here or in Google Books or Internet Archive. You can also Google the subject you want to learn and add the word “law.”

Historical Events

Wars, depressions, and epidemics were all events that didn’t just affect countries. They impacted your ancestors’ lives. Here’s how major historical events can play a role in your research:

• Wars: Whether it was the Civil War, World War I or II, or even smaller events, people often had to move, serve in the military, or deal with the aftermath of battles. Wars could explain migrations, name changes, or missing records.
• Economic Depressions: Hard times, like the Great Depression, could force people to move, sell property, or take on new jobs. If your ancestors suddenly moved or lost their land, it could have been due to a financial crisis.
• Epidemics and Pandemics: Epidemics or pandemics could have affected your ancestors. Major health events like the 1918 flu pandemic (“Spanish Flu”) could explain missing family members or big changes in family size.

By linking your ancestors to the big events of their time, you get a clearer picture of the forces that shaped their decisions and your genealogy research is richer for it.

If your ancestor fought in a war ranging from the Revolutionary War to the Philippine Insurrection, he may have a Compiled Military Service Record. These are available at the National Archives and Records Administration. If you’d like to learn more about my experience with these records and see an example from my family, read One Of The Best Military Records In Genealogy Research.

Cultural and Social Customs

The way people lived their daily lives was shaped by the cultural and social rules of their time. These customs impacted everything from jobs to family roles to religious practices. Understanding these helps explain some of your ancestors’ decisions.

• Gender Roles: Men and women had very different roles. Women’s names might not appear in some records because they weren’t considered as important as men’s. Knowing the expectations for men and women can help explain gaps in your family tree, especially when looking for female ancestors.
• Religion: Religion often played a big part in people’s lives. It affected what records were kept and perhaps why some families moved. The reasons range from escaping persecution to finding new opportunities.
• Jobs: The type of jobs available at certain times can help explain your ancestors’ occupations. For example, the rise of factories during the Industrial Revolution could explain why someone moved from a farm to a city for work.

These cultural factors give you a clearer understanding of how your ancestors lived and why they made certain choices.

Geography and Climate

Sometimes, geography and climate had as much to do with your ancestors’ decisions as anything else. Harsh winters, droughts, or the proximity to a river or railroad often pushed people to migrate or change occupations.

• Weather: Extreme weather events like droughts, floods, or blizzards could have impacted farming families or even led to deaths.
• Transportation: Did a railroad get built near where your ancestors lived? New roads, railways, or ports could have led to job changes or migration patterns.
• Urban vs. Rural Life: Understanding the regional geography can also tell you why certain job opportunities were available or why your ancestors lived in a specific location.

Knowing these types of influences, you can make sense of some of the decisions made in your ancestors’ lives.

Local History In Your Genealogy Research

If you’re lucky to live in the same area as your ancestors, taking in as much local history as possible is important. Join your local and state historical and genealogy societies. They often have programs that may shed some light on what it was like for your ancestors to live where you do now.

The Maine Historical Society sponsored a walking tour around Portland focusing on working women. Our guide took us through neighborhoods I’d never been to before.

We learned about many strong women like Elizabeth Noyce, who helped revitalize downtown Portland with her massive contributions of time, money, and energy. She donated money to open a children’s hospital at Maine Medical Center, now known as the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, among many other projects.

But we also learned of the many women who worked in canneries and department stores. The largest cannery in the early 1900s was the Burnham & Morrill Co. (think B&M baked beans). The company moved to Kansas City in 2021.

During that same time, many women worked for department stores like Porteous, Mitchell & Braun as sales clerks. This was a new trend and one that we still enjoy today. The Porteous building still stands and is occupied by the Maine College of Art & Design.

If your genealogy research includes anyone where you live, I encourage you to take part in events like this. Walks, lectures, or exhibits bring you closer to knowing what it was like to walk in your ancestor’s shoes.

If you’d like to know more about working women in Portland, check out this article from the Maine Memory Network.

Finally

When you slow down to consider the laws, major events, culture, and geography of your ancestors’ time, you can turn basic facts into a much fuller story. These elements help explain the decisions your ancestors made—why they moved, changed jobs, or disappeared from records. Adding historical context to your genealogy research not only makes it more interesting, but it also gives you a deeper connection to your family and a clearer picture of their journey.

Genealogy tip: Including historical context in your writing means you have to slow down. You’re not just on a fact finding mission, you’re interested in finding your ancestors’ stories. You most likely will not find your ancestors’ names in this type of research, but you will find the details that pertained to them. And that can be the key to knowing them better.

Gray Stabley Genealogy Services is all about finding the stories of your ancestors. Click below to schedule a 30-minute, no-obligation consultation today!