Context: Research Key and Foundation

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Key in a door; public domain. Courtesy of Picryl.

In genealogy and family history, context is "the examination of individual lives within the framework of a broader history" [1].

Context is Key

Context is key because context unlocks meaning in the records we uncover, and leads us to more (and better) records and collections. For instance, finding a land description and platting it is step one, then when the plat is on a map along with the neighbors, we can see who the ancestor knew, worked alongside, attended church with, and who the singles might have married. Learning the geology of the area leads to understanding what crops were grown, and so how the land shaped the daily lives of those living and working on it. Life on the Great Plains is very different from the hollers of Kentucky or the coastal plains of the East. People often migrated in groups, and in general chose to move to an area where their skills and knowledge would be useful. 

Context for land acquisition and migration: see The Influence of Free and Cheap Land on Migration by Annette Burke Lyttle, CG. 


Solid Foundation by Nancy Waldman; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The FAN Club

Humans are social animals; knowing this leads to the foundation of solid research, the FAN principle.

FAN Club research (Friends, Family, Associates and Neighbors) of the focus ancestor provide social context. These  people together served in war, hunted game, harvested crops, built roads, raised barns, cared for the sick, served on juries, delivered babies, witnessed wills, and cared for the orphans left behind after tragedies. For some methodology, see Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA by Mary Kircher Roddy, CG, CGG. 

Researching these people builds a solid foundation for research, and as a bonus, often uncovers new records for the focus ancestor too. After all, they were FANs of their FANs. Adding DNA evidence, as Roddy does, adds another layer of reliability to your conclusions.

A post written three years ago illustrates the value of all these tactics, strategies and tools working together to increase confidence in the work. The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) iterates our work until all the parts interlock: reasonably exhaustive research, complete and accurate source citations, thorough analysis and correlation of evidence, resolution of conflicting evidence, and soundly reasoned conclusions. Along with timelines, another contextual tool is the literature survey, discussed in Voila! Finding Context for Your Research and Family History.

 

1. Elizabeth Shown Mills, “QuickLesson 18: Genealogy? In the Academic World?” Seriously? Evidence Explained: Historical Analysis, Citation & Source Usage (https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/quicklesson-18-genealogy-academic-world-seriously : posted 9 January 2014).


Valorie Zimmerman

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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org 


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