The Clearances

[sirdaniel1975]

You know, I think I know a good reason why people don't know much about history. A new friend I met at the Highland Games last weekend told me something that made me think: History classes are nothing but dates and events to people, because that's all they teach and they get bored with it.

To me history is much more than that, it's a part of who we are.

I completely agree with that statement. This is why I consider myself a "Self Taught" individual. Even though I have a Bachelors degree, most of what I learned during college was completely my own doing.

Now, I do have some pretty intelligent and genius mentors. Some of which had nothing to do with college and a whole lot to do with Summer and Autumn of 1998 in Franklin,NC.

[SteveB]

History is who we are. On this forum, the history of tartans, kilts and the like are like preaching to the choir. I love the chase called genealogy, and not just for the names and dates (boring) that I can add to my charts. The most interesting facet is the social migrations, whether voluntary or forced. The "Planter Stock" that moved from Scotland to Ireland to help control the natives. The ancestor sold at auction in York, Maine for 2 pounds 3 shillings and 2 pence. Who had an internal sense of engineering to make major contributions to the well being of his new "home". Although neither clan on my signature line's tartan is listed with red yarn, both have plenty of red spilled. My study proves that I am a son of a Witch. One of my ancestresses was accused at Salem, Massachusetts of witchcraft. In the study of American History, I have some who fought against the Crown, and many who stayed loyal to it. As far as learning history goes, the Cr*p that was regurgitated to us in the classroom, was no where near as interesting as the history outside the schoolhouse. I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, some what famous with Concord for the shot heard 'round the world, and the beginning of the revolution. Most high school students were pressed into service as guides for people visiting the town and its many historic sites. Each of us would get to learn in depth about the people and the historic sense of the landmark that was "ours" for the summer. We got to dress in period garments, and do a limited amount of role playing. History, both true and continued myth were thus very alive. For each summers preperation i would devour all that the library had on the subject, and then dig through any related sources I could get a grip onto. The summer that I "played" a publican, I had so studied his diaries and account books that for each day, I could reconstruct it as it was in 1775. It was not until I reached fifty that I had researched my own genealogy back to one of the customers of that publican, in 1775.