Thanksgiving Links

Massasoit smoking a ceremonial pipe with Governor John Carver in Plymouth 1621.

While you are digesting your Thanksgiving dinner, here are some interesting genealogy and history related articles from around the web this month:

Here’s The Crazy Story About Thanksgiving You’ve Never Heard
Huffpost Interview with Charles Mann and Paula Peters
What were the motivations of Massasoit and Squanto when they introduced themselves to the pilgrims? Did you know that Squanto was kidnapped and sold into slavery before returning home to find his village erased by disease? And that Plymouth was built on top of his old village?

Ancient genomics is recasting the story of the Americas’ first residents
Nature
Scientists who study DNA continue to learn more about the history of the people of the world. This article describes how genetic evidence is revealing that the history of the Americas is just as complex as the rest of the world.

Civil War Photo Sleuth
Maureen Taylor’s Photo Detective Podcast
To go along with our Civil War theme lately here on The Handwritten Past, here is Kurt Luther with Maureen Taylor discussing his website, Civil War Photo Sleuth. It is a free database of photos of Civil War soldiers! Definitely worth looking into.

Never Assume – Develop a Theory Instead
Olive Tree Genealogy
This is an important concept for beginning genealogists to understand. Learn how to develop a working theory instead of going off of assumptions or guesswork.

5 Overlooked Things on FamilySearch
Amy Johnson Crow
FamilySearch is a goldmine of information for genealogy researchers. There is so much free information there that it can be overwhelming sometimes. Amy Johnson Crow points out some resources on the website that may be overlooked and how to navigate them.

At Its Root, English is a Down-to-Earth Language
Richard Lederer’s Verbivore
Were your ancestors farmers? Most likely, at some point in history, they were. This article explains the farm-based origins of many English words and phrases.

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