‘History for Genealogists’ Features Collection of State Timelines

Judy Jacobson’s masterwork, History for Genealogists: Using Chronological TimeLines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors is crammed with potential clues for family historians. In fact, the book’s subtitle says it all: (1) Historical events can tip off researchers as to the whereabouts and reason why a forebear shows up somewhere, and (2) The same information puts someone’s life into context; that is, it helps us understand the forces that our ancestors had to contend with.

History for Genealogists contains numerous timelines. Among the topics covered are timelines for wars, migration, epidemics, natural disasters, modes of transportation, labor movements, boundary changes, and many more. Perhaps the most beneficial timelines are the ones Ms. Jacobson provides for all 50 U.S. states. The timelines for Ohio and Oklahoma below are illustrative. For example, could the 1833 cholera epidemic in Columbus, Ohio, explain why your four times great-grandmother appears in the 1830 census but not in 1840? Could the opening of the Osage County oilfields shed any light on your great-grandfather’s decision to move there in 1922? Have a look at these abbreviated histories of Ohio and Oklahoma and see if they don’t suggest some possible tips about your own ancestors.