52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Independent



52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Independent Find more family history blogs at Familytree.comNeed some ideas for your family history blog? The No Story Too Small blog has been creating four new ideas every month. Those who started this project at the beginning of the year would end up with blogs about 52 of their ancestors by the end of the year. One of the topics that they picked for this month is “independent”.

The topics selected by the No Story Too Small blog are suggestions. A person who is taking part in the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” project can substitute their topics for ones that the person prefers. Family historians are also allowed to interpret a given topic in whatever way works best for them.

There are so many directions that a genealogist can go in for the “independent” topic! You could decide to write about the ancestor or relative who always has the 4th of July party at their home on Independence Day. Was it a big party, or a smaller gathering? What food was served? Did that ancestor have a special dessert that only he or she made?

Another option would be to write about an ancestor who lost her husband and managed to raise her children on her own. It might be interesting to select an ancestor who did this at a time when being a single mother was a stigma. How did she make ends meet? Were there any relatives who helped her?

An ancestor who opened his own business could be another good choice for this topic. Was there someone in your family who opened an independent business? (In other words, he started his own business rather than opening a franchise or working for a big corporation.)

What did that ancestor sell? How did he get the money it typically takes to start a business? If you happen to know anything about the economy at that time, you should mention it in your blog.

Was one of your ancestors a Freeman? How did that person gain his or her freedom? What did they do after learning that they were no longer a slave? People who were in that situation often had to start with very few resources. It would take a very strong, and independent, person to thrive after starting from nothing.

Were any of your ancestors legally emancipated as minors? An emancipated minor is a person who assumes most adult responsibilities before he or she has reached the age of 18.

How did that happen for your ancestor? Was it when she got married? Did it happen when he joined the military? Was that ancestor the oldest child in the family who took over responsibilities after a parent died?

Image by Chris on Flickr.

Related Articles at FamilyTree.com:

* 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Wedding

* 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Black Sheep

* 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Luck of the Irish

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