TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS 



Genealogy not a Fad, but a Study of Importance to Every Individual -How to 



Investigate a Family History' 



but a very sensible and ])ractical desire 

 to learn the nature and source of our 

 various characteristics, worthy or other- 

 wise. The study of genealogy in con- 

 nection with eugenics bids fair to solve 

 many a problem of the future. Fore- 

 warned is forearmed. 



WHAT GENEALOGY IS 



Genealogy is something more than the 

 mere collection of names and dates. It 

 should be a study of the individual and 

 of the family group to which the indi- 

 vidual belonged. Uncle and nephew 

 may be more nearly allied in family traits 

 than father and son. Hence one must 

 include in his ancestral scheme the 

 descendants for one or more generations 

 of the common ancestor in each genera- 

 tion. Also, as each individual inherits 

 from two parents, and these parents from 

 their parents, the investigation must be 

 extended sufficiently to comprise at 

 least four generations in every line of 

 ancestry. Certain dominant character- 

 istics will be found to ])ersevere in a 

 given family, and it is that family line 

 ^yhich will jirobably afford the most 

 interest, whether it Idc the paternal line 

 or some line of one of the four grand- 

 parents. The accident of a name does 

 not determine the dominant family 

 traits. The individual is a mosaic 

 rather than a blend. Opportunity is, 

 of course, a controlling factor, whether 

 accidental or estal)lishcd by persistent 

 effort. 



Assuming an interest, donnant or 

 active, in family history, the fact 

 remains that very few persons have the 

 information needed to enable them to 

 make a systematic investigation. To 

 such as have access to some of our large, 



'The manuscript of this article some time since was given to the Editor of the Journal of 

 Heredity by Eben Putnam, formerly etlitor of the Genealogical Magazine (now Capt., 2d M. R. 

 C, in active service), with permission to make use of such jmrtions as seemed of interest. 

 The whole appeared of interest, and hence has been printed umler the above caption. Captain 

 Putnam was one of the first among American genealogists to appreciate the importance of 

 genealogy to eugenics, and of preserving records of transmission of hereditary characteristics. 

 He received an award at the U. C. E. in 1892 for his systems for colUxning and arranging 

 information. — Editor. 



8 



SYSTEMATIC study of ancestry 'has 

 nowhere reached the development 

 that it has in the United States. 

 This is especially true in New Eng- 

 land and in those sections most in- 

 fluenced by New England. The average 

 American who claims an ancestry reach- 

 ing back to pre-Revolvitionary times is 

 very likely to know a great deal about 

 his family history, and is inclined to 

 learn all he can. This is true of our 

 people, whether they come of New 

 England stock or of families who settled 

 in the middle and southern states. The 

 advent from various parts of the world 

 during the past quarter century of 

 people, who are of different race affilia- 

 tions, has tended to strengthen in the 

 American of American lineage his inter- 

 est and pride in his own forbears. 

 Whatever the recent immigrant may 

 have contributed toward the material 

 wealth of the country, or to its institu- 

 tions — and his influence has been 

 greater than is realized — the true Ameri- 

 can remembers that it was his ancestors 

 who created this nation, and while he is 

 willing to share largely with the new 

 comer, he is usually anxious that his 

 children shall know that they are de- 

 scended from several generations of 

 Colonial stock. 



This pride of ancestry has been found 

 worthy of emulation by the descendants 

 of the more intelligent class of emigrants, 

 and the great advance in the stud}^ of 

 eugenics has won many j^ersons to an 

 interest in genealogy, who hitherto had 

 regarded "ancestor worship" as a mere 

 fad. People have come to appreciate 

 the fact that it is not a false pride which 

 has led to the collection of data con- 

 cerning one's ancejitry and connection, 



