Before I get to Florida’s Convention and Declaration, I want to share my framework for this discussion. For me, the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) was a seminal event for our ancestors. It was the second major test of our democratic skills as a nation (the first was the … Continue reading Florida’s Secession from the Union and What That Teaches Us About the War – Part 1
Civil War
Putting Detail to Your Ancestor’s Service in the Civil War
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season of peace, joy, family, giving and eating. We celebrate Christmas in our household and it was full of talking, laughing, eating and playing. My Mom is helping me plan and design a memorial, quilted wall-hanging for my 7 direct ancestors and I will add one of my … Continue reading Putting Detail to Your Ancestor’s Service in the Civil War
Military Records – Genealogy Tips – Make the Journey More Than Names and Dates
There is no doubt that our male ancestors left more records behind than our female ancestors did. One place where nearly all the records will be about male ancestors is military records, at least through World War I. When I say military records, I mean not only the actual record of service but also military … Continue reading Military Records – Genealogy Tips – Make the Journey More Than Names and Dates
Florida and the Major 19th Century “Panics”: 1837, 1857, 1873 and 1893, Part 1
When most of us think about economic downturns, we think about the Great Depression of the 1930s and early 1940s or the Great Recession of 2008. In reality, economic downturns have happened regularly throughout the history of capitalism. Some are minor but painful and sometimes multiple strands of events come together at the same point … Continue reading Florida and the Major 19th Century “Panics”: 1837, 1857, 1873 and 1893, Part 1
Did Your Southern Ancestor Serve With the Union? An Exploration of the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers
The War for Southern Independence (aka the American Civil War or the War Between the States) was a difficult war as experienced by Floridians and south Alabamians. It was not just about “do I side with the Confederacy or the Union”, it was about the safety of families left behind and whether they would survive … Continue reading Did Your Southern Ancestor Serve With the Union? An Exploration of the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers
The Shadow Occupation in the Florida Panhandle – Ancestors Bootlegging for Fun and Profit
Sooner or later if you study and/or write about America, the South, or the Florida panhandle, you will likely find references to the making of moonshine. I did not have to find my first reference to this once shadowy endeavor, my grandfather spent a year in the Atlanta Penitentiary after being picked up for his … Continue reading The Shadow Occupation in the Florida Panhandle – Ancestors Bootlegging for Fun and Profit
“Walton County – Great West Florida Empire” – 16 March 1913
If your ancestors helped settle the Florida panhandle in the early 19th century, at some point they lived in either Escambia, Walton or Jackson counties because that was the earliest panhandle counties. In 1821, Escambia was the only county in the panhandle. The following year Jackson was added. In 1823, Gadsden separated the eastern part … Continue reading “Walton County – Great West Florida Empire” – 16 March 1913
The 1870 Walton County Census: A Glimpse in Time
Have you ever been looking at a census, scanning pages for an ancestor’s name, and begin to notice a pattern that may be telling you something about that community, during that time period? I have, on a number of occasions. One of the more recent ones was when I was scanning through the 1870 Walton … Continue reading The 1870 Walton County Census: A Glimpse in Time
A Woman’s Work Is Never Done
In the last post, we began talking about the histories of our female ancestors in the Florida panhandle for Women’s History Month. In this post, I want to talk about what their lives were like. Since that has changed over time, I will pick a time period of great change in the United States, and … Continue reading A Woman’s Work Is Never Done
Women in Family and Northwest Florida History
Introduction It is National Women’s History Month. For most of us, the women in our families are nearly invisible and often history is presented in a series of vignettes that leave you with the appearance that it is men that make history. But from the earliest moments of recorded history, it has been both men … Continue reading Women in Family and Northwest Florida History
Northwest Florida History & Genealogy 