Articles by Shannon Bennett

The History of Religions

The History of Religions

By Shannon Bennett, Student I love history. Really, I do, and if you have followed this blog for any amount of time you probably have figured that out. So guess how excited I was when Module 1 of US Religious Records – Part 1  was all historical background. That’s right, I read it one sitting and went back for more. Ok, I will admit I knew most of it, but it was really good information. If you really don’t have historical context for common Christian religions it is a must read. Seriously. Knowing how and why religions developed in relation to historical events can be a real eye opener if you have never studied it before. Of course, I am sure everyone is familiar with the story of Henry VIII and his infamous divorce. You might also know who Martian Luther was. How about George Whitefield?  Maybe, maybe not? Well he was a leader during the “Great Awakening” which was America’s first significant religious revival which occurred in the 1730s-40s. Many of the religions that formed out of it are still around today, along with their philosophies and their records. To be honest, while the history lesson was great I particularly looked forward to Module 2 which covered the Roman Catholic Church exclusively. I wanted to know more about the records for those members of my family and how I could find them. The first section covered the history of the church in the colonies from Spain and England. The…

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Starting U.S. Religious Records Part 1

By Shannon Bennett, Student Religious records are used frequently in genealogy research. Baptismal records can verify a birth date and parent’s names. Burial records can give an estimated death date. Then there are the marriage records, the fantastic marriage records. Needless to say, records from religious institutions can give you amazing information. That is if you know where to work.   I know my ancestors were religious. Well, at least I know they were moderately active in their local churches and participated in the typical things; you know baptisms and marriages. A few of them were involved with community church projects and others simply attended because that was where their parents, and their parents, and their parents, and so on all attended.  However, how do you find those records? For my family I know I have a large number of Catholics, followed closely by the Presbyterians, then Methodists, and finally, those who identified themselves at Protestant but I have no idea what flavor. I have to admit I was surprised by the Catholic lines. No one I personally know actively practiced Catholicism but it seems that my paternal grandmother was Catholic as well as her entire side of the family. On my maternal side, my grandfather was the first to be baptized Protestant. His father’s family were all Catholic all the way back to their roots in Maryland, but his mother was not. Can you guess who won the religious war in that family? The course US Religious Records –…

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U.S. Religious Records Part 2: Communities

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student After U.S. Religious Records – Part 1  I jumped straight into U.S. Religious Records – Part 2 .  I thought it made sense to just go ahead and keep the momentum going by continuing with the topic.  It was a good idea since all of the information from Part 1 was still fresh in my mind.  If you can schedule  both courses  close together I would recommend it. The first section was a particularly informative overview of religious records, groups, communities, and history which occurred in America during the 19th and 20th centuries.  I always found the communal religious societies in the 19th century fascinating.  The Shakers, Oneida Community, Millerites/Adventists, Mormons and Community of Christ all developed during a time in American history that was filled with religious expression.  Many of these communities were unable to sustain themselves but others still exist today in flourishing communities.  (The Mormons and The Community of Christ are covered extensively in Module 3 of this course.) These communities formed during the first half of the 1800s when there was a religious fervor occurring across the former colonies.  The “Second Great Revival” in the Protestant religions swept over the country and made the atmosphere ripe for religious exploration and expression.  This atmosphere contributed to the formation of a variety of religious movements and communities (many of which didn’t actually have a religious focus) like the ones listed above.

Finishing Up My Writing Course

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student Wow, what a course.  Not only is Writing for Genealogy: Articles, Blogs, Research Reports and so much more  great  for people who are considering putting their work out there for all to see, but its also very informative for those who want to stay private. It was full of information designed to take anyone’s writing to the next level. My mind is buzzing with ideas and projects. I feel like I need to write to the instructor and tell her that she is not helping with my to-do list. Thankfully I don’t actually have enough time in my day to do them all, but maybe one day. I was grateful for her clear instructions, ideas, and suggestions. At times I was literally smacking my forehead in disgust that I had not even thought to look at a particular resource. Once again, it just proves that no matter how long you do something there is always more to know. Of course, the list of resources for each module was extensive. I am still investigating and going through them all. The suggestions for helping with editing, finding writing groups, business advice, and more have proved beneficial to my future as a writer in this community.  Of course, some of the book suggestions are making my pocketbook, and husband, groan but that is why there are wish lists!

Writing Reports

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student These last two modules of the course Writing for Genealogy: Articles, Blogs, Research Reports and so much more is chock full of information. It was very hard to pick which subject I wanted to tell you about since there is not enough room to talk about them all here!  However, I picked the information on writing reports from Module 5 to focus on and I am sure some of you are groaning right now. Trust me, keep reading. I can hear some of you now “I am never going to be a professional” or how about “no one is ever going to see my research.” Well, how do you know?  Besides, don’t you think the work you do for yourself should be the best you can offer?  I do. Creating professional quality reports for your own research is a great way to let future generations, or even the current ones, know you take your work seriously. In the introduction for Module 5 the instructor takes her time walking you through why knowing how to write reports are a good idea. One thing that I had not really thought about before was creating a report for individuals who request help from my genealogy society. I would expect a professional type report from a library or archive but I can see how it would make my society stand out from other groups if we took our answer one step further. Thankfully our instructor takes the time to go…

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