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History...and Family History

I’ve always been so impressed with those that have a great grasp on their family history.  I know many that weave their family stories into their lives so they and their children can appreciate their roots, who they came from—their very own origin story!  Some of these families seems to have host of material to draw from—old letters, journal, diaries, even books that were written—what a treasure!

But what about those who came from a different cultural context?  Those, who for various reasons, did not leave behind much of a written record of their existence?  

In trying to connect our children to their past, I have had this struggle with one family line. While we can trace many in our family to Mayflower and New England or Quebecois early settlers, for whom great historical works exists, that is not the case with all.

In those cases, a look at the history in the area in which they lived might give us a better place to start.  Using an example in our own lives, I wanted to help my children understand something of their ancestors that worked in the New England Mill towns.  My 2d Great Grandfather, Hormidas Lajeunesse came from Quebec with the wave of French-Canadian immigrants before 1898 to settle his family in Sanford, Maine, for an opportunity to work in the mills. Their son Archie moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he raised his family, and his son (my grandfather) married another mill town girl and Polish immigrant, Angela Sokolowski.  While we are not sure when Archie or the Sokolowskis arrived in Lawrence, they were certainly working in the mills at that time and may well have been there during the Bread and Roses Strikes.  

The Bread and Roses Strike by immigrant mills workers in 1912 in Lawrence, Massachusetts was a key moment in history in the Labor Movement in the United States.  Women went on strike to protest hours and lowering of wages, along with child labor issues.  The Lawrence mill owners sent private security to disperse the strikers leading to violence against the mill workers. Public outcry against the violence led to labor reform laws.  

So, while I may not have firsthand accounts from the Sokolowski’s and Lajeunesse’s about their mill worker experience, teaching my family about the working conditions of the mills, The Bread and Roses Strike and subsequent backlash and labor reform that took place can provide that sense of connection we are seeking.

As a family we watched a video on the Bread and Roses Strikes and discussed what that must have been like. My youngest son, a staunch conservative you would never suspect of supporting a labor movement commented that “this was different, these people were standing up for justice and equity, and they changed the country…”  (I almost fell over!)

In fact this “big history” type of family history may provide even greater context than you would get from the more typical birth, death, marriage and land records.  For example, a quick search on Bread and Roses revealed a number of additional resources that could be used for personal or family exploration.

In like manner, when I hired a professional genealogist to trace back my polish family lines, I found that they were peasants and substance farmers.  While not much can be learned about their individual lives, I have, through historical research, been able to learn much about the armed conflicts in their area (of which there were many), the peasant revolts (of which were a few), and the twenty-year depression they lived through, unable to compete with cheap U.S. produce.  

History can be family history—it can help us connect who we are, to those that came before.

References:

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. "The Power of Work and Wages: Working Toward Historicity in Children's Fiction." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 24, no. 3 (1999): 112-118. doi:10.1353/chq.0.1101.

Bread and Roses: The Lawrence Textile Strike. https://youtu.be/2xKnqhGpc8M

FamilySearch.org.  FamilySearch contains much of the family records relating to the Lajeunesse and Sokolowski families.  Hormidas can be found using familysearch ID KCCL-GW2​​, and John Sokolowski, the first immigrant from Poland, can be found using familysearch ID KHV9-RF7.​​

Hinson-Hasty, Elizabeth. "Solidarity and the Social Gospel: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives." American Journal of Theology & Philosophy 37, no. 2 (2016): 137-150. muse.jhu.edu/article/618972.

Juravich, Tom. "Bread and Roses": The Evolution of a Song, Labor Songbooks, and Union Culture." Labor: Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas 17, no. 2 (2020): 81-99. muse.jhu.edu/article/755711.

New England Historical Association.  Opening Image from Bread and Roses Strike www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com%2Fflashback-photo-the-1912-bread-and-roses-strike%2F&psig=AOvVaw1QTBdpjCkJpijqCys4Hfbb&ust=1607299942446000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMjq_oKJuO0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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“In nineteenth-century America, religious groups had plenty of room to establish their own identity as well as to preserve their distinctive character as new American faiths…”[1]  The story of Joseph Smith, Jr. is one such journey of faith, begun in the early nineteenth-century with continuing impacts to the present day.  

Joseph Smith Jr, was born Dec 23rd, 1805 in a small cottage on his grandfather’s farm straddling the towns of Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont.  He was the fourth living child of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith.  Joseph Smith Jr., the first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a founding member of a Church that now numbers over sixteen-million members across the world.  

In 1905, to commemorate the hundred-year anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith Jr, Joseph F. Smith, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and nephew of Joseph Jr, dedicated a monument and memorial grounds to his memory, to be:

“hallowed by Thy people…that it may be a blessed place, where Thy people may visit from time to time and rejoice in contemplating Thy goodness in that Thou hast restored… and those who come without feelings of respect, may it have the effect of softening their hearts, opening their eyes, and causing them to reflect soberly' upon this great problem of human life and redemption that has been opened up to the world through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”[2]

The Joseph Smith Birthplace received tens of thousands of visitors per year, with a vast majority being from those who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Why such interest?  At least part of the reason is the story of a backwoods boy, who became a major religious figure and prepared the way for massive settlement of the American West, carried out under the direction of Joseph’s successor and fellow Vermonter, Brigham Young.  

Joseph only lived in Vermont until 1816, and lived at the home of his birth for just two-three years, yet the impact of these early years on his personality is profound, and is story of both Vermont, and frontier America.  

Joseph’s grandfathers, Asael Smith and Solomon Mack, would have a significant impact on his life and outlook.  Both Asael and Solomon had strong religious views of the own. Solomon spent his final years of life sharing his story of conversion to Christianity, with a miraculous experience that occurred after a life of considerable toil and industry seeking (and failing to obtain) material gain.[3]  Asael Smith also had strong religious views, first as a Universalist, and later in life with his own premonitions that the original Church of Jesus Christ would be restored through the instrumentality of one of his descendants.[4]  Additionally, both grandparents remembrances of their service in the Revolutionary War and views on the founding of America, impacted the views of Joseph, that of America as a land of liberty, prepared by God to open the way for his restorative work.[5]

The poverty of Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack, also play a compelling part in the popularity of the story. A series of poor financial decision led to the loss of their family farm and savings, leaving the family destitute at the time of Joseph’s birth in 1805.[6]  

All that remains of the original birthplace home is a threshold stone, and the hearthstone.  Such was the temporal condition of this family in the rough hills of Vermont in 1805. In part, it is a reflection of this rise from tragedy that compels interest.  The story of Joseph Smith is the story of the American frontier, where men who lacked the blessings of formal education and comforts of the world, tamed the forests, plains, and desserts to make them bloom as a rose. Further, for those interested in faith and covenant journeys, it is the story of how as one turns to God and covenant, God makes something of the individual that would be otherwise impossible.

SOURCES:

[1] Mark A. Noll, A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada, 2nd Edition, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2019, Chapter 8, “Outsiders”.

[2] Joseph F. Smith, quoted in “Proceedings of the Dedication of the Joseph Smith Memorial”, December 1905, copy held at the Vermont State Historic Association Library, rare book and manuscript collections.

[3] Solomon Mack. “A narraitve [!] of the life of Solomon Mack…”, Windsor Vermont, 1812.

[4] See Joseph Smith Foundation, entry on Aseal Smith, Prophecy, https://josephsmithfoundation.org/asael-smith/.

[5] Richard Lloyd Anderson, “Heritage of a Prophet”, Ensign, February 1971, Ehttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1971/02/heritage-of-a-prophet?lang=eng

[6] See Chapter 7, in Lucy Mack Smith’s Biographical Sketches…

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About

Remembering the past provides meaning to our present.

When we study and ponder the past we recognize the goodness of God in our lives and our societies throughout time. This can make us humble, more spiritual attuned, give us resolve, and help us to see how others handled difficulties with faith. (1) It can also help us learn about and acknowledge the circumstances and choices in history that led to horrors which we never wish to see again.

The Mouseion, The Great Library at Alexandria and related facilities, was a place of learning and collection of the knowledge and texts of the ancient world. (2)

In our day, our knowledge and the availability of that knowledge expands on a daily basis. We hold in our hands–in a tablet of phone–access to information that the great scholars of The Mouseion couldn’t have dreamed of. Yet we can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information.

At the same time, attention spans have shortened. In a world of 280 character Tweets and 60 second TikTok videos, long historical narratives will receive fewer and fewer readers.

This site is dedicated to presenting digital histories in a way that allows for immersive experiences. It is not designed (at this stage) to generate many viewers, but rather represents something of a digital portfolio, an effort to hone a craft–historical story telling for our modern age that will help us turn our hearts to those that went before, see God’s hand, and learn that which can help us to strive on and drive forward in our day in ways that will bless those around us.

We hope you enjoy the content.

References:

For an excellent discussion on the power of remembering, see Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” April 2020 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/26renlund?lang=eng.

Wikipedia contributors, “Musaeum,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Musaeum&oldid=980047235 (accessed October 20, 2020).

Source:http://www.crystalinks.com/libraryofalexandria.html