When I learned US History as a kid, I learned about important events in our Nations history. When I studied my genealogy I learned that my ancestors were there. Fighting in those wars, moving West. They lived the history I only read about and it became more alive to me.
Same here with what we learned about my family’s history.
Same here.
And when you discover living relaatives in the home country of your great-grandfather still have letters written by him, get the local universsity history and language department interested in a translation project so you can read what was happening to a new immigrant farmer in SW Illinois, with a civil war draft looming, his worry that it may be as bad or worse than his forced stint in the Prussian Army in 1850's, the impending birth of his first child (a later letter described his wife's death and subsequent death of the newborn daughter.), trials, weather, financial panic, bankruptccy, starting over, new farm, new wife, new family and finally success.
This I would never had known if the research hadn't been done.
Exactly. McKinstry is full of used food.