Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Post #5:  

Suggested reading:  Cotton Kingdom by Frederick Law Olmsted.  

Famous for designing Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted spent young adulthood travelling around Europe and North America.  He documented his travels in newspaper articles for a New York paper, which have been for the most part, either by him or others, put into book form.  His story of travelling across the South during the cotton boom is a telling account of the cotton growing culture of the time.

Since many of our ancestors were a part of the agriculture class during the ninetheeth century, I think it will help me to understand more of how our forefather's lived.  For instance, he holds an account of what he calls "interior small cotton farmers"  which fits the description of many of our ancestors.  

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Post #4:
Who: Freeman W Boyd
What: Military Service during the Creek Seminole War
Freeman was a Private in Beauchamp's Company of the 42 Alabama Militia.