Replies

I find this to be fascinating. I think I missed my true calling....studying genetics, tracing DNA, etc. It is really a study of human history.

I have traced my own ancestry back to the mid-1600's due to the strict church records kept by the Lutheran Church in Sweden. It is not as accurate as the study of DNA, but fascinating, nonetheless, to peek back at historical records that list names, titles, job descriptions, offspring, and sometimes a short narrative about the lives of ancestors.

English history is so interesting. About 15-20 years ago there was a program on TV called the "Story of English." It was a series of programs that studied the different cultures that have influenced this small island country over time. The program also explained that the English language is so rich because of the different languages that have been introduced throughout English history. Due to England's seafaring abilities and the strive to colonize, the English language was spread around the world. It is now the language of choice in the economic and social world, due mainly because of the language spoken in the country that started out as a group of English colonies....the United States.

>>I have traced my own ancestry back to the mid-1600's due to the strict church records kept by the Lutheran Church in Sweden. It is not as accurate as the study of DNA

Probably more accurate in some ways because of the limitations of genetic studies. They only follow the outer branches of your family tree, while your document research filled in all the detail in the middle. A combo of the two would be great fun.

Wow till the mid-1600s, that is impressive. I think my very limited research goes back 4 generations at most. Sadly on my mom's side we have very little information as she was orphaned at a very early age.

QUite interesting -- the story of England -- a land which has been touched by Neolithic peoples, Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Picts (dunno if they could be classified as Celts, jury's still out on that), Saxons, Frisians, Angles, Jutes, Danes, Normans, French, Jews and now Poles, Indians etc.

The acceptance of diversity is really what made the country great -- a let's use all of this to build a strong nation without being a homogenous state.