![]() In the 1820s, Farmer corresponded with various antiquarians in New England and became a coordinator, booster, and contributor to this burgeoning movement, which gradually gained a devoted American audience. Before Farmer's efforts, tracing one's ancestry was seen by some as an attempt by colonists to social standing within the British Empire, an aim that was counter to the new republic's egalitarian, future-oriented ethos.Īs Fourth of July celebrations commemorating the Founding Fathers and heroes of the Revolutionary War became increasingly popular, however, the pursuit of 'antiquarianism,' which focused on local history, became increasingly a way to honor the achievements of early Americans.įarmer capitalized on the increasing acceptability of antiquarianism to frame genealogy within the early republic's ideological framework of pride in one's American ancestors. The founders of NEHGS also acted to make permanent the systematic work of the first generation of genealogical researchers, especially as led by John Farmer (1789-1838). Later, in the mid-nineteenth century, decorative family register prints were made widely available to the public by lithographers such as Nathaniel Currier. These records or registers were often executed in pen-and-ink or in needlework and were more ornate counterparts to similar printed forms found in Bibles. The impulse to formalize genealogical study in the first half of the nineteenth century found its earliest roots in the folkways of men and women of the region who, since at least the late eighteenth century, actively kept private family records to document their families and lineages. On Mathe General Court of Massachusetts approved the Society’s petition for incorporation. This change did not please everyone and one or two of the founders regarded the new name as cumbersome. ![]() Opposition to the use of the word “historical” was brought by Charles Francis Adams of the Massachusetts Historical Society and, as a compromise, the institution’s name was altered to the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Genealogy and history were favored and plans were made to incorporate as the New England Historical Genealogical Society. Among their decisions was whether to focus on genealogy, heraldry, or history, or some combination of these disciplines. Initially, the founders debated the nature of the organization they would establish. The first genealogical society established in the United States, NEHGS was founded in 1845 by a group of five Bostonians: Charles Ewer (1790-1853), Lemuel Shattuck (1793-1859), Samuel Gardner Drake (1798-1875), John Wingate Thornton (1818-1878), and William Henry Montague (1804-1889). ![]()
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