DISCOVER THE SECRET PATH TO A PIONEER PAST:
Try your hand at these 'historical' projects!
- A family tree is a great way to start tracing your family's history.
- The thaumatrope is an optical illusion. When you spin the disk, the two pictures spin so fast that your eye is tricked into thinking they are one.
- The whirligig, or buzz saw, will spin and hum while you pull your arms apart and push them together.
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Here's some sites to check out!
- One of the first things you'll see when you come to Florida is Spanish Moss growing from trees as silvery-gray threadlike masses to 25 ft. long, densely covered by the gray scales which are a means of receiving and holding atmospheric moisture, and which help to enable the plant to dispense with roots; small axial flowers with petals 3/8 in. (1 cm) long, in changing colors yellowish-green to blue.
- In the Department of State Florida Kids site, you'll discover that people first reached Florida at least 12,000 years ago. The rich variety of environments in prehistoric Florida supported a large number of plants and animals. The animal population included most mammals that we know today. In addition, many other large mammals that are now extinct (such as the saber-tooth tiger, mastodon, giant armadillo, and camel) roamed the land.
- You might want to check out the Florida History Links Page for historic societies, photos, African-American Heritage, family trees...
- Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was a famed African American author, storyteller, folklorist and anthropologist.
- The Florida Furniture Collection covers most of the major fashion trends of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Federal, American Empire, Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Eastlake, Arts and Crafts/Mission, and Colonial Revival.
Tips on Researching Your Family Tree
- Begin your research with yourself and work backward, one generation at a time.
- Talk to family members and consult familt records to gather as much information as possible, in as much detail as possible. This information will need to be verified.
- Write down all of your information in a consistent and complete manner. Otherwise, you might find yourself looking for information you have already found.
- As much as possible, know what it is you are searching for. Be prepared for possible frustration if you don't know an ancestor's approximate dates, county of residence and any other names that relative might have used.
- Ask your librarians for guidance and help in locating material, but don't expect them to do your research for you.
- Regard all sources with a healthy skepticism. In other words, check to make sure the sources are accurate.
- You might not find all the sources you need for a complete investigation of your family tree in your present town. You might need to travel to other locations.
- If you are serious about your research, be prepared to devote time and energy to your investigation. Don't expect miracles overnight.
- Be open to using different media in your research. It is unlikely that you will find all the information you seek in books or other print media. It will be helpful to become familiar with microfilm and microfiche, computers, CD-ROMs and the Internet.
- Recognize the possibility of failure. Not all histories are traceable. Also realize that although good, solid research techniques will take you a long way, luck often plays a large role.
