Francesca Morgan

Author Francesca Morgan begins her history of American genealogy by discussing its roots in elevating persons of European ancestry above others. She argues lineage societies favored English ancestry over descent from other populations. While some small gains were made before Alex Haley's Roots captivated audiences both in print and on TV, the work became a turning point in genealogical studies. She discusses the impact of the work on genealogy and the rise in genealogical research among non-white populations. She also discusses the impact of direct-to-consumer DNA testing. The book's academic tone will turn some readers off. Long sentences abound, making it necessary to re-read some sentences multiple times to fully comprehend the author's point. It becomes less tedious to read as the history moves into portions of history witnessed by the reader. Morgan did research her topic thoroughly, and although I may not agree with all points she made due to philosophical differences, it is not because she failed to include certain key points. Her bibliography should provide genealogists plenty of "book bullets" to study as they delve further into the history of American genealogy. She made some interesting points about the disconnect between professional genealogists and recreational ones. She also made some interesting comments regarding genealogy's commercialization in the post-Roots years. I am anxious to see how the book resonates with genealogists active in the 1970s or earlier, especially one genealogist mentioned multiple times whom I consider a mentor. I think Morgan's work will provide fodder for discussion within the genealogical community.… (meer)