TL:DR -- We have had an atypical year and one-half since the disease made its appearance. We were close to ground zero in the U.S. which brings up thoughts about 100 years ago and the Spanish Flu. Now, we have world-wide communication, at the blink of an eye. Yet, that power is not yet tamed. We don't know if it can be. Our work can contribute to stability, though.
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We just realized that we have not mentioned the plague that has been on everyone's mind for the past eighteen months. There were rumblings of a flu-like illness going around that started early in 2020. Later, we heard that the early warnings were in late 2019. In December of 2019, we were looking at our ten years of work and anticipating, as everyone else, the start of the Mayflower remembrances. The month before that, we had started a look at the children of Thomas and Margaret using some of the posts that we had done with them as the theme. Later, we did this again using a collection of descendants that had been first published on Wikipedia. There is a post per child with a list that can grow. Too, we were looking at the preparatory work being done by others (Salem's Start) and had figured out the issues related to Thomas' remains.
We had looked further into Dr. Franks' books and into his and Lucie's (his sister's) relationship with Sidney Perley. We had gone through the eleven years of Dr. Frank's "The Massachusetts Magazine" and had published the Table of Contents for all of the issues. It had been in 2018 when we mused about the last issue of the TMM and mentioned the Spanish Flu's wide-spread influence on the U.S. We also were supporting research efforts at WikiTree.
In short, we recognized all of the threads that were related to the necessary work and were doing an assessment of what had been done and to plan for future work.
Then, there was the lockdown. COVID was here. Like with the Spanish Flu, Kansas had some of the early deaths from people in retirement communities being visited by some who had traveled with the few weeks before. Back in 1918, it had been in an Army post where troops were returning from overseas. This outbreak had been in the spring and long before the huge impact in Boston. So, thoughts of the prior century's ordeal was on everyone's mind.
One problem was finding out good information. What was the reaction was that several news organizations allowed free access to their blogging about COVID. Also, in some venues, technical people were weighing in with facts and educated opinion.
Too, a side-effect was that workers used internet access to work starting off a new paradigm that is still being managed for continuation. People could only go out for certain purposes, such as getting food. Food delivery became a norm. Lots of other patterns emerged. After that first lockdown, people were let out with restrictions. These were gradually relaxed but then tightened as new waves came about. We saw several of these.
Finally, early this year, the vaccines became available. That release was done step-wise but was mostly available to all in the summer. We're only September. Most who wanted to be vaccinated in the U.S. have been. There were issues related to economic status and other factors that has delayed access to the vaccine in various parts of the world.
Today, we were out in an open area. There were some masks which became the norm in the spring of 2020. And were dropped and picked back up. Right now, it's by choice of the person or the establishment where they might be. One sees large gatherings. Some are traveling. Some have traveled due to necessity all of this time with some restrictions. That is, this is not normal travel.
But, a corner seems to have been turned. Weymouth is up for its recognition in 2022. 2023 will see Gloucester doing its thing. Salem is not until 2026. But, there are many of these events that will take decades to go through. And, adding in New Hampshire will give us more to look at.
Oh yes, the surrounding areas? Sure. That will be an update in the near future. Example: Two houses.
In the last eighteen months, we followed up on the early western experience related to the trappers and mountain men (Jedediah Strong Smith). Also, we found out the significance of a recent movie (The Revenant) with respect to this theme, New England and family. Then, we broadened an earlier scope of migrating from the north by following southern routes through the Cumberland Gap. And, then, there was the attempts at settling at various sites (States) along the way to the west coast.
For instance, Missouri became a State in 1821, two hundred years ago. St. Louis was a prime factor in the western expansion. The government's effort at surveying is an important topic as we watch the land being carved up. Even the area east of the Mississippi was not settled until after Louis and Clark's venture. As we look at the history, we will deal with families from New France and New Spain. Of that latter, the whole of the southwest from Texas to California will be on the scope.
Technology? It played then as it does now. We looked at the various modes of travel. Before the railroad got its act together which involve lots of hard work as well as the maneuverings of people like Stanford (yes, of the University). But, people went west and back by various means. Samuel Clemens, himself before Mark Twain came aboard, went to California by stage across the northern route. Didn't like it. But, people made the trip on a regular basis, such as those who led folks to Santa Fe or Oregon through Gardner Junction, we might add.
In our studies, we see that the Revolution (SAR/DAR) was the onus of the fifth generation. The fourth provided guidance through their experiences in the French and Indian conflicts. These, btw, had corresponding events back across the waters. So, we need to consider that whole area. It was the seventh and eighth generations who started to harvest the fruit of the U.S. Lots to discuss there.
Remarks: Modified: 09/25/2021
09/25/2021 -- Added the TL;DR. Also, we can, and need to, research more on Oregon.
