The emotions of family history and the development of historical knowledge

Abstract

This article will explore the relationship between the emotions of family history and the development of historical knowledge using surveys conducted with family historians in Australia, Canada and Britain since 2016. Many family historians begin to produce their family histories because they ‘owe’ their ancestors the benefit of their research skills, historical knowledge and the time it takes to reveal their life stories. Their emotional connection to the past is key to the development of their historical knowledge. I demonstrate some of the different ways in which family history allows researchers to use social history to link the past to the present in powerful ways, transforming individuals’ understandings of themselves and the wider world.