Welcome to Genohistory

Genohistory is the research of an interconnected group of people, often a family or community, within the context of its own time and place.

It is the place where genealogy and history converge. A genohistorian uses both disciplines with equal vigor and rigor. Neither is sidelined. Both are valued. And something remarkable is born of that marriage.

While the genohistorian values each, something feels missing in pursing them individually. History without genealogy carries the risk of drawing broad conclusions about people that are Donoff the mark when specifically applied to a person, family, or community. Genealogy apart from its historical context creates a lineage sketch–a valuable scaffolding of a family’s story, but missing the heartbeat.

If you are not familiar with the word “genohistory,” it’s relatively new. I created it to deal with my own identity crisis whenever I labeled myself “historian” or “genealogist.” It relieves my guilt and sense of infidelity when going to a history conference or a genealogy workshop. My intellectual passion fully encompasses both fields. I fully belong in both.

My name is Donna Cox Baker. I am a historian by academic training. A passionate interest in genealogy led me to that career. My dissatisfaction with “big history”—the stuff that sells books and builds careers but loses the human face—led me back to genealogy. But creating the scaffolding of family relationships, without their relationships to the world they lived in, was equally unsatisfying. It took about 60 years to figure out I’m a genohistorian.

And I’m not alone in this. If you’re a genohistorian, this is resonating with you. I created this space so the genohistorical impulse can be expressed, expanded, understood, and applied.

I hope you’ll join me in this journey.

Donna Cox Baker