How to put your own or someone else's history into a context (local, national, international)

  • When you went to work in the local pit how typical were you of others in the village?
  • Your parents divorced in the 1950's how typical was that compared with today?
  • How was it that your grandfather left school at 13 yet you had to stay on until you were 16?
  • You were an evacuee in the Second World War, but why did you have to be evacuated?
  • Each of us has our own story to tell, but what gives it greater colour and relevance to others is setting your story in a wider context. You have your own memories of working in the local pit, but how important an industry was it locally? How many people did it employ, when did it peak and decline?
  • Finding all this out can be a very interesting research project in itself, and one that you might relish. Someone might have done all this already and there is little point in duplicating the research, so within your own story you can add links to other sites that put your story into context.
  • Some of these sources might be local - a local history group or individual that has researched the history of mining in your area, for example. Some of the information will come from national or international archives or academic studies. Use an internet search engine to help you explore and learn more.
  • Putting your story into context makes it a very valuable resource - particularly for schoolchildren undertaking projects, but also for other researchers too.