Victors write history;Vanquished write legends; The Papers tell stories
This post is by Doris McCraw
The above quote is an amalgamation of something I heard and thought was interesting. As a sociologist and student of history it just made good sense to me. Let me explain.
The classic example: the Civil War to those in the north, the War of Yankee Aggression to those in the south. Grant became great and Jackson a legend. (My opinion is they both are fascinating, and who knows what might have happened if Jackson not been killed, but that is another story).
As I dig into the stories of the women I am writing about in the current book it becomes necessary to try to find the truth hidden in all the pages of history I find. Women before 1900 were rarely written about and if you are lucky enough to find one, their names are not given. There are three women doctors listed in the 1879 city directory as Dr. Mrs. then initials and last name. They are not mentioned in the local papers. At least not until they died. One passed in 1880 and her full name is in her obituary. If I had not found that little piece of information I would have lost a lot more time trying to find her story.
Once you find your information, especially in the non-fiction realm, it becomes necessary to verify everything. In the case of one woman, a nugget of knowledge says she came to the area to set up a clinic to treat ‘consumption’. This may or may not be true. She did practice in the area. The area is known for those who came for the cure of ‘consumption’. Normally you could put two and two together and get four, but not always. So far the local information does not bear out that she had a clinic. That she had a medical practice in the 1800’s has been verified, but otherwise the rest of the story does not hold up, so far.
Now comes the time of digging through old newspapers, the ones that tell stories, to see if there is any mention of her and her work. It could be a fools errand, for as noted above, women are not included in the news. Still it is important to try to get at the truth to make sure the stories of history are as factually as possible. Whether it is the women or the men in our history, if we are to tell the true story we need to look past the victors version and the vanquished legends. Read the papers but verify the stories they tell. That way you can find his/herstory and tell that true one. Just remember, all history is told through the eyes of those seeing it, and the victor has their version, the vanquished their legends and the papers their story.
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Keira's Place 
Very interesting Doris. I’ve done a lot of research into Gypsies in the 1800s but not doctors – I can imagine it’s fascinating and frustrating at the same time. I love delving into history – there’s so much to learn! Thanks for sharing.
It is interesting and fun, but challenging, The results for me are worth it however.
Thanks for illuminating the difficulty of digging up the people buried by history. Good post!
Although women are difficult, there are men who try to hide. Thank you for the encouragement Alethea.
Great post, Doris! I find that the “truth” of the past is a very slippery thing indeed. All those great primary sources–newspapers, letters, etc.–how “true” are the accounts? Everything is filtered through the writer’s perception. The past is the ultimate mystery–and it’s so fun to follow those clues! 🙂 Here’s hoping you have many “Eureka!” moments as you delve into the past of these women!
Thank you Ann, your encouragement helps greatly as I make this journey.
Doris, so true, and the papers were bit always accurate, but probably the best source. Great post. Cher’ley
Not always accurate.
(smile)
Thank you Cher’ley.
Very interesting, Doris. I admire your research efforts! More so, the search for “truth.”
Thank you Karen! I appreciate it.
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