Historical Inaccuracies

One of the things I love most about writing historicals is the research, but it can also be the most irritating task. I have spent that last few months researching words, Kansas orphan laws, screen doors, cellars, stone houses, barb wire, Pinkerton Detectives, coal mines, railways and trains. Of course, I'm sure there are plenty more that I can't think of right now, like clothing, roofing and horses. Oh, I even researched dates for hymnals.

And wouldn't you know it that I didn't even consider whether or not peaches were in season during the manuscript I just submitted. Of course, this little tidbit didn't dawn on me until  a discussion occurred on one of my writer's loops, which brought up another fact that I had failed to research . . .

which Bible translation to use in my historical. I've never read anything other than New International. Who knew that the NIV didn't come into existence until the late 1960s? Certainly not me. Boy, was I embarrassed. But I have been assured by at least one person that my little faux pas won't cause the historically-accurate, lynching mob after me. 

So, have you ever discovered an inaccuracy after the fact? If so, what was it? What kinds of historical inaccuracies in books drive you absolutely nuts?

Happy Thursday,

Christina

Two Sides of A Story

If I wanted to research for a contemporary, let's say a female private eye. I could interview a private eye. I could go to the local community center and take self-defense classes. I could practice shooting at a firing range. I could hop over to the race track and for a large sum, go for one heck of a ride. 

As an historical writer, it's not that easy. Much of our researh information comes from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources, for me being the prime;). Secondary sources often provide a wealth of ideas, but not everything may be accurate. And, it never fails, I find two, sometimes three, maybe even four different sides to a story.

Let's take the events surrounding the Battle of Glen Fruin. It was a battle between the Gregors and the Colquhouns. Both believed they had just cause to go to battle. Both believed they had been wronged by the other. The Colquhouns, which included Buchanans and Grahams, far outnumbered the Gregors, yet the Gregors defeated the Colquhouns. There's no question of who won the battle, but what occurred afterward leaves much to the imagination, at least it did with mine.

According to pro-Colquhoun sources, Laird Luss, Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, had his women folk parade their husband's bloody shirts in front of King James VI. James being weak of stomach embarrassed himself and demanded the annihilation of Clan Gregor.

According to pro-Gregor sources, Laird Luss had his women folk, who, by the way fought in the Battle of Glen Furin, dip their husband's shirts in lambs blood, then parade the bloody shirts in front of King James VI. James being weak of stomach embarrassed himself and demanded the annihilation of Clan Gregor.

Whatever the truth, on February 8, 1603, the Proscriptive Acts of Clan Gregor were enacted. This was an act of annihilation. No clan member could carry the name Gregor, caught doing so meant immediate execution. The women were stripped, they were branded (think hot poker), they were whipped in the streets, then they along with Gregor children were sold into slavery (yes, human trafficking was an issue). I can only imagine that the women were fair game for rape, as were the children.

In the spring of 1604, the Campbells betrayed Laird Alasdair MacGregor, leaving him, along with 30 of his warriors executed. You can find a list of names here http://www.webspawner.com/users/griersonorigins154/index.html

Now, according to many accounts, the Gregors were feared among the clans. They were one of James' biggest problems that needed to be dealt with. In all, many believed the Gregors got exactly what they deserved. I'm not so sure. This was a horrific period in time, there was turmoil all over the land. The act upon the Gregors left a stone crushing my heart. I felt sorrow. I felt compassion. I felt anger. Anger at a devious Luss. Anger at a cowardly king.

Somehow, Clan Gregor wrapped around my heart like a cloak of mist. I have felt their near destruction, as well as their fighting spirit. I have felt their mischief, as well as their honor. I have felt their mysterious elusiveness. They've risen from the ashes and have become timeless heroes. Rob Roy MacGregor wasn't just a man, HE was a CLAN. A clan that survived through trials and tribulations. A clan that persevered through the fires of hell. A clan that was bound together by faith, hope, and love for each other. A clan that never gave up.

But doom'd and devoted by vassal and lord,
MacGregor has still both his heart and his sword!
Then courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!
Courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!

Sir Walter Scott

As you can tell, I'm lost in time with an overwhelming passion for Clan MacGregor. But it's easy to become lost, especially since I'm currently writing a series of books surrounding the events of Glen Fruin. Perhaps you're wondering how I could find anything inspirational and romantic in such tragic times, I'm wondering myself. But I did, not with just one story, but with five.

I've taken a creative license with my historical research. I made a choice on how I would view the events surrounding this specific time in history. I also chose how to portray, my characters-hero, heroine, villain(s), and yes, even King James. I've convinced myself of the Gregor's innocence, so much so that I don't think I could write any Colquhoun with redemptive qualities.

How do you chose which side of the fence you stand on? For you contemporary writers, do you ever take historical events and place them in modern times to create a story? If not, where do you gain most of you inspiration? And where do you look for your villain?

Don't forget to check out Sir Walter Scott's, MacGregor's Gathering.

And if you're interested you can see my post Berserkers and Shrooms . It's a rough draft of a scene from my wip Possessing the Highlander. Obviously my hero is a Macgregor. I don't mention the villain but I bet you can guess after reading Two Sides of A Story.

Renee

Starry Night

When a babe was to be born anywhere for miles around, she was there. Sometimes she was the lone attendant, and again she helped Dr. Taylor, who had been in the valley from the beginning; and more than once she worked with some young doctor who was so panicky because the baby didn't hurry that she would have to tell him to keep his feet on the ground, and that millions of babies had been born before a doctor or a medical college had ever been discovered. One night at midnight she waked up one of the boys, and told him that his father was out saddling the pony, and that he must go for Dr. Woods, who lived about five miles to the west. The boy finally wakened up and got his clothes on, and found that she was just ready to leave with a neighbor for his home, and that someone must go for the doctor. The pony had been saddled by that time, and was tied with a heavy rope to a tree near the door. The boy put on plenty of clothes and then mounted the pony, while his father held the little beast to keep him from standing on his head. The father pointed to the seven stars then showing up in the southern sky and told the boy to keep them to his left and to ride until he had crossed the railroad, and then go up to the first house and yell until someone came out so that he could inquire for the home of Dr. Woods. The directions being given, the pony was untied and turned loose, with the end of the rope fastened to the horn of the saddle.

Tales and Trails of Wakarusa

by A.M. Harvey

My favorite pieces of research material often come from tales written in and around the era I'm writing. The accounts told by the people who walked the Kansas prairies and breathed her air during her beginnings are priceless treasures, especially to someone like me who didn't grow up appreciating the history in my own backyard.

But this post isn't necessarily about Kansas history, it's about a tiny piece of treasure I found within the pages of one of those books. A treasure that could have been found in any book written from any where in the world.

Shortly after I read this little passage, I carried my happy determined-self outside. You see, I grew up under the canopy of city lights. I couldn't imagine navigating my way through the streets using the stars not to mention navigating miles through wooded terrain without a compass.

It took a trip out to the countryside before I fully understoond the idea of using the stars for navigation. Oh, I know men have been using the stars for travel for thousands of years. I'm sure many of us have read similar accounts of sailors sailing acrossed vast bodies of waters, but most of them had some sort of navigational tool. This child didn't carry a compass. He relied on his eyes and the instructions of his father.

Have you ever found a hidden treasure during your research? Care to share?

If you'd like to explore Tails and Trails of Wakarusa click here.

And don't forget Seduced by History blog is giving away a free Hearts Through History Campus Workshop to one lucky June commenter.  So, be sure and leave a comment.

You can visit me at http://www.reneelynnscott.com/ or at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/

Finding A Platform In Kansas

As a new blogger (new to Seduced by History) to such a wealth of historical knowledge one, such as myself, can feel a little intimidated. I'm one of those people who knows a little bit about a lot of stuff and not a whole lot about any one particular thing. It's taken me a few weeks to figure out what kind of platform I could bring to the table. And it wasn't until a wise woman told me, and I quote, ". . .everyone has something to offer! Your platform is a natural byproduct of you and your writing."

It was one of those light bulb moments. I'm a Kansan, and proud of it. Many of the stories I write are set in Kansas. I know, what can anyone possibly write about Kansas, right? I mean it's flat. It has no character and very little to pique an historical guru's interest. It's far from from Europe with castles, knights and lords and ladies. And how can Kansas compare with the Border reivers along Scotland and England's . . .well, borders? It certainly doesn't have the same charm as the South, the raw ruggedness of Texas and thrilling excitement of a California gold rush. Or does it?

Let's take a moment and look at one of my favorite historiacl topics, reiving. I'm sure y'all have heard of the Bushwackers and the Jayhawkers, haven't you? Well for those of you haven't let's just say these two warring factions played out their own border reiving in the years prior to the Civil War. Some say they fought over the slavery issue, others say they fought over a man's right to vote, others say many had no idea what they fought over. Whatever the case, Kansas bled. Just like Scotland and England bled, only Kansas was on a much smaller scale. A new twist on the border reivers? Maybe.

There is so much more, too. As an historical romance writer I  don't have to look far to see all kinds of inspiration blowing in the the wind. Battles were fought in Kansas and the turmoil eventually led to the Civil War. After the war, families from both sides rushed into Kansas for a land grab and I'm sure you can see how this could cause problems.  Lawless towns like Dodge City and Abilene sprung out of the prairie bringing with them a new kind of lawman.  Each of these tales are all worth re-telling, and eventually I'll get to them, bothe the well-known ones and the not-so-well-known ones,  but for now I'd like to leave you with a diary.

 The following excerpt come from Kansas: Its Interior and Exterior by Sara T. L. Robinson. The author, as you can see, seems to have been a guest of a state prison. For those of you who do not know much about this era in Kansas history, it was during a time known as Bleeding Kansas. A time when pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions warred fiercly. If Mrs. Sara Robinson was a prisoner at Lecompton, Kansas' first capital, a pro-slavery capital, then she most likely held the values of the anti-slavery camp dear to her heart.

Its pages were penned during a three months' residence of the authoress in the United States Camp, at Lecompton, with her husband, one of the state prisoners.

Preface

This account was written in the month of June possibly in the year 1856.

7th. -- Mr. H. was very ill with an attack of pleurisy. Doctor being absent, I felt anxious, yet did the best I could. A mustard plaster and some simples removed the difficulty of breathing, and he slept quietly. He said he never was as sick before, but I was thinking he imagined himself sicker than he was just before night, and as I was wondering where E. could be, she came in, pale and almost breathless, with just enough left of life to say, "O, that rattlesnake!" I laughed at her at first; but being convinced that seeing a snake of some kind was a reality to her, and not quite liking the idea of their making a home in our neighborhood, we started out with shovel and hatchet for a battle. The spot where she saw him was very easily found, as the pail she had in her hand, while coming up the path from the spring, she set down when she came upon him. She had heard a buzzing noise, like that made by a large grasshopper, for some minutes; but her attention was attracted by a small bird flying backward and forward across the path, and no great height above it, and did not, therefore, perceive the snake until she was within a foot of him. Hastily setting down the pail, as he lay there coiled ready to spring, she took another path to the house. We looked along both paths, above and below, and far out on the hill-side, but found nothing. His fright was undoubtedly equal to hers, not being particularly partial to the cold bath she gave him in getting down her pail so hastily.

By the way, I'd like to thank Casandra Carr for helping me find my platform. Who would have thought a romance writer could find a platform in Kansas.

Newbie to Seduced By History

Hello! Since I'm new to Seduced By History I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Christina, one of the unpubbed writers here, and I am addicted to history. I'm also a wife, a mother of four (one YA and three teenagers), and on occasion I help hubs out at the upholstery shop where I get to fawn over all kinds of antiques. I have three furbies (one Great Dane, a Lab-Mastiff mix, and a terrier. Actually the terrier belongs to my oldest, he just never moved out when she did).

I write romance anywhere from Ancient Israel to Westerns set in Kansas. There are even a few Scottish Historicals sprinkled in the mix. Did I mention I'm addicted to historicals? With the wide spectrum of historicals I found it necessary to work at building two brands. Christina Rich and Renee Lynn Scott.

Currently I'm (Renee) working on finishing up a Western and I'm (Christina) polishing my Biblical. So I'm sure you'll find a wide variety of blogs from me. It should make for interesting reading.

Are there any particular topics you'd like to see from the Biblical, Pioneer, Western eras? I'll leave the Scottish to the experts. Come to think of it, I should leave the Westerns to the experts too. ;) 

You can find me (Christina) at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/ and Renee at http://www.reneelynnscott.com/

Happy Friday,

Christina