Copeland Connections

Alex Haley, “Roots”, and DNA In 1977 Alex Haley published the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Roots”, one of the most consequential American epics of all time. The novel entertained millions and awakened a desire in many to search out their own family histories. Haley...

What is Historical Fiction? Historical fiction transports readers to another time and place in history and involves actual historical figures and events. Our ancestors are more than just names and dates in census records and city directories. Behind the names and...

I hope you enjoy reading about our Copeland family and their many connections in my upcoming blogs. If your Copeland family comes from Reynolds County, Missouri, Wayne or Overton County, Tennessee, Orange and Chatham County, North Carolina, Orange, Essex, Isle of...

Southeast Missouri Settlement Early in the 19th century, the United States gained a million square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. These lands were acquired through purchase, treaties, and war affording many Americans the opportunity to move west and seek...

After Harry Truman played “The Missouri Waltz" on the piano at the White House, it was adopted as the official state song in 1949. The lyrics were considered racially sensitive and the song had to be amended before this could happen. As Truman’s ancestors were slave...

Harry Truman's mother and members of her family were asked, not so politely, to leave the state of Missouri when it became public knowledge that she was a supporter of William Quantrill and his ilk. In her defense, she  considered William Quantrill  a...

There are these two bats in a cave and one says to the other "I could do with some blood right now." The other one said, "Me too but it's almost sunrise." The first one said, "Wait here." He flies off and comes back with a mouth full of blood. The second bat says,...