Scott MacDonald, a longtime former Del Mar resident, has released his fourth book, “Legacy: An Ancestral Journey Through American History,” a narrative of his ancestry following years of research.
“It’s been a long journey,” MacDonald said. “I got interested in ancestry maybe two decades ago. My father died when I was a little boy and I never knew any of his relatives. And my mother really wasn’t that interested in ancestry. I think it was an era where people grew up in the great depression and the last thing they cared about was who their forefathers were.”
He added that the book, released on Aug. 1 by Ingram Spark, is for anyone interested in ancestry research or early American history.
“I got curious about where I came from, who went before,” he said.
Through the lens of his ancestors, he chronicles the history of women in Colonial America, Jamestown, early Wagon Trains to Ohio and the Midwest, the founding and settlement of New England conflicts between settlers and native tribes, as well as the settlement of southern states, slavery, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
“I started doing some research just as a hobby on the side,” said MacDonald, who also worked with a genealogist to help him when he ran into roadblocks. “I got more and more interested and more fascinated and started uncovering a lot of interesting things I had no idea about. It became a passion where I dug deeper and deeper.”
His ancestors arrived in the American colonies from Scotland, England, Ireland and other European countries. He also has Native American ancestors from four tribes.
After putting together a draft of the book, his two adult sons told him it was interesting but boring. That’s when MacDonald decided to tie his ancestors’ experiences to the major historic events that were happening at the time.
“It’s kind of ancestry marries historical research,” he said.
The book also includes family ancestries and charts for a wide array of last names.
“This was a passion,” MacDonald said. “This was something I wanted to do and get all that information out there so that others can benefit from all the research.”
MacDonald’s previous books include “Education Without Debt,” “Think Like a Dog” and “Saving Investa.” He studied at Indiana University in Bloomington and The University of North Carolina, and spent 40 years in commercial real estate. He has two sons and three grandchildren.
“Legacy, An Ancestral Journey Through American History” is available at bookstores and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more information, visit Authorscottmacdonald.com.
https://www.delmartimes.net/art/story/2022-10-04/del-mar