A Plain-Language Guide to History, Genealogy, Copyright, and Courtesy
The Welsh of Harpers Ferry is built on a simple belief: no story should be erased from history.
History survives through responsible sharing and collaboration. This page explains how we think about ownership, authorship, and reuse in local history and genealogy.
This is not a replacement for our terms of use or privacy policy, but a human explanation of the thought and values behind them.
You have:
- 8 great-grandparents
- 16 great-great-grandparents
- 32 third-great-grandparents
- 64 fourth-great-grandparents
Our ancestors were once living, breathing people.
Each and every one of us descends from hundreds of people whose lives shaped our own.
They weren't simply a name and date on a piece of paper. They worked, loved, struggled, and made mistakes. They are real people who walked before you or I.
We are rarely the only descendants of any ancestor. Genealogy and history do not grant ownership of people, their lives, or their experiences. Instead, it grants us a responsibility to carefully and accurately record and share their story.
Our goal as descendants and historians should be to ensure their stories aren't erased from the pages of history. You can't preserve someone's story without sharing it.
You cannot own:
Most historical material—especially 19th-century and earlier—is in the public domain by law. No amount of time, effort, or dedication can turn historical fact into private property.
You can own:
In other words: The facts belong to history. The words you choose to explain them belong to you.
Using Material From The Welsh of Harpers Ferry
Our full license is in our Terms of Use. Here is what that means in plain language.