UGA historian featured on The Learning Channel

By Jessica Luton

jluton@uga.edu

A University of Georgia historian was featured on the TLC show “Who do you think you are?” earlier this month.

A recent Ph.D. recipient, Joshua Haynes currently teaches four classes in American History and Native American history, but this summer he had a chance to help Trisha Yearwood sort out her family history and discover why her family ended up in Eatonton, Georgia.

Along the way, Haynes learned some new lingo and gained a tremendous amount of respect for Yearwood, he said.

“I totally respected her intellect. She was very sharp, very quick on the uptake,” said Haynes. “We had two days’ worth of conversations and by the end of it, I had tremendous respect for her.  I get the sense that with her intelligence and charisma, she probably would have been successful at whatever she wanted to do.”

Yearwood’s relatives came to the United States from England, and lived in an area that bordered Creek territory.  Haynes’ specialty, Creek border conflicts, helped Yearwood learn just what it must have been like for her relatives to live in an area of conflict.

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, check out the full episode at:http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/trisha-yearwood.htm

For more information on the UGA history department, please visit www.history.uga.edu.