I, like many others, learned about my family's history by chatting with those who remembered them, listening to stories of the good old days, and discovering the significant events that shaped my own lives of families. I caught the gossip and even learned the songs they sang as they shared cheer and other family customs, all from the memories of those who were there. This provided answers, gave me a sense of belonging and anecdotes that I can pass down for generations. Family history gives a strong sense of a much longer lifespan and will survive beyond death. Oral history can be defined as a systematic process by which an individual's memories or eyewitness accounts from the past are collected and the process is recorded and analyzed to provide answers or prompt questions about written sources left unanswered. Documents have shown that the use of oral evidence dates back to the time of Herodotus, considered the father of history. It showed that he relied heavily on eyewitness testimony to tell the stories of the Peloponnesian War, and before the art of writing became the norm, even when written evidence was available, historians also relied on witness testimonies to help them reconstruct the past. and improve written documentation (Ritchie). The use of oral history experienced a revival when it was made easier by the invention of the recording device. The use of oral sources continues to be a legitimate informant of historical evidence, providing eyewitness accounts and valuable information that enhances formal written records. In opposition to the "History from above" promoted by historians such as Leopold von Ranke, who focused exclusively on writing the histories of political, social and religious elites, History...... middle of paper ...... the History plays a vital role in documenting history in a way that is accurate and dependable. Therefore, it raises questions about the nepotism of the historian who criticizes the reliability of oral evidence when it derives from the same principles as written history. Works Cited Commager, Henry, Steele. History. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1980. Ritchie, Donald A. Making Oral History. New York, NY: Twayne's Publishers, 1995. Seldon, Anthony, and Joanna Pappworth. By word of mouth E`lite oral Histroy. New York: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1983.Sitton, Thad, George L Mehaffy and L JR Davis O. Oral History. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1983.Thompson, Paul. The voice of the past; Oral history; 3rd edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc, 2000. Vansina, January. Oral tradition as history. Great Britain: James Currey Ltd, 1985.