The most satisfying aspect of tracing the ancestors is discovering the stories that surround the history. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are packed with compelling sagas of challenging risks. Our ancestors began their treacherous journey across the seas to the American shore, often beset with storms while navigating through the region of the Bermuda Islands. There are multiple accounts of shipwrecks, losses, and delays. With more shipwrecks per square mile than anywhere else, Bermuda, once known as the Devil’s Isle, is known as the shipwreck capital of the Atlantic. But the seas were not the only danger, as rats onboard ships caused sickness. Diseases and epidemics of the 19th century caused epidemics of smallpox, typhus, yellow fever, and scarlet fever. At least 25 major outbreaks plagued Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries, including cholera.
Before the Revolutionary War, old newspaper accounts reveal that ships arriving in the Savannah port from Maryland carried smallpox. Several years into the Revolutionary War, some of Lord Cornwallis's ships arrived in that same port from Massachusetts to acquire rice, a trip that resulted in the Battle of the Rice Boats! Other than old newspapers, acquiring some ship passenger lists at the National Archives is possible, although it is tedious and daunting. However, if you wish to know more about the historical events happening in the world of your ancestors, reading old newspapers is the best bet. It is this habit that brings reality to the table.
The new emigrants to America faced even more trials as they dared to cross the spectacular mountain ranges, crossing a frontier of buffalo trails and Indian villages. And after settling in the West, many young and old men returned to fight a war with Great Britain. After that event, they rebuilt.
Our ancestors were brave families who built a country and opened the door to freedom. Be sure to read the old wills and estates, as that data often provides names and places of relatives in other countries. Tax digests give acreage and locations on old farms and estates. Deed records are informative as to the origin of the purchasers. Military records provide details of place of birth, marriages, and participation in the most exciting battles of the era. As we gather facts, we learn more about the individuals and their plight and piece together the awesome puzzle. Many thrilling stories unfold before your eyes.
My experience researching the ancestors over the years taught me fascinating details and events of history never learned in the classroom. You will read about some of these events in my newsletters.
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