The Sounds of the Revolution

Since I sold my car and quit driving I have been spending a lot of time at home. As a result I spent the last 6 months cleaning, decluttering, and organizing my villa. That included organizing and decluttering my genealogy files and stuff! Finally with my newly organized villa I had hours of free time every day to devote to my lifelong habit -- family research!

And Then . . . . I finally did it. I submitted my application to the Daughters of the American Revolution. I chose the chapter where my aunt, who was responsible for my love of genealogy, was a charter member. That experience led me on an adventure into the time period where I thought family research was rather difficult.  Would you believe it was not really that bad. Don't get me wrong, you will need some experience but the records are there. Yes I know the census is challenging but there are plenty of other records to help you work around it and with it.

Research into the 1700s requires one thing before you can starting hunting for  your 4x great grandfather. You will need to learn the basics of an important part of American history -- The Revolutionary War. It influenced almost everyone's life and it will give you the who, what, where, when, and how that affected our ancestors' reactions to the world around them.

Of course since my application was going to the DAR it naturally followed that the Revolution would play a significant part in my research. I just never realized how large that part would be when it came to researching the lives of my ancestors in the 1700s.

When I started I had one ancestor that I would use for the application. My Aunt Daisy used him for her application back in the middle 1900s and all I had to do was prove my relationship to her. Unfortunately it wasn't that easy and I needed to do more research about Philip Russell Rice, my 4x great grandfather.

One effect of the war was loss. . . soldiers, civilians, property. Men born between 1726 and 1767 volunteered to fight; some never to return. Some people lost their homes and everything they owned. Philip Rice lost his ship when he ran into the British fleet near Yorktown. As a result, this energetic young Whig lost his source of income. After he married Martha Vaughn and with no reason to stay in Virginia, he and his family set out for Kentucky and the promise of a better life. Philip was an intelligent, feisty, humorous, well-liked, dirt poor old man who was also known as the town drunk. Fortunately Martha, like many other women during the war, learned she could handle the family farm or business by herself. Martha was industrious and she kept the home fires burning. From this story you can see the reactions that resulted from the actions that Philip faced as a result of the war. 

I have to admit that I had a healthy dose of luck that led to a source of personal information about Philip. The source was a book with just a short paragraph about my ancestor, but is gave me the name of a place - Taylor's Ferry, a clue that led me to the House of Representatives. The new government reimbursed its citizens for losses during the war. I found a bill in the House  that dealt with the claim Philip submitted for the loss of his ship. There were 12 depositions attached to the bill that told the story of Philip's life. Eventually his heirs were awarded $2,500 for the loss of the ship. 

With a lot of research and a little luck I was able to put together the story of my 4x great grandfather's life. I felt like I knew him. But why did the family go to Kentucky? The new government had to pay its citizens who fought in the war and as a result designated land that would be available to veterans for their service. This action resulted in a westward movement away from the original colonies. But the westward movement of these new pioneers caused actions that affected both the new settlers and the Native Americans. Just take some time and think about how your ancestors might have reacted to everything that was happening in their new lives. Those are the things that will help you find them.

In the next post I will continue to look at the effect the American Revolution had on your ancestors. . . . .

Kalahari is huge and I am exhausted. I was all packed and ready to check out this morning. Then  I got my bill and, you guessed it . . . the other Sandy! Check out time was 11am and I was planning on squeezing one more session in before I had to leave. Instead I spent that time in the lobby straightening out my bill. By the way if you stayed at the resort, you should check your bill to make sure they waved the resort fee. They will remove the fee if you were charged.

The conference runs til 4pm today. With check out time at 11am, I wonder how many people are going to leave early. Yesterday afternoon the halls were filled with families checking in for the weekend. This morning buses were arriving packed with teenagers headed for the prom. The peace and quiet of the last few days was gone and the genealogists retreated to the safety of the conference center.  I had to make one more sweep of the exhibit hall and distribute the last of my raffle tickets. Then  I said "goodbye to Kalahari" and vowed to return again someday.

This is my only conference for this year. I envy those of you who are getting ready to attend the NGS Conference in Richmond, Virginia. I have ancestors who lived in that area back in the 1700's and it would have been wonderful to walk the land they walked on. 

While I was in the exhibit hall yesterday I picked up a book, An In-Depth Guide to Richmond, Virginia by Shannon Combs-Bennett. It is a great book for anyone going to the NGS Conference or planning on doing research in the Richmond area at a later date. It contains information about downtown, safety, transportation, shopping, and nearby attractions. For more information: 

http://theindepthgenealogist.com/product/an-in-depth-guide-to-richmond-virginia-pdf/

So what did I learn at the OGS 2014 Conference? 
*I definitely need to start using Evernote. Also learned that Thomas MacEntee is extremely funny.
*Playing live Clue with a bunch of genealogists can be fun and confusing. Sort of like family research.
*The ague of the early days of the Great Black Swamp was actually malaria.
*It is easy to hit over 6,000 steps on your fitbit in one day at a genealogy conference. Also learned it is not easy to get out of bed the next day!
*But most important, genealogists are some of the friendliest people in the world. We relate!

 

Viva Las Vegas!!

This year flew by so fast. I was just looking at the pictures on the NGS Conference Blog and it brought back memories from a year ago when I was a volunteer at the NGS Conference in Cincinnati. From 9 til noon on Monday morning, we stuffed bags, toured the Duke Energy Center and attended training sessions. This was the only conference my husband every attended with me. While I was at the Center, Chuck scouted the area for parking discounts, restaurants and area attractions. When we left Cincy we were making plans to return for the 2013 OGS Conference. Unfortunately, as some of you know, my husband suffered a massive hear attack and passed away a few days later on Mother's Day. 

The OGS Conference was definitely bittersweet this year. I had to push myself out of the door and into my car for the drive to Cincy. Once I got going though I was amazed at how anxious I was to get to southern Ohio. I am glad I went because I had a wonderful time.

The NGS Conference on the other hand became a count down to Mother's Day, which is only a few days away, and as a result I found myself trying to avoid it. But just now after looking at the pictures from Las Vegas and reading about all the fun things that will be going on, I have decided to "virtually attend" as much as possible. 

The first thing that grabbed my attention is the 2013 Conference Challenge. What fun; I wish I were there. The winner will get a free registration to the conference next year in Richmond, Virginia. There are ten clues involving a lot of networking. Sounds like a great ice breaker! For more info go to: http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/ 

If I were there I would be sure to attend the Genealogy Game Show: The Last Genealogist Standing. I am anxious to hear what happens. Winner receives a $100 gift certificate to Heritage Books.

Thursday's Lectures I recommend.  

W126 - It is easy to ignore early census records before 1850 thinking they provide no information you can use. This session will help that attitude. J. Mark Lowe.

W142 - When you can't put your hands on a piece of direct evidence, it may be possible to put together other evidence to prove your facts. Elizabeth Shown Mills. 

W154 - Which family are you talking about? Nuclear or mob? This just looks extremely interesting to me. Michael Green.

There are three sessions in the BCG track today. The first focuses on errors that are found in records. Whether they are intentional or unintentional, they do exist. In the afternoon, there are two more sessions. Eventually everyone is faced with a document that makes English look like a foreign language. These lectures give some tips on how to deal with this situation. Definite try to attend some of these lectures whether or not you are working toward certification. They are full of good information.

Sounds like a fun-filled first day of conference. Enjoy!  

Why?

I do not think you can successfully research your family without asking "why". Not why am I doing this; rather, why did my ancestor do that! In the fourth episode of Who Do You Think You Are, Reba McEntire asked many questions that began with why. For one, Reba wanted to know why her 6 times grandfather, George Brasfield, was sent to America in 1698 by his father when he was only 9 years old. The answer -- he was an indentured servant. Many of the people who came to Colonial America (mainly Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia) in the 17th century were indentured servants. Knowing the "why's" of this group could be an extremely important tool for researching our colonial ancestors.

An indentured servant was a person who agreed to exchange free labor for the opportunity to travel to America. In the early 1600's,  colonists who were able to afford the passage to America in search of a new life soon found out that they needed help in order to clear and maintain their newly acquired land. At the same time many Europeans were suffering due to the bad economic times and could only dream of a new life in the New World. Therefore, in order to be able to realize their dreams many of these people decided to become indentured servants.

Most of the indentured servants were from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Germany. Mainly they were single men under the age of 21 who basically provided the workforce the Colonies needed so desperately in the 1600's. However this group also included many women and many more children than any of us of would like to think about. It was not an easy life and many were lucky to survive the trip across the ocean and the years of their servitude.

There are many stories about how these men, women, and children came to be indentured. For many, it was voluntary; for others, not so much. Many children, like George Brasfield - Reba's ancestor, were sent to America by parents who no longer could afford to take care of them and wanted to give them the chance of a better life. Others were the victims of "assisted" immigration. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time! And, some countries used it as a method to "thin out" rogues, scoundrels, and criminals. But, for all, it was their ticket to the New World.


Every indentured servant had a contract that guaranteed his or her freedom at the end of their indenture. In exchange for a free trip to America plus lodging, food, clothing and sometimes training, the servant agreed to work for a specified number of years. The length of indentured servitude ranged from 3-7 years, with 5 years being the average. At the end of this time, the person received freedom dues. Some knew who their benefactors would be and even traveled to America with their new masters. Others were bound over to ship captains who in turn sold their contracts when they arrived in the colonies. Note that the contracts were sold, not the people; and this, in many cases, was the only difference between indentures and slaves. 

Life as an indentured servant varied. Some were very fortunate and became part of the family group they worked for. Others faithfully served their time of indenture, eventually realizing their dream of owning land and became the ancestors of many present-day American families. Unfortunately, many were treated poorly by unscrupulous masters. In general, indentured servants  were not allowed to marry or have children until their contracts were up. Their time of servitude could be increased for violating these laws or trying to run away. When their contracts were finally fulfilled, most indentured servants received their freedom dues -- a modest parcel of land plus a gun, food, clothing and other supplies along with their freedom. However, as land became scarce along the coastal areas of the colonies, many were encouraged or forced to move westward. 

 As it turned out Reba McEntire's ancestor went on to own land and establish the Brassfield family in America. At the beginning of her search, Reba asked, "Why am I like I am." I think she got the answer!

Indentured servants were the backbone, the core, of America in the 1600's. They were the rugged, hard working, strong willed individuals who made up a major portion of the workforce who created this nation. These early settlers were some of the first people to move west into the wilderness. If you have ancestors who came to the colonies in the 17th century, it is possible they came here as indentured servants. I have ancestors in Maryland and Virginia that could possibly fall into this category. A quick search of the Virtual Jamestown website has revealed the surnames I am looking for, but only time will tell if they are a match. virtualjamestown.org 

Don't forget to watch. Friday, March 9, 2012. Who Do You Think You Are. 8/7central. Jerome Bettis, former Pittsburgh Steeler, walks in the footsteps of his ancestors.