Poll: How much do you know about your heritage?

[Mrs Mungo]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

[tntgoodwin]

We have traced our history back to the 1400's, and some of my ancestors have been in the United States and Canada since the Mayflower. I have some native American ancestry, and have ancestors that fought in the Revolution, and and one that signed the Declaration of Independence. I know I have ancestors that fought on the Union side of the Civil War, and I may have had some on the Confederate side as well, but I am not sure.

[Meriwether]

I'd say a lot since they came to America but not much before that. No POC on either side of my kids' family tree. My side of the family had been in the states for 12 generations, but the Amish/Mennonites didn't marry out much. Dh's family has come more recently, 4 generations, and he is a bit more than 1/2 Swede. No fighting in any wars for my ancestors. Even my Dad was a CO, but my generation has moved away from that. My own son wants to join the military. He's young so he might change his mind. It is an odd notion for me. I highly value our armed forces, but the idea is still unsettling given my heritage. Dh's family came after the civil war. His dad served in the army but not during war time.

 

I'm not sure why you are asking (even if I don't mind answering). I'm not sure what someone reading the above would surmise about me. I'm not racist. :001_smile: I'd be fine if my kids married someone of a different race (I'd actually be kind of excited; I think mixed race babies tend to be oh-so-beautiful), it just hasn't been a part of my heritage.

[Joker]

I wish I knew more about my family history. My fil has done extensive research on dh's family and it's so interesting. They were able to trace themselves back to John Rolfe and I wish I knew as much about my own.

 

I knew my great-grandmother and she was Native American but I don't know what tribe (?). It was never really discussed other than she was NA. I was named after her and I wish I knew more. I know I had family fighting on both sides during the Civil War. I don't know if there were any slave owners but it wouldn't surprise me since most of my family tree is rooted in the south.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

 

We have done a lot of research over the years. Some parts are rather recent (German about 3 gen back). But other parts were. Here in colonial days. At least two Rev War patriots, a War of 1812, Spanish American, several Civil War (Union) etc.

Haven't found slave owners yet, but I have a hunch one branch may end up having had them.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My dad's parents came over on a boat from Ireland when they were in their twenties. My mom's grandparents on one side came from Alsace, and my aunt and I went to visit their town when I was living in France. My mom's other grandparents were Welsh, but that's all I know.

[SeekingSimplicity]

Well, I know when a gggf came to america on my mom's side, and that's about it. I know what 2 countries all my mom's family came from. On my dad's side, they've been in america longer so it's harder. But I do know that they're all pretty much british.

[Mommyfaithe]

I was adopted, closed adoption...so no info at all....

 

Faithe

[kalanamak]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

 

GGM-came from Switzerland as a girl, post civil war, settled in Kansas. I know less about her husband, but I am rather sure he was born in Switzerland, too.

GM-came from Germany as an adult, pre WWI

GF-came from Germany as an adult, pre WWI

GGGF-came from England via Nova Scotia (with a name often given to English of Viking decent) well before the Civil War, settled in Vermont, and his son was a saboteur for the North, sneaking behind lines to cut telegraph lines at night.

GGM ( wife of the saboteur) born and raised in Vermont from a pre-Revolutionary War family.

 

I have the hair I've seen on Viking bog mummies.

[Pam Wilhelm]

I know a fair amount about my family..... as far as I "know" we were on the Northern side of the Civil War.....and as far as I "know" we are all white. ....but it wouldn't matter one way or another. Makes no nevermind to me. :001_smile:

[PinkInTheBlue]

I voted 4 generations and I know little but a better option would be "I know nothing at all". I have no idea how long my family has been here or where they came from. All of my possible family lines seem to be very dysfunctional and downright mean pretty quick, so I'm not really interested in seeing how messed up they really were. Plus, I'm very not-close with my biological father and my Mother's family is really messed up so I don't really have a line I care about because of those either.

 

I wish I could/wanted to. I'm often a bit envious of you that know where your heritage came from and who you are in that perspective. :)

[LittleIzumi]

I know a fair amount. On one side it goes back to the 1100s. I'm LDS--genealogy is an occupational hazard. :lol:

[BigMamaBird]

I love genealogy! I've traced my family tree back to the 1600's on many sides. I find it fascinating.

 

If ya' ain't Dutch, ya' ain't much!! :D

[mommaduck]

Other:

 

 

Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree?

 

Yes to both. We have Cherokee and Cherokee mixed with African. We also had slave owners, on the same side.

 

Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)?

 

Yes, they fought for the Confederacy. Before that, they fought for the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. (some of my ancestors ran with Francis Marion and family land was taken to create the Francis Marion National Forest/Park; we still have family land that backs up to it)

 

Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few? Do you know a lot or a little?

 

One side of my family has been here FOREVER and I know a lot of my family history on that side. Part of the line has been traced back to Charlemagne (through the French line) and of course that has been traced back to the days of Christ.

 

One side of my family has only been here for three generations and I know very little of my family history on that side. Actually, I've done research and learned some things, but there still seems to be an air of secrecy on anything personal.

 

 

 

DH has family that goes back from old immigrants to Native American ancestry as well. He had ancestors that fought in both the Revolutionary War (descended from Gen. Thomas Sumpter's brother) and for the Confederacy. Ironically, his one ancestor that fought for the Union was an English immigrant that lived in Arkansas (yep, that family hightailed it to Missouri at the end of the War...I have copies of his daughter's memoirs). Many in his family refused to talk about their Native ancestry once in Missouri. But we have evidence and plenty of other family genealogists that have gone up the same line.

Edited August 8, 2011 by mommaduck

[amyable]

I was adopted, closed adoption...so no info at all....

 

Faithe

 

Ditto.

[Mona100]

On my dad's side of the family, we have been here since the 1700's. One of my ancestors fought in the Revolution and the War of 1812. We also had a slave owner but he owned 2 or 3 slaves no big plantation or anything like that. My father's side of the family were big in the military but missed all the big wars from the Civil War to the modern time.

On my mother's side, my great grandmother came from Norway and we have records from her side since the 1500s. My mother's father's family fought in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. Not sure when they first came over.

I don't know if we have any Native American ancestry in the family or not. My Dad always thought his great grandmother was half Indian but who knows for sure. My nephew is married to a full blood Cherokee woman.

[elegantlion]

Most of my family arrived here before America was a country. I have several lines of genealogy going back at least two - three hundred years. I have a confirmed link back to the Battle of Hastings and possibly further back.

 

I have a Rev War veteran, confirmed by DAR, others by account.

 

On a different line there is the possibility of Native American ancestors, but most of the information is lost.

 

I've been fortunate that we have many genealogy buffs in our family. I'm just good at compiling information.

 

I've been thinking about this recently. I have ancestors that conquered countries, founded cities, moved across the Atlantic, founded other cities, traveled to the mid-west and stopped. Why? I'm sure MO was much prettier 150 year ago, but why stop here? Didn't anyone want to go to CA? No pioneers in my family, sadly. Is this why I have wanderlust? Is it just part of my DNA?

 

We have a relative born in 1791 who is buried not too far from where we live. As a kid we had fun in the cemetery trying to find his headstone. We were weird little kids.

[MinivanMom]

My family has been in the United States since the mid-1700's. They mainly hailed from Ireland and Scotland, except for the great-great-grandmother who was Cherokee. I had ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War and on both sides of the Civil War. My Confederate ancestors were too poor to own slaves. My Union ancestors were from a long line of Methodist ministers.

 

I have an aunt who has done tons of research. She's documented our ancestry going backwards and then has documented it coming back down. She has found old letters and photos by tracking down and visiting very distant cousins who inherited the documents. She set out to prove that the family legend about a Cherokee ancestor was true and succeeded. She even found a photo of her that had been inherited by another branch of the family. It's fun stuff to look through, but I'm not sure I have the patience to do that kind of research and documentation myself. You have to be really passionate about geneology.

[SonshineLearner]

My grandma and her brother (my great-uncle) were 1/2 Native American. We had a pic of my Uncle right before heading off to war; he was totally lookin' just like an Indian :) But, I hear that at the time people didn't make a big deal about the N.A. part, although I'm confused about that since he had long braids. The records were all burned when the bldg holding them... burned down :( My mom and I aren't registered. I know I'm part German and part Irish, as well. I'm pretty much just mixed at this point.... I'm part of the "melting pot" :)

[LisaKinVA]

I know more about some branches of my family tree than others. One specific branch (maternal great-grandmother), we know a LOT about...in that particular branch we have cousins fighting on both sides of the civil war (no slave owners, though... some bootleggers, though). Ancestors in the Revolutionary War, as well as Quakers (don't believe in war). There is even a family castle in Germany.

 

Another branch claims to have Indian marriage (no evidence has ever been found... but according to the locals in the area, lots of people in that generation liked to "claim" ancestry).

 

My dad's side is much easier... All Swedes. All came 4-5 generations ago. Settled in Kansas and Nebraska before moving to CA.

[stansclan89]

My father's hobby for the last 30 years has been genealogy. He's traced a few lines back to Adam (if you tie into royalty, then to biblical ancestry from there it just goes back).

 

My father's side of the family is from Ohio and fought on the side of the north in the Civil war. This side of the family is mapped out quite well for a long ways back.

 

My mother's side is from Mississippi and my great great grandfather fought for the South. On this side of the family we can't really trace back before the Civil War. They didn't have much money and their names weren't in the history books. Immediately after the war, what records there were were burned and gravestones were broken and removed. Just not much to go on.

[Firefly]

Third generation, and I know quite a bit about our history thanks to an uncle who's done all the research. AFAIK I don't have any ancestors that fought in the U.S. Civil War.

[Daisy]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

 

Yes, I know the answers to all of the above questions.

[leeannpal]

Yes, I know the answers to all of the above questions.

 

I agree. I will say that I have Cherokee ancestry on both sides of my family.

[Kathleen in VA]

All my relatives came in the 1800s. Hungary, England, Scotland, Norway. I think they were all coming here looking for a better life so I've always imagined they were on the poor side. On my mom's side they became railroad workers (brakemen). My dad's paternal grandfather was some kind of businessman and at one point was doing fairly well. His maternal grandfather was a house painter. His parents lost their house in the Great Depression, though, and started over from scratch. I don't know how any of my relatives in Europe lived though.

 

Dh's family tree was searched out by one of his great uncles many years ago and they published it in a book. It goes back through a soldier who fought in Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War, to Anne Bradstreet, to Prince John (shudder), William the Conqueror and Charlemagne. There was one slave trader, but he was known for capturing young Irish men and bringing them America. His ship went down in the Atlantic.

 

ETA: My family settled in Minnesota and Iowa - not sure if any of them fought in the Civil War. Dh's great-whatever-grandfather fought for the North.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Kathleen in VA
That's supposed to be 1800s - I was thinking 19th century. Good grief!

[DarcyB]

We are 5+ generations..and neither side has info about what came 3 generations ago...I haven't delved deeply into our family line, don't really care to. I just consider myself an American mutt and leave it at that.

 

Though..I do know that someone, sometime came from Ireland because of my maiden name. Otherwise, that's all I know.

[Farrar]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

 

No ancestors of mine that I know of came to this country after the early 1800's, so we've been here awhile. And, yep, some of them owned slaves. A bunch fought for the confederacy.

[Mosaicmind]

I just found out about 2yrs ago that my gf is my biological father and I am not sure who my biological mother is. Apparently my step-sister raised me along with a man who is not related to me at all. So, I know not one thing about my family and don't want to know at this point.

[Mrs Mungo]

My family has been in the US for many generations. Some were here before European contact.

 

I have ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and members of one of the tribes in my ancestry signed a treaty with the fledgling government in the same period (the treatment of the tribe and their allegiances varied, especially according to clan).

 

Included in my ancestry (by document, not rumor): Irish, multiple Native American tribes, British.

 

I do have an ancestor who was a slave owner in Kentucky. I know this because that branch of my line is (from a history perspective) famous and well documented. His grandson fought for the Union.

 

My dad's family mostly fought for the Union. My mom's family was more of a mix.

 

My dad's dad's family line has been traced to 1310. My dad's mother's line has been traced to 1755.

 

I don't know dates for my mother's line off-hand.

[bairnmama]

I didn't vote 'cause I hate just doing "other" and the rest of those don't really apply. I have native americans, singing cowboys, and pirates among my ancestry but my maternal grandfather was the first in his family to be born in the US- less than a year after his parents landed. So... my family has been here 1-3 generations and more than 4 generations depending on which part you're studying.

[Aelwydd]

Do you know a lot or a little? Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few?

 

One side of my family has been traced all the way back to aristocracy in England. Our ancestors picked the wrong side in the Queen Elizabeth/ Mary Stuart debacle (being Catholic) and so fled to Ireland. Lived there for a few generations, and our first "American" ancestor came over around 1750. He sided with the colonists, and fought in New England, NC, and on the western front during the Revolutionary War. In the meantime, he was married twice (first wife died), and had a passal of kids. Each successive generation after his moved westward, finally ending up in OK and TX. There were intermarriages between Black Foot and Cherokee people along the way, enough that I have a few second cousins who are members of the OK tribe. There was also the odd Italian here and there (apparently, one branch of the family lived in Chicago).

 

We couldn't find any information about whether they sided with the Union or the Confederacy during the Civil War. The family was in OK at the time, and they were mostly poor farmers and workers. I don't think any of them owned slaves, but some tribes did, so it's possible a few did.

 

Other side of the family is of English/Scottish heritage, and don't know much about them.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Aelwydd

[stripe]

I've got parents with radically different histories (one a long-term American, the other not), and I did a lot of research for one grandma and I did find some ugly skeletons in the closet! Oh well.

[Mrs Mungo]

I've got parents with radically different histories (one a long-term American, the other not), and I did a lot of research for one grandma and I did find some ugly skeletons in the closet! Oh well.

 

Every family who knows about their heritage has those. My family has a bunch, I assure you. ;)

[Moira in MA]

... that she didn't want to know about her husband's family. 'nuff' said...

 

~Moira

[Meriwether]

Every family who knows about their heritage has those. My family has a bunch, I assure you. ;)

 

Uh huh. I have a lot of respect for the Amish/Mennonite, but Oh My Goodness. They are real people with real issues. Want to guess how Grandpa got his first car? Two hints: It wasn't a gift and he didn't buy it.:001_huh: I'm glad I didn't find out until he was dead. Of course, we could have dicussed his knife fight in a bar after we finished discussing the stolen car.

[Parrothead]

We've been here for the longest time. Both sides came over before the revolution, but not necessarily on the Mayflower. One grandmother was a member of DAR.

 

I'm Scottish on one side and Irish on the other. I know what "our" tartan looks like. On the Irish side it is said that we came to Ireland from Spain when the Moors invaded. I have no idea how much truth there is to that. It may just be a family story.

[abbeyej]

I recall asking my mother about this as a child. She said her brother had done quite a lot of research for a while, then gotten depressed and quit when all he could find were, "Horse thieves and Civil War deserters." ;)

[higginszoo]

On most sides, I can track back 6-7 generations. Some more, some only 4. My earliest US settler ancestors came over in 1617 (Lower Norfolk, Jamestown Colony) and 1715 (New Orleans). My most recent ancestor to emigrate was my great-grandfather from Germany to the US in 1912 or so. On the side that came over in 1715, I can trace that ancestor back to an illegitimate child of Charlemagne, so really quite a way back.

[*Lulu*]

I voted other.

 

Of my 3 bio-grandparents:

 

1- family can be traced back to American Revolution

2- family was 1st generation, we know a little

3- family was wiped out in epidemic the generation before, we know only what has happened since

[Serenade]

My dad's family has been in the US from around the turn of the century (Polish immigrants), and my mom came to this country in the 1950s from Germany. I don't know that much about my dad's family, just that his grandparents emigrated from Poland, but that his dad was born in Poland, too, when his parents were on a return trip. Or so I hear. My mom came to this country when she was 19, just to do and try something different. She worked as an au pair for a Mennonite family in Pennyslvania, learned English, and eventually went to NY where she met my dad, and the rest is history.

[Dobela]

nm

Edited August 8, 2011 by Dobela

[Cricket]

Someone on my maternal grandfather's side did a lot of research on that family line, all the way back to Scotland around 1000 a.d. Those ancestors came over in the mid-1600s. They settled in Virginia and then Mississippi. Some of them fought in the Revolutionary War. One left home at around 13 or 14 years old with his father's blessing to join the war. He wrote an autobiography. As soon as my mom gets me a copy I'll read it. He also wrote a handbook on theology that is still used today. Some ancestors were slave owners (we have copies of their wills bequeathing slaves to others) and some fought for the Confederacy.

 

My mom came across some information indicating her mother's ancestors settled in Jamestown. There are rumors of Native American blood on her side but no one has been able to verify that.

 

On my father's side they all came over very early on--mid-1600s again. They were from England and also settled in the South.

 

The family on my dh's side doesn't care that much about family history. He has some Native American blood that isn't too far back actually. His parents say that on his father's side, their ancestors came from England very early on and settled in the North. I think dh's ancestors and my ancestors found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield a few times. :)

[LibraryLover]

I know lots. :)

Edited August 8, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Jean in Newcastle]

The geneology of both my parents has been traced back many generations. As far as our family knows, only one relative had slaves. But I have a question about that because as far as I know, he lived in Iowa, which was a free state. So something is wrong in the records - he either didn't have slaves or lived somewhere else.

[Pink Fairy]

I have no idea how many generations we go back. I'm a mix of some sort, rumor has it there's Cherokee and Irish in there, but who knows.

[sbgrace]

Some lines are traced to the Revolution (maybe further, I don't know).

 

My mother's side is traced back far because the line qualifies for Daughter's of the American Revolution. It's published in volumes and it does include things like "father Indian passing through forest" at times if I recall! I'm not a member though I could be.

 

My father's mother's side is traced to the 1700's. I know my uncle is working on both sides of the family but my understanding is the father's side is harder to trace as far or something. I need to sit down and talk with my uncle sometime.

 

My husband's father's side is traced far back--I know they have Quaker at the time of the Revolution. I don't think anyone has researched his mother's side.

[kchara]

On my father's side, I know quite a bit. My grandmother traced our history pretty far back. I know that my great-great grandmother was Cherokee, and I know that someone in our family fought for the Confederacy. I believe there were some fighting in the Revolutionary War, as well, but I'm not 100% sure, I'd have to drag out the papers. I seriously doubt they were slave owners, although I can't be sure. Really, though, they were mountain people, poor as dirt, born and bred in Appalachia, so I would doubt it. I know we're Scotch-Irish.

 

On my mother's side, I don't know anything past my great-grandparents, and only that far because she (great-grandmother) died when I was an adult. I do know that one of my ancestors was lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, and that we're English and German by heritage on that side. (I call myself an American Mutt, I've got so many different heritages. :D)

 

Of my husband's family, his paternal grandparents came over from Ireland, but that's all he knows. He knows his mother's side is Irish by descent, but I'm not sure when they came over.

 

My DD is working on a badge in AHG this year that gets into her ancestry, so we're making this study a family project this year. :) I'm hoping to get the papers and family trees I have better organized and give them out to any of our families that are interested.

[Elizabeth in WA]

We have traced our history back to the 1400's, and some of my ancestors have been in the United States and Canada since the Mayflower. I have some native American ancestry, and have ancestors that fought in the Revolution, and and one that signed the Declaration of Independence. I know I have ancestors that fought on the Union side of the Civil War, and I may have had some on the Confederate side as well, but I am not sure.

 

Hah! My mom has traced ours back to the 11th century in Wales. And I also have a Mayflower ancestor. My mother remains heartbroken about my refusal to join the DAR. Apparently there is some pin she would get if she could get me (her only daughter) to join as well. I do, however, enjoy learning the stories of my more colorful ancestors.

[gardenmom5]

I've been doing research for nearly 30 years, and have also tapped into others work. I'm also a stickler for legitimate documentation and not just "stories" (they're a starting point) that may or may not have any bearing in reality.

 

I know ancestors from Holland, England, France, Ireland, Scotland started arriving in the early 1600's, no mayflower, (with documentation on one english line back to the 1400's - there are ALOT of people working on the line.), and were here by 1750 and two lines from Sweden and Prussia&Hanover that arrived in the mid 1800's. I even found photos of one 7ggf's house from 1750 CT online as the original owner after it was restrored and moved. In some areas, it really is, the farther back you go, the easier because everything documented has been published and you just go through those records.

 

I have one 2ggf I'd like to find - but all I know for certain is his last name and that he was briefly married to my 2ggm. she died, and her parents/sister reared the baby and he disappeared into the sunset. I haven't been able to find records, the counties invovlved didn't start keeping birth/death records until the next year. just ONE year.:banghead::banghead: can't find marriage records, churchs were sparse. when the focus of their life is daily struggle for survival - records aren't real important. I'm not even totally sure where in IL ggm was born . . . . and she grew up in MO. (which has been a goldmine for research. :) except for that one gggf. sigh.)

 

I have both northern businessowners and poor southern (came to MO through VA, TN, and KY) farmers. No slave owners - though there may be distant cousins ___ times removed who were. there was *one* slave in the entire Mo town that mother's side lived in since 1845. she was given as a "mother's helper" to the wife upon the birth of her first child. the slave was nine. when the emancipation proclamtion was read, she was 16 and told she could leave. the husband found her in the barn crying as she didn't want to leave. can you imagine how terrified she must have been? she stayed and worked as a nurse her whole life. when she died, it was standing room only in the church filled with white people.

 

people who were killed by indians and others who killed indians . . . I've found a few skeletons. they fought in the rev war, the war of 1812, cousins/uncles fought in the civil war on both sides, cousins/uncle in WWII. a great-aunt whose husband died when his sub was torpedoed. What shocked me was finding he was from the very town I live in now. there was hardly anything here in 1920.

Edited August 8, 2011 by gardenmom5

[Osaubi]

Do you know a lot or a little? I know a lot on my dad's side. In the 30's his aunt was commissioned by the government to do genealogy. She learned quite a bit and the genealogy lovers of the family add bits and pieces. We also had some DAR members that have done research.

 

Would you know if there were people of color (to include Native Americans) or slave owners in your family tree? Yes I had a lot of ancestors that intermarried with the Native Americans. It all started with an ancestor that went to Jamestown with a promise of 10 acres. Once he got there they said he was too young. So he went to live the the Native Americans. I have not found any slave owers so far.

 

Do you know which side of the Civil War your family fought on (or if there were people who fought on each side)? Some people were on a border state and sided with which ever was in town at the time so they could keep getting food and supplies.

 

Has your family been in the US for many generations or only a few? Many