Changes – Week 41 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Coming to America

Life is full of changes; nothing stays static even when we wish it to. One of the greatest changes in life that a person may experience is moving. It can be very stressful when it occurs because of necessity, but can also be a harbinger of hope. Many of my ancestors risked huge lifestyle changes when they immigrated to America, though many, particularly those in the 1600s and 1700s, thought of themselves more as settlers than immigrants. In the days before radio, television, the Internet, and airplanes, this adventure took a leap of faith for my ancestors to leave their European homes and move to a new world and a new life.

Many chose to make this journey because of the prospect of owning land. They often sought economic and religious freedom. They sometimes resented the class distinctions and hoped for equality while yearning for new opportunities.

In the 1800s, some of my German ancestors settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin along with many other immigrants from Germany. As I wrote in my blog post of June 26, 2021, “Immigration was a challenging prospect. In order to arrive in America, most German immigrants endured six weeks of ‘poor food, sea sickness, disease, crowded sleeping quarters, boredom, and death of others’ in order to have an improved standard of living (Germany/Prussia was in the middle of an economic depression during this time) and political and religious freedom. There was much anti-Catholic sentiment in Germany by some and families of both my great grandfather and great grandmother were Catholic.”

I created a chart of my ancestors who left the country of their birth and emigrated to America (these are the ones that I have identified so far). I have several 9th great grandparents who made this trek including Anthony and Susanna Colby, Edward Lloyd, Alice Crouch Hawkins Lloyd, John Watkins, and Colonel Ninian Beall. My most recent relative to emigrate was my grandfather, Malcolm McLeod, who moved to San Bernardino, California with his family in 1902 when he was two.

I listed my ancestors by date of birth and included their death. I was able to find some immigration records for a few and will continue to research to see if I can locate more. I have not been able to find the immigration records for all of my ancestors so I still have many questions. At this point I have not been able to locate any immigration information for my Dutch ancestors (VanDyke with the various spellings; Rous or Roweth; Runyon; Drake; Seward; Hyde). I do know that Dominicus  Hendrick VanDyke was born in New Jersey in 1731 so it is likely that his parents, his grandparents, or his great grandparents were immigrants. Since New Jersey was part of New Netherland this is probable.

I also have questions about the McLeod/Liggett side of the family. Both the McLeods and the Liggetts settled in Canada. The McLeods were from Scotland and perhaps England and the Liggetts were from Ireland. I will continue to research to see if I can trace the family any further back.

My personal migration patterns have been much simpler: California to Oklahoma to Kansas to Oklahoma to Kansas then back to California for 32 years and now living in Nevada. I appreciate the determination and courage that my ancestors took in their trek to America. With travel so much more accessible today, I have had the opportunity to travel both in the United States and internationally. It’s wonderful to experience other cultures and traditions.