Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You apparently haven't studied your Southern genealogy very carefully. Nearly all of my ancestors, most who came here as indentured servants and weren't particularly wealthy had at least a slave or two. Just read a few wills from the early 19th century South and you'll soon see what I'm talking about. This myth of the slaveless small farmer is just that.
Most of the boys who fought for the South did so because they were expected to by their families and community. They were not fighting for some ideal of an independent South. Your history is revisionist at best.
Contrary to what some would like to believe there really was no honor in that betrayal of our country. I'm just happy that's one family shame I don't have to bear.
Differences of opinion is what makes the world go round. Slaveless small farmers is not a myth. One of my ggrandfathers was one. He had sons. Two had left home but still single. So, they "jined" up in Florida and "went off to see the elephant....". Both died for their efforts.
Now this self same ggrandfather, with sons but no slaves, married a woman whose father owned 25 slaves, though my ggrandfather never profited from that, so called, wealth. His FIL lost everything in the war but land and went on to live to the early 1880's, leaving everything to a collateral line grandson. By that time, my ggrandmother, his daughter, was dead.
there is honor, in my mind, that they fought, and fought well, when their homeland was invaded by what they considered were tyrants. You feel the way you want to but, don't denigrate others who feel differently.
How many here have ancestors who were Crusader knights? I know I descend from no less than 11 Crusaders. These Crusaders were from England, Scotland, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany and many other European countries. However, what many do not realize is that Crusaders did not limit themselves to the killing of Muslims. They also felt it was their Christian duty to kill Jews. The Crusades set the wheels in motion towards what happened in WWII. We can glorify and romantisize the Crusades because it happened too far in our past to be offensive to us. It also lacked modern recording of events, such as film and newspapers.
I do not in any way excuse the atrocious events carried out by Hitler and his thugs. What was done to the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally retarded, etc... was absolutely and disgustingly subhuman. But our crusading ancestors were just as evil in their deeds.
"On 27 Nov 1095, the Pope called on Europeans to go on a crusade to liberate Jerusalem from its Muslim rulers. "The first and second wave of Crusaders murdered, raped and plundered their way up the Rhine and down the Danube as they headed for Jerusalem." The "army" was primarily composed of untrained peasants with their families, with a core of trained soldiers. On the way to the Middle East, they decided that only one of their goals was to wrest control of Jerusalem from the Muslims. A secondary task was to rid the world of as many non-Christians as possible - both Muslims and Jews. The Crusaders gave the Jews two choices in their slogan: "Christ-killers, embrace the Cross or die!" 12,000 Jews in the Rhine Valley alone were killed as the first Crusade passed through. Some Jewish writers refer to these events as the "first holocaust." Once the army reached Jerusalem and broke through the city walls, they slaughtered all the inhabitants that they could find (men, women, children, newborns). After locating about 6,000 Jews holed up in the synagogue, they set the building on fire; the Jews were burned alive. The Crusaders found that about 30,000 Muslims had fled to the al Aqsa Mosque. The Muslim were also slaughtered without mercy."
It wasn't just Muslims and Jews they slaughtered, they had no problem slaughtering the Christians either.
Genealogists always tell us that we are related to John and Sam Adams. All I hear about is John's infamous Alien & Sedition Act. My cats name is 'Mr Rotundity'. Historians may know what I am talking about.
I'm a huge Jefferson fan anyway.
Being related to a famous person is way over rated. It has never done me even the slightest bit of good to my knowledge.
But I'm certainly not ashamed....just embarrassed about John's character flaw, vanity, that made him fall for the Alien & Sedition Act. It really tarnishes an otherwise stellar career.
You already know how much I love your posts....they often make me smile <s> and, a huge Jefferson fan here, as well.
Best post on the whole thread ! AMEN ! Or as they say, they burned the courthouse and all the records,when they left the county.......
Seriously....the ones who just "show up" with no history are the WORST! I got one who jumped ship (and most likely changed his name), another who appears to have made up a history for himself, and a gazillion others who just didn't leave records.
It's like, I find a big well-known family, and my ancestor has the same last name, living in the same town. So I think, "Oh this will be an easy connection!" Yeah...sure....somehow my ancestor always ends up the only unconnected one in the area. I find little evidence they're related, but not where they fit. Everyone else is mentioned in the will, bible records, etc, mine is nowhere to be seen. Happens everytime.
I know I am reviving this thread, but I was shocked to find out that I was related to the Briley brother's through my birth mom's mother. They brutality murdered 10 people in the late 1970's in Richmond, Virginia.
A great uncle was a bank robber and spent time in Walla Walla WA State Prison. He got drunk, went on a bender and some other Navy shipmates said to him, "We are going to rob a bank to get more drinking money. Want to come?" He said, "OK!" They were on shore leave in Seattle, WA from a Navy ship during WW II when they robbed the bank, were caught and went to prison. Thus ended their time in the US Navy. They were all kicked out of the US Navy on a dishonorable discharge. We never admit he did this! This is a HUGE secret the family has hushed up. I only found out by accident when he told me while on a bender. I was shocked and asked my mom. She confirmed it was true and told me to tell no one.
I have been told that I am distantly related to Slobodan Milosevic AND Benito Mussolini. I'm not sure how true it is, in fact I doubt it, but both parents insist on its truth. (Dad grew up in Italy and Mom's parents were Serbian.)
I have been told that I am distantly related to Slobodan Milosevic AND Benito Mussolini. I'm not sure how true it is, in fact I doubt it, but both parents insist on its truth. (Dad grew up in Italy and Mom's parents were Serbian.)
could be worse..it could be Hitler.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...snipped.....
