Recently discovered some of my family came on the Mayflower; anyone else?

[Anonymous]

Finding out interesting tidbits about family history is interesting. My family originally comes from Poland. My great great grandfather worked for the Austrian Viceroy of Galicia. His children were businessmen, teachers, professors and the odd socialist revolutionary. One attempted to assassinate the Russian Governor of Congress Poland. Other family members were Polish diplomats and soldiers, another is honored at Yad Vashem as Righteous Among Nations and another was executed in Auschwitz for fighting in the Polish Underground. All this is fascinating history, but has nothing to do with what I have achieved in my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finding out interesting tidbits about family history is interesting. My family originally comes from Poland. My great great grandfather worked for the Austrian Viceroy of Galicia. His children were businessmen, teachers, professors and the odd socialist revolutionary. One attempted to assassinate the Russian Governor of Congress Poland. Other family members were Polish diplomats and soldiers, another is honored at Yad Vashem as Righteous Among Nations and another was executed in Auschwitz for fighting in the Polish Underground. All this is fascinating history, but has nothing to do with what I have achieved in my life.

It may have nothing to do with what you have achieved but those people are an extension of who you are. No shame in that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, but I think it is really cool when people find out something interesting about their ancestors. My grandfather fled Nazi Germany and his stories always fascinated me.

When I was an AA student at the University of Chicago in the '70s, I had three Jewish roommates. One of my roommates' parents were sent to Auschwitz and showed me their tattooed identity numbers on their arms that were placed there at the camp. And when my roommate's mother put her arm around me and told me that 'contrary to popular belief, we Jews understand what your ancestors went through', I just broke down and cried.

I ran my fingers across those numbers, and the next summer during a group excursion to Europe and while we were in Munich, I made it a point to detour to Dachau. This had (and still does) such an impact on me that 20 years later, I took my children to Africa to see the 'Door of No Return'.

I speak only for me but I allow no one to approach me (or more directly, get up in my face) and denigrate anyone whose ancestors suffered so much during enslavement, African or Jewish. I have touched and felt pain, literally and figuratively.

No one should ever forget.

What a great experience. Not many people are greatly impacted by the sufferings of others that it leaves a mark on the soul like it did with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh boy, did one of the resident DCUM angries hijack this thread too? I'm a black man and I think it's cool to trace your ancestors back to historical events.

Ugh. Please STFU with your Stephen from Django ass.

LOVE! There were a lot of Samuel L Jackson characters back then, and apparently there descendants abound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AA here who is also a history professor. I have no probelm with anyone being proud of their history and lineage. My ancestors were slaves (we were able to trace back 1837) but post-slavery my kinfolks did some pretty awesome things (including a legislator during Reconstruction).

I think some of the problem is that people claim the positive parts of their lineage ("My family was on the Mayflower, isn't that cool?") but, at the same time, disclaim any negative apsects of that same lineage ("You can't blame me for the bad stuff our ancestors did - it was not my fault.") I am just saying that history is a positive and a negative story. Both should be ackowledged and told.

Bingo! Many of the white folks I know *love* to talk about history, visit museums that look into history, attend Renaissance fairs that reenact history, etc, but as soon as someone mentions the topic of slavery it suddenly becomes 'why are we dwelling on the past?'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, but I think it is really cool when people find out something interesting about their ancestors. My grandfather fled Nazi Germany and his stories always fascinated me.

When I was an AA student at the University of Chicago in the '70s, I had three Jewish roommates. One of my roommates' parents were sent to Auschwitz and showed me their tattooed identity numbers on their arms that were placed there at the camp. And when my roommate's mother put her arm around me and told me that 'contrary to popular belief, we Jews understand what your ancestors went through', I just broke down and cried.

I ran my fingers across those numbers, and the next summer during a group excursion to Europe and while we were in Munich, I made it a point to detour to Dachau. This had (and still does) such an impact on me that 20 years later, I took my children to Africa to see the 'Door of No Return'.

I speak only for me but I allow no one to approach me (or more directly, get up in my face) and denigrate anyone whose ancestors suffered so much during enslavement, African or Jewish. I have touched and felt pain, literally and figuratively.

No one should ever forget.

PP here who is the history professor. Goree Island was one of the most moving experiences that I have ever had. 20 million people passed through there on the way to slavery! I have not yet visited any of the "concentration" camps but they are on my bucket list.

[Anonymous]

Above poster - And before someone calls me on it, I will "acknowledge" that there are some historians who think that Goree Island's historical significane in the slave trade is overstated. Soo how easy that acknowledgment was? LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Above poster - And before someone calls me on it, I will "acknowledge" that there are some historians who think that Goree Island's historical significane in the slave trade is overstated. Soo how easy that acknowledgment was? LOL

It's an emotional significance regardless of what historians think. Just like "Plymouth Rock".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom claims that we are related to Mayflower folk, but she lies to seem more DAR-esque than she really is so who knows.

Haha. I have zero interest in DAR, but I recently did a very cursory bit of geneology research and discovered within about 30 minutes of googling that my great-great-great-great-grandfather fought in the revolutionary war, which I guess gives me the right to DAR membership. I have no idea why I would want it though. The history of being a white person in those times is not something I'd be particularly proud of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 11th generation here in US. I would doubt that a family could have only 8-9 generations and go back to the mayflower.

It's quite possible. I can trace my lineage back on one side to 1705. That was only 7 generations. My father is still alive, for him it would only be 6 generations. Mayflower was 85 years earlier, that would add 2 more generations at a rate of 40+ per generation (which is the unusually high average in my family) = 8 for my dad, or 9 for me.

In fact, my great grandfather was born in 1845. Some of my friends still have their great grandparents alive NOW! It really depends on how late you have children. I come from a long line of people who had children late, mainly because my ancestors are the youngest of many children or because they were the offspring of a second marriage after the father was previously widowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 11th generation here in US. I would doubt that a family could have only 8-9 generations and go back to the mayflower.

It's quite possible. I can trace my lineage back on one side to 1705. That was only 7 generations. My father is still alive, for him it would only be 6 generations. Mayflower was 85 years earlier, that would add 2 more generations at a rate of 40+ per generation (which is the unusually high average in my family) = 8 for my dad, or 9 for me.

In fact, my great grandfather was born in 1845. Some of my friends still have their great grandparents alive NOW! It really depends on how late you have children. I come from a long line of people who had children late, mainly because my ancestors are the youngest of many children or because they were the offspring of a second marriage after the father was previously widowed.

+1

Eighth great grandparents were 2nd generation Jamestown immigrants, about 380 years ago. As a descendent of so many dirty old men, I'm looking forward to a yummie nubile in middle age

[Anonymous]

dad's side of the family were dutch, came to Brooklyn in the 1600s.

[Anonymous]

No, my family was already here.

[Anonymous]

I have a time machine. Who wants to fact check some of this dribble. More look at me, look at me.

I had cream of broccoli soup for lunch today. My distant family created the original recipe. Cool huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a time machine. Who wants to fact check some of this dribble. More look at me, look at me.

I had cream of broccoli soup for lunch today. My distant family created the original recipe. Cool huh?

You sound very young and disconnected.