Of all the countries in the world to live in during the 1800s you would expect that the English people would be the most fortunate. By 1850 Britain strode as a colossus on the world political, military, and economic stages. It had extensive colonial possessions, including Ireland, much of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,…
Harley and Black Families, Western Pioneers
In the twenty years from 1845 to 1865 the United States underwent a period of change that still resonates over 150 years later. The annexation of Texas by the U.S. in 1845 set in motion the Mexican-American War resulting in a total land acquisition of the entire states of Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; and part…
The Swedish Connection
The mid 1800s was a disruptive period in the United States and nothern Europe. The US was divided in a civil war and the vast majority of Swedes lived in small rural villages, in constant fear of starvation, all manners of horrible diseases, and God. Researching family history during this period I’ve learned that my…