A Little Bit of Patriotism

I was watching a TV show called “Who Do You Think You Are”. They work with random celebrities to find out more about their genealogy, apparently coming up with shocking and unexpected stories. I like history, and I like genealogy, so I decided to watch. Saw an episode about Tim McGraw. In their search of his ancestry, they found a list of names of people on a ship that arrived in New York in the 1730’s. They were identified in the document as “The Palatins”.

The librarian on the show said, “‘Palatins’ was actually the word that the English used for the Germans.” These people were listed as “subsistance”, meaning that they were being supported by The Queen. Why were they on the boat? Well, it seems there was a “book that was published in 1709. ‘A Complete and Detailed Report of the Famous Land of Carolina that Lies in English America.’ The Germans referred to this as ‘The Golden Book'”. It described the large piece of land as a sort of paradise, and falsely claimed that any German who travelled to England would be shipped to America for free and given free land.

So the Germans started showing up in England, and The Queen thought “hey, we could use these folks”, and they were shipped to America. Problem is, they were shipped with the understanding that they were debtors and had to work off their debt by doing hard labor for the British government.

Seems Tim McGraw’s relative who was 24 at the time said “screw this” and somehow managed to find a way to pay his debt, and within a few years, he was one of the largest land owners in Virgina. At one point a 16 year old George Washington crashed at their house, and they remained friends.

Now, Tim McGraw himself actually came from very humble beginnings. I missed the first half of the show, so I’m not sure of the details, but it seems that he started with pretty much nothing, sold all of his belongings for a bus ticket to Nashville, and made himself a superstar. Though it seems his ancestors at some point stumbled, he picked up again…the fruit not falling all that far from the tree.

It got me to thinking about something I’ve discussed with George a few times in the past. In the U.S., we’re not all superstars. Some of us are homeless, helpless, poor, or just simply lazy & mediocre. But if you really think about it, we sure as hell all come from some pretty hearty stock. This country was founded, and still operates, on people who take insane chances. I think we get lazy as the generations go by, but that gene is still running somewhere in the blood lines. And more importantly, new people are coming to the country every day, at great risk to their finances, health, family or mental well-being, injecting a fresh dose of that powerful spirit into the gene pool.

Or relatives who came here by choice gave up a lot, and were walking into a COMPLETE unknown. Mostly from across an ocean.  Like every great sentimental immigration story from the turn of the 20th century, my great grandfather Consoldane, a baker from a town outside of Rome, came here to seek the streets paved with gold. He totally ticked off his wife, who insisted she would never stay and only packed for a visit, leaving the rest of their worldly belongings behind. Fortunately brought my 2 year old grandma with her. The story goes that he never let her visit Italy again because he was afraid she would never come back to the U.S. He risked his career (he baked for the Vatican, which was probably a steady job) and his relationship with his family to come here because he was convinced of the success he and his heirs would (and did) have. And can you imagine being my Great Grandma? Being left behind, then getting on a ship with a toddler for a long journey to an unknown country? She could have stayed with her family. I sometimes wonder if she was really just THAT pissed off that she came out here to show him or her disapproving family, that she could.

George’s family has a pretty amazing set of stories that got him ultimately to Solon, OH. There’s at least one movie or novel to be created from it…the brave refugees. For example, his father escaped Hungary back during the Revolution of 1956. As I understand it, he snuck over the border, leaving behind other young men and women his age who were tortured and killed for wanting to do what he did…get out from under the brutal control of the Soviets who they bravely attempted, but failed, to overthrow. And I’ll tell ya, I knew his dad. He was definitely cocky, bold, a risk-taker, and probably a touch crazy. Perfect mix for an American settler. 😉

Though their stories were different, they all made a bold, brave move with a spirit that is indicative of “The American Way”. They came seeking an American Dream…they created the American dream.

And I will absolutely acknowledge that there are people in the U.S. whose ancestors did not come here by choice. But those who are here now are here because their ancestors were survivors. Proud survivors who had less than nothing, made new lives for themselves, and created a legacy. Again, creating the American Dream.

Again, sometimes it does seem to skip a generation or two, but damn! It’s in our blood! Let’s not give into mediocrity, people! What would our ancestors say?

xo
en