Ancestry/Genealogy

kdmorris

(5,649 posts)

22. My father's paternal line were slave owners

Mon Jan 16, 2012, 06:02 PM

Jan 2012

His maternal line were abolitionists. I hated finding my Huffman ancestors on the slave schedules in Louisiana/Texas, but have always hoped that the maternal line made up for it (abolitionists who fought for the North - one of which was interred at Andersonville - Thaddeus Waters).

Of course, my mother's line (both maternal and paternal) seemed to be kind of "keep your head down and stay out of the fight" sorts of people. They didn't fight for either the north or the south and seemed to just want to farm.

For a long time I felt guilty about the slaves, but in truth, I would never own slaves (or testify against a witch) or kill someone, so I don't feel like I need to make excuses for my ancestors. They were what they were... I am what I am and it's not a slave owner.

(But, whether you wish you weren't related to them or not, it's still a good find!).

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Just found out that an ancestor testified in the Salem Witchcraft Trials [View all] csziggy Jan 2012 OP

One of my ancestors Coyote_Bandit Jan 2012 #1

as was an ancestor of my kids shanti Oct 2012 #34

I also have an ancestor back in that mess. I recommend reading "Salem Possessed: The Social jwirr Jan 2012 #2

I'll have to look for it csziggy Jan 2012 #5

Rebecca is one of the "witches" in my tree. Concidences! In fact this land thing you speak of is jwirr Jan 2012 #6

You might want to check out the Salem Witch Trials website csziggy Jan 2012 #8

Thank you. Marked it for reading later. jwirr Jan 2012 #12

I just spent 3 hours reading the site you suggested. INTERESTING. And unfortunately scary. With jwirr Jan 2012 #18

I think about the hate that people from this country have encouraged here and abroad csziggy Jan 2012 #20

Very frightening. jwirr Jan 2012 #21

Rebecca Nurse is also one of my ancestors! Nt WolverineDG Oct 2012 #35

Well, different circumstances, but I understand your feelings. Denninmi Jan 2012 #3

I have the same feelings about my ancestors who owned slaves csziggy Jan 2012 #4

I have family Sherman A1 Jan 2012 #9

Quite a few of my ancestors fought in the Civil War csziggy Jan 2012 #10

It was my Mom's family that links Sherman A1 Jan 2012 #11

Keep an eye on Fold3.com - used to be Footnote.com csziggy Jan 2012 #13

Appreciate the suggestions I will do as you suggest Sherman A1 Jan 2012 #14

That would be one very interesting research project to find out what happened to them etc. I would jwirr Jan 2012 #7

Fascinating. Thanks! frogmarch Jan 2012 #15

That's interesting! And I've found that Sidney Perley was one of the experts on Salem csziggy Jan 2012 #16

I agree! frogmarch Jan 2012 #17

Maybe some century humans will become truly rational csziggy Jan 2012 #24

Even in the late 1970s frogmarch Jan 2012 #25

When I first began digitizing our family trees in the mid 1980s csziggy Jan 2012 #26

We must also remember that way before Salem Europe was burning its "witches" at the stake. jwirr Jan 2012 #19

My father's paternal line were slave owners kdmorris Jan 2012 #22

Nearly all my Mom's ancestors were slave owners csziggy Jan 2012 #23

Are we cousins? CarlJamesweather Apr 2012 #27

Let me go through the surnames, but from what you describe, we're only distantly related csziggy Apr 2012 #28

Huffman ancestors dgibby Oct 2012 #29

Not that I've been able to verify kdmorris Oct 2012 #30

Very interesting. Maybe you have an answer to my Salem Witch Trial question: whathehell Oct 2012 #31

Goody was short for Goodwife csziggy Oct 2012 #32

Thanks for the link & the information -- I love uncovering the meaning behind these historic details whathehell Oct 2012 #33

Had some ancestors that defended TuxedoKat Jan 2013 #36

Here is a wonderful source for the witch trials csziggy Jan 2013 #37

Thanks! TuxedoKat Jan 2013 #38