Posted on 07/16/2022 2:53:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In March 2008, I was 13 when my dad and I watched the TV miniseries “Roots,” which follows the fictional story of a man born in 18th century Gambia who is sold as a slave in America, and the many generations who come after him.
It inspired me to ask questions about my own family’s past. Suddenly I started searching online, interviewing older relatives, and exploring libraries and archives. Surprisingly, more than half of Americans can’t name all four of their own grandparents, and over 20% of black Americans have never looked into their family tree. But, as a result of my research, not only can I name all of mine, I can trace my family tree straight back to the 1790s.
SNIP
Huldah’s children also illustrate the importance of self-reliance and entrepreneurship in my family. Her son Edward B. Merritt, born in 1871, worked in real estate at a time when the majority of blacks in much of the nation labored as farmers or domestics. His son, John Sherman Merritt, was a homeowner in Greenwich, Conn., who worked four jobs to support his young family. John’s daughter, Adele Matilda Merritt, enjoyed a privileged Greenwich childhood complete with charm school, a penchant for photography, and later- international travel. And Adele’s daughter — my grandmother, Joyce Marie Watkins — was a small business owner who settled in Yonkers, NY.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Not to nitpick, but the country is called The Gambia, not Gambia.
No reparations for you. And, thanks for actually finding out your family history.
Traced the family way back AOK!! The problem today for many in the urban areas is just finding the father.
Very true along with the FACT that many slaves were practically considered “family” and were in fact treated so well that many continued to work for their former owners for pay after being freed.
I liken how slaves were treated to how people treat pets today. Yes, some pet owners are MONSTERS, but many pet owners love their pets and treat them almost like they are part of the family.
Imagine if 100’s of years from now it becomes despicable to own pets and that ALL pet owners of this time period are portrayed like some monster who horribly abuses their pets.
Yeah, that’s nitpicking. And nobody cares.
Officially, yes. Their mail kept going to Zambia so the government added the “The.”. It sounds like a joke, but it may actually be true.
In 1860, three years before the Emancipation Proclamation, The United States Federal Census Schedule reported 488,070 free black Americans. True, many might say quasi-free, since these African Americans could not vote. But free they still were — almost half a million of them — roughly 12.5% of the entire African-American population at that time.
She was a free black/ woman, who lived many years with the family of John Stewart
Birth About 1730– DEATH Unknown:!
My 6th great-grandmother!
Bingo!..... It appears Jerry Springer DOES provide a valuable service to urban yutes after all! .......... /s
I wonder if she is somehow related to the major CT highway known as the Merritt Parkway (route 15)
I guess the truth will out. Maybe. In time.
I met 3 of my 4 great-grandmothers and all 4 of my grandparents. My maternal grandfather and his people were sharecroppers in MS.
We rent roots once a year and play it backwards so it has a happy ending
In the late 1800s and even the 19s it was common practice at least in south central PA to “hire out” early teen children to farmers for wages in the summertime. My paternal grandmother Ida Burke was hired out to a farm in Maryland where they’d owned slaves, but after emancipation they stayed and worked for wages. Ida lived in the (former) slave quarters with the folks, and the black ladies taught her the Bible, and to cook and bake. And believe me, she could cook and bake!
(from https://gisgeography.com/gambia-map/, attribution required)
Awesome look !
What a heritage!
And I like that Bible.
Thank you for sharing.
I think there were differences between treatment of "house" slaves and "field" slaves.
You do NOT mistreat the people who prepare your food and are in your house while you are asleep.
My white Maternal great grandparents were also sharecroppers in MS.
“Black children grow up believing that their only history is a history of slavery. Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times’s 1619 Project, argued that America’s entire history is founded on slavery. The truth is more complicated, interesting, and nuanced than that.
“Researching my family’s past has given me a sense of belonging to this nation. I am part of the large story of striving and success that has built the American dream. All this has empowered me to walk with my head held high, and I hope it inspires others to look beyond the stock narratives of the present and find their own lessons from the past.”
Good for you, Mr. Richmond! Your research into your own family history is admirable.
“The truth is more complicated, interesting, and nuanced than that.”
Indeed it is.
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