Re: OT getting in touch with my American roots

Posted by Tony in Mass. on August 27, 2013 at 19:35:33 from (76.127.225.182):

In Reply to: OT getting in touch with my American roots posted by Edd in KY on August 26, 2013 at 19:58:53:

Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see

She comes from some very unpolular... most part unknown.. part of early American History.

My hunch, bet the farm? Samuel's father was in The American Revolution, maybe the entire 7 years of it. Many veterans from that area, Hampshire and Franklin County Mass, were gone so long, there was no real income from the Colonial Army, IOU's, their families hit up friends and relatives to get by.... then the new government that replaced the colonial / London Appointed one they fought so hard against... really took them to the cleaners. Forclosures, tax leans, threat of forcing children into servitude, no VA bennies like what is flying around by the billions now.

A former officer in Washington's army, Daniel Shay from a few- very few miles from Samuel's town, lead a relvolt and an armed march to Springfield Mass, the arsnel- later famous armory, was the only Federal institution to hold hostage. Demands for some sort of allowance for years spent in the war, even if it was just a tax deferment, never mind bennies. 'Shay's rebellion' was met by federal troops- some their former barracks buddies.... who captured them and held them as traitors. Sentenced to death.

George Washington himself intervined, letting all of them go unpunished, but basicly telling them 'hey that's the way it's gunna be from now on' put up with the new government, or go elsewhere. He had similar rebellions in Pennsylvania at this time too. Lots of ...what's the five dollar word?? 'disenchanted'??? unhappy campers anyway.

So, as they got enough cash to pull it off, most, some say nearly all of the 'Shays Rebellion' former patriots packed their familes and what the tax collector's didn't take, and moved to Canada, most between 1787 and 1790's. Some straight up the Conneticutt River to Quebec Eastern Townships, some into the St Lawrence Valley. One of these disheartened patriots wasn't famous, but the pond on his new farm is... 'Meach Lake'.... another miserable ex- minuteman, who died a content Canuck...

They had to sign an apology for taking up arms against the crown, and pledge an oath to King George.... who 10 years before, were sworn to fight to the death. Some of these families were supposedly made to fight each other in 1812, British officers tried to form units of ex Yankee's sons to take on US army units. Thing is, very few people in Mass supported the war in Canada, so it's unlikely cousins ever fired at each other.

Montague is a small place, small local historical societies all around here, so I'm sure the family name will pop up.

Winsdor Vermont would have been like the wild west in 1785, on one of 'Roger's Rangers' raiding routes in the French and Indian Wars.

So tell your better half she is part of a very interesting part of ... North American history. I think that is awesome!

My email is open, contact me, if I can find websites that look like good leads, I'll forward them to her.

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