Migration
Where Did My Ancestor Go?
by Lisa South, Certified Genealogist
John B. L. Soule wrote, "Go West, young man and grow up with
the country." Horace Mann used that quote in an 1865 editorial and
thousands heeded his advice. Actually, the United States was on the move
from the very beginning. Understanding why and how people migrated is helpful
in finding where your ancestors lived.
There are a variety of forces behind migration:
1. Trauma
• Political trauma such as the many Tories migrating to Canada during
the Revolution.
• Religious trauma, such as the Latter-day Saints expulsion to the
West.
• Economic trauma, such as that caused by the Dust Bowl.
• Sociological trauma, such as that resulting in The Trail of Tears.
2. New Opportunities
• Gold
• Cheaper or better land
• Improving personal circumstances
If you suspect your
ancestor
migrated because of trauma, get into the history books and learn about the
circumstances surrounding it. Some of you may need to learn all about The
Trail of Tears, while others should find out where in Canada the Tories
usually settled. The more you know about the trauma that forced your ancestor
to move, the more likely you are to learn what records might have been kept
and where they would be located.
Many of those that migrated in search of wealth or new opportunities were
single men - which can sometimes make them a little more difficult to trace.
When whole
families
or many families from a community moved together, they would leave a larger
"paper trail" and are therefore usually easier to find.
Census indexes are good tools for locating where an ancestor migrated.
Often a family or group of families would move in search of cheaper or better
land. Sometimes it would be a large group because of land lotteries (the
Oklahoma Land Rush, bounty land etc.) Homesteading offered free land and
many took advantage of this opportunity.
Land records sometimes give clues as to where a person migrated from. Homesteading
records can be very valuable (this will be covered in a future issue of
OGF).
Other records that might help establish your Ancestor's migration route
are
family histories (written
or oral), journals, county or local histories, and military records.
Maps are essential for success. There are many maps available that show
probable migration routes. As you study a map you can see if a mountain
could be circumvented or if there was a waterway to get travelers where
they wanted to go. As you search the records, plot a line of migration on
your map.
To find your ancestor's records you MUST know where they lived.