America Archives – Page 5 of 18

Genealogy of the Switzers

This manuscript is an eclectic collection of various Switzer lines that all connect back to Valentine Switzer, the original immigrant to America in 1749. The surnames that follow are those surnames which can be found within the manuscript: Allen, Backus, Becker, Beckey, Berry, Bing, Bird, Blake, Brewer; Bumgardner, Burkholder, Canaday, Chapelle, Cherrington, Coffman, Copeland, Davis, Day, Dillon, Donaldson, Eppel, Fisher, Fulton, Gilfillen, Griffy, Guthrie, Hamlin, Haner, Hawk, Henderson, Herriman, Hesse, Hicks, Hinkle, Hodge, Hollingshead, Hoober, Hotzenbella, Hutsinpillar, Huver, Ingels, Jones, Kerns, Leonard, Livesay, Lott, Maddy, Mahood, Mauck, Morton, Parrill, Poher, Preston, Reeves, Reynolds, Rhey, Rhyne, Rodgers, Rood, Rothgeb, Schweitzer, Scott, … Read more

Dodge Genealogy Colonial Ancestry

Nicholls – Bruce Line The following is quoted from the book “Sergeant Francis Nicholls and Descendants of his Son, Caleb,” by Walter Nicholls. This book may be found in the Newberry Library, Chicago, Ill. The Nicholls-Bruce Lineage: King Robert Bruce, 1334; Robert Bruce Clackmanon, 1367; Sir Edward Bruce, Sir Robert Bruce, 1393; Sir David Bruce, Sir David Bruce, 1497; Sir Robert Bruce, Edward Bruce, 1565; Robert Bruce, Sir George Bruce of Carnock; Margaret Bruce, dau. of Sir George Bruce of Carnock, m. Francis Nicholls of London, England. Arms: A fesse between three lions’ heads. Crest: A tiger sedent, Ermine. Motto: … Read more

Famous Hunts of America, Past Generations

Following are some of the prominent Hunts in America, of past generations: BENJAMIN FANEUIL HUNT: lawyer; b. Watertown, Mass., 1792; d. New York City, 1857; elected to State House of Representatives, South Carolina, 1818; one of the “main props” of the Union Party in S. C. 1830-4; noted for his eloquence. CHARLES SEDGWICK HUNT: journalist; b. Litchfield, Conn., 1842; d. New York City, 1876; at beginning of Civil War he was acting master on the war sloop “Juniata”; reporter for the New York “Tribune”; financial editor of New York “Standard”; Albany correspondent of the “Tribune”, and on editorial staff of … Read more

Famous American Hunts of 19th and 20th Century

ALBERT CLARENCE HUNT: b. Clarksville, Ark., 1888; s. of William T. H-; grad M. Mil. Acad., Mexico, Mo., 1906; admitted to Okla. Bar, 1909 and began practice at Wagoner; dist. judge 21st Jud. Dist., Okla., 1921-25 assn. justice Supreme Court of Okla., Term 1925-31. Democrat; Mem. M. E Ch. Add. State Capitol, Okla. City, Okla. ANDREW MURRAY HUNT: consulting engr.; b. Sioux City, Ia., 1859; s. of Andrew Murray H-; grad. U. S. Naval Acad., 1879; unm.; engr. officer or several vessels of U. S. Navy; mem. Naval Steel Inspn. Bd., having charge of chew. work of inspn. and started the … Read more

Hunt Family Genealogy

Hunt Family Genealogy: A book, written by Henry Seaver, which provides a quick study into the genealogies of the Hunt Family – English and American. Reliable authorities have the following to say in regard to the origin and meaning of the name “Hunt”: “Huntsman. As Hunter the name of the office remains, a surname; shortened also to Hunt. Hunt-`to pursue,’ and is applied to the sports of the chase-to follow game. Old Norse-Hundi (a dog), Norman French-le Huant, German-Hund, Hundt, Dutch-Hunt, Welsh-Hund, Hunti. It may not be known to all our “Hunts” that theirs, the shorter form, was the most familiar term in use; hence the number that at present exist. We are told in the `Knight’s Tale’ of the-`Hunte and horne, and houndes him beside’; while but a little further on he speaks of-`The hunte ystrangled with the wilde heres.’ “

February 28, 1891 Amendment

1891 AmendmentAn Act to Amend and Further Extend the Benefits of the Act Approved February Eighth, Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-Seven, Statutes at Large 26, 794-96, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section one of the act entitled “An act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to Indians on the various reservations, and to extend the protection of the laws of the United States and the Territories over the Indians, and for other purposes,” approved February eighth, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, be, and the … Read more

American Missionary Association

Brief sketches from the American Missionary Association for the years 1888 to 1895. The main purpose of this organization was to eliminate slavery, to educate African Americans, to promote racial equality, and to promote Christian values. They discussed many missionary topics in each publication, Blacks, Indians, schools, and much more.

The Government and the Indians

On the 13th of March, some of the Secretaries of the missionary societies, and others interested in the welfare of the Indians, had an interview with President Harrison and with Secretary Noble, of the Interior Department. We were kindly received, and the Secretary solicited information from us as to the methods in which he could aid in furtherance of Indian civilization. A number of suggestions were made in response, and the following outline is given as a summary of the points presented to the Secretary: That the appointment or retention of all officers and employees in the Indian service of … Read more

Revolutionary Pension Records Index

This index links to a collection of Revolutionary pension records which includes images of entire pension files for soldiers and sailors who served during the Revolutionary War. These records reveal more details about the veteran’s history and service unlike selected service records chosen for genealogical content. They also contain more specific information about a soldier’s family, state of health, and life after the war.

Siege of the City of Mexico

On the death of Montezuma, his brother Cuitlahua, governor of Iztapalapa, had taken the supreme command over the Aztecs. He had been prime mover in the revolt, which resulted in the expulsion of the Spaniards from the city, and it was by his orders that their flight had been so fiercely followed up. At the present juncture, he sent heralds to propose a treaty of peace with the friendly tribe by whose hospitality the Spanish army was now supported, proposing the destruction of the whites, who had brought such woes upon the whole country. A portion of the Tlascalan assembly … Read more

Expedition Of Pamphilo De Narvaez

The jealous Cuban governor, Velasquez, enraged at his presumption in throwing off the authority under which he had sailed, fitted out a formidable armament, to overthrow the newly acquired power of Cortez. The fleet, under the command of Pamphilo de Narvaez, reached the Mexican coast, and news of its arrival were conveyed to Cortez in the month of May 1520. With his usual decision and promptness, the general divided his forces, and leaving the larger portion under Alvarado to maintain possession of the capital, he marched to check the advance of Narvaez. By the boldness of a night attack, followed … Read more

Stone Lined Graves

Stone graves-that is, small excavations which were lined or partly lined with natural slabs of stone-have been encountered in great numbers in various parts of the Mississippi Valley. They are discovered scattered and separate; in other instances vast numbers are grouped together, thus forming extensive cemeteries. While the great majority were formed by lining properly prepared excavations, others were created by erecting one upon another, forming several tiers, and covering all with earth, so forming a mound. In and about the city of Nashville, on the banks of the Cumberland, in Davidson County, Tennessee, such burials have been revealed in … Read more

The North Atlantic Tsunami

Between 2007 and 2012 scholars became aware of several archives and geological records, which described a catastrophic tsunami in the North Atlantic in 1014 AD. The date is especially relevant to the study of the Track Rock terraces. Currently, the oldest radiocarbon date for an agricultural terrace at Track Rock is c. 1018 AD – which actually could be 30 years in either direction. Forensic geologist Dallas Abbott of the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University has found evidence of a large meteor or comet strike in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, which hurled extraterrestrial debris over 3800 … Read more

1640 Virginiae et Floridae Map

1640 Official French Royal Map – Virginiae et Floridae

The Kingdom of France continued to claim what is now Georgia and South Carolina even though there is no record of any French settlements in the region after 1568. By issuing this map, the King of France also recognized the legitimacy of the Virginia Colony. The coat of arms of Great Britain are placed upon that section of North America. By this time, France had also established permanent settlements in Quebec and was claiming all of present day Canada, except for Newfoundland. This map is the first one to provide an accurate description of the South Atlantic Coast. It includes … Read more

1718 de L’Isle Map

In 1718 Guillaume de L’Isle published “Carte de la Louisiane” which was based on the 1703 maps “Carte de Mexique et de la Floride” and “Carte du Canada ou de la Nouvelle France,” credited to him, but actually done by his father, Claude. The 1703 maps were based on the explorations of Marquette, Joliet, La Salle, LeSueur, and others. These maps depicted the Missouri River extending as far as the country of the Omaha Indians, the “Rivière Longue” of Lahontan, the full course of the Mississippi River and, for the first time, an accurate representation of the mouth of the … Read more

The Claims of the Indians on the Government and People of the United States

In the existing state of the Indians, and of our connections with them, what do we owe them? What are the duties, in reference to them, of the civil, and of the religious community ? The duties of each are different, but connected. Neither, alone, can do all that seems necessary to be done. There is enough for both to do; and a necessity that there should be mutual cooperation. The Government, according to the law of nations, having jurisdiction over the Indian Territory, and the exclusive right to dispose of its soil, the whole Indian population is reduced, of … Read more

Civilization of the Indians

When we look back in the pages of history four or five hundred years, and see what then was the state of our own Ancestors, and whence sprang the most polished and scientific nations of Europe, we should scarcely have supposed, that any man, acquainted with history, or making any pretensions to candor, would be found among the objectors to attempts to civilize our Indians, and thus to save them from perishing. Yet, painful as is the fact, objections have been made to the present course of procedure with Indians, and from men too, whose standing and office in society … Read more

Education Families

I give this name to those bodies which have been commonly denominated Mission Families, because it seems better to describe their character, and may less offend the opposers of Missions. By an Education Family I mean, an association of individual families, formed of one or more men regularly qualified to preach the Gospel, to be at the head of such a family; of schoolmasters and mistresses; of farmers, blacksmiths, carpenters, cabinetmakers, millwrights, and other mechanics-of women capable of teaching the use of the needle, the spinning wheel, the loom, and all kinds of domestic manufactures, cookery, &c. common in civilized … Read more

Indian College

As an important aid to the Government in their project in regard to the Indians, I would suggest the expediency of establishing. In some suitable situation, a College, for the education of such Indian youth, as shall have passed through the primary Indian schools with reputation and promise. Here, under competent instructors let them be prepared to teach their brethren of the wilderness, all, even the higher, branches of useful knowledge. Let this College be liberally endowed out of the avails of those public lands, which have been purchased of the Indians. To what better purpose can a portion of … Read more

Society for Promoting the General Welfare of the Indian Tribes

I would suggest the expediency of forming a Society, with the above or a similar title to be composed of members from each of the States and Territories, and of all denominations of Christians within the U. States. This Society to be placed under the patronage of the principal officers of the national Government. The object of this Society is summarily stated in its title. It should embrace everything which such a Society could do, that has a bearing on the improvement of the whole Indian population of our country, in all branches of useful knowledge. For these purposes it … Read more