Family History

Throughout the in depth perusal of America I have taken my research to a whole new level ,by interviewing my Grandpa. During our dialogue my questions were mainly around our family's struggle to get to America and why they wanted to leave the country where they lived. When I presented my Grandpa with these questions he seemed puzzled for a second then rattled out an extensive response, full of information. These questions were able to take my family knowledge to a place that my Mom didn't even know about. Gaining this in depth information about my mom's side, now this makes me wonder if I could be like to find out about my Dads side of the family and what makes me, me.

One of the most important questions I asked my Grandpa was “Why did your family come to The United States?” Throughout our learning about this topics the main reasons people come to America is for work and a better life. On my mom’s side of the family there were generally big families consisting of at some points,twelve people! Her family was split throughout Europe but kept in contact throughout but many of them still kept in contact throughout their lives by writing letters. I learned that most of them worked in factories, which were not always a pleasant job site. Later on,in the early 1860s, they heard of The Homestead Act in the great country of America. They saw they could get premium farming land for little cost, with the chance to make it big. In Europe they were very poor, living in tenements and struggling to find food, and they wanted to get out of this very depressing situation. So they decided to make the move and put their name in The Homestead Act and get a piece of this legendary deal. My Grandpa's great-great-grandmother packed their bags and headed to the great, land of the free. Once they got successfully through Ellis Island they headed out to make their living in Nebraska.Once they got the prestigious land they sent a letter that would change their families life. The letter entailed that they could come to America and make a living working on the farm, Which everyone humbly accepted.

The next question I challenged my Grandpa to answer was, “ How was life different in America compared to your beloved homeland?” He reiterated that everything was just better. He explained that the quality of living was better and everywhere you went to it was nicer and cleaner. In addition to this, you could also have more luxuries, which pleased his family. Dedicating their time and long hours on the farm. Allowed them to make a living unlike back home, which was a healthy surprise. On their farm they did the simple agriculture, which included wheat and corn. During these times, these were very needed resources in The United States, where they contributed a great deal.

My last question was, “ Did the dust bowl affect your daily lifestyle? If so, how did you deal with that challenge?” Grandpa stated that they didn't rotate their crops effectively so that lead to an overused of the land, Enough to when they had to leave their farm, They were not tight on money. He told me that during this time period their land was destroyed and the hopes of farming were dashed. He was told that, his family was disappointed but knew that there were other work options in different areas of the beloved country, which lead them to packing their bags and moving out to Minnesota. Once they got there, their whole family was dispersed throughout the smaller cities around Minneapolis. My family, migrated to these towns because Minneapolis was a big city with plenty of jobs in factories.during this period of time there were many people who worked at many different factories. From where he was placed his parents both worked in a odd factory which produces shoes. During the time they were working in the shoe factory my grandpa was born, Since he was born his mother had to take time off work. Which meant there wasn't as much money being earned plus now they had to support another person, Which lead to money being tight during his upbringing. Later on his life he also had a sister which procrastinated his mom from going back to work until he was 16 years old. He remembers during the time his mom went back to work his whole entire life changed. It changed in a way to the point where the luxuries were at an all time high.

Thankfully i've reached my knowledge on half of my family at an all time high. After this research I enjoy all the knowledge i've gained on this topic. This research, also makes me thankful for my lifestyle today. This makes me realize that what I may consider a struggle in my daily life may be a luxury or something they don't think twice about. Which makes me reconsider every situation that I consider “hard”, during the situation I like to think during my ancestors time what would they feel about this system. Mosty it leads to calm down and realize the position i'm in isn't bad and I can get through the situation. Thankfully for this research, I can handle my life more effectively which leads me to think your ancestry is more than just your family and your history.