Motivation is always an important consideration in the actions that men take. Many reasons forced some of our ancestors to emigrate from their homes: religious and political persecution, starvation, banishment, and a myriad of other factors. Probably the one overwhelming reason that many came to America was hope, hope for a better life for themselves and their families. Some were brought to this country as prisoners, many were indentured servants but each of them hoped for a promising future. America offered the immigrant new hope, new challenges and a new future.

Many would amass great fortunes but most would manage to provide for themselves and their families and would lay the foundation for hundreds of years worth of descendants. For the most part, our ancestors were hard-working individuals who through skill, trade, agriculture and education provided as well as they could for their families. Most of our ancestors were people of faith. Religion was important to them and they taught their children that faith was the foundation of this life and the life to come. They are a people of which to be proud and through records, histories and stories they are presented here for you to get to know them.

As in all families, there are some individuals that are likable and there are some scoundrels who, due to circumstance or personality, are the black sheep of the family. There are artists, writers, nobles, kings, queens, emperors, clergymen, soldiers, generals, crusaders, farmers, merchants, tradesmen, servants and slaves but each of them has a name, a family and they are all together, our ancestors.