Tracing Your Red River European Heritage
Genealogists who have mostly European family backgrounds often encounter a double-edged
sword. Though European Americans, being the ethnically preferred 'whites,' have usually left
some paper trace, researchers also learn quickly that documentation depended on
socio-economic status. Those with ancestors who weren't rich can run across lots of dead ends.
Culture
One of the most interesting things to learn from genealogy, however, does not rely on
statistical information, but on cultural belonging. White Americans often lament that they do not
have a distinctive cultural identity of their own. But if you know your family's geographical
background you can often discern what old European countries you can feel kinship with.
America is a very strict, class-based society (one of the many cultural traditions handed down
by the English), and some Europeans were 'valued' more than others. Hence, Americanization
came easier to certain groups than others. Then again, some cultural groups purposely
isolated themselves. Thus, ancestry becomes much easier to trace for those with ties to
German, Italian, or Czech communities
In the Red River Valley, however, most white settlers didn't come from overseas - they were
Americans seeking opportunity Out West. Hence, one of the biggest clues as to cultural
ancestry is the state from which the family arrived.
Upper South
Those who discover family from Tennessee or Kentucky - two of the biggest suppliers of
'whites' to the Red River Valley - were mostly from Scots-Irish-Welsh stock. These families came
to America in search of better economic opportunities and were comprised of yeoman farmers.
The first Americans to settle the Red River Valley, most of these early families did not own
slaves and generally did not favor secession, though they did fight in the Confederate Army.
Plantation South
While lower South pioneers had settled quite early in East Texas, most of these families were
slave-holders and carried on Southern plantation culture in cities like Marshall, Tyler, and
Jefferson. Their ancestry is a varied lot - though heavily English, many are Creole (a blending of
English, French, and African) or French. Often, French family names were 'anglicanized,' thus
making some names look English when the background is actually French.
Lower South
Poor families from the Lower South - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia - made up
the majority of settlers to the Red River Valley after the Civil War. These poor whites were
either yeomen or sharecroppers, escaping the harsh and often violent conditions of
Reconstruction. My own family is from this line - they trudged along the lower South for
generations, trying to make a living out of sharecropping before coming to Texas to own a
piece of land. These families are often of Scots-Irish-Welsh-English, French, or mixed ancestry.
Mixed race families (a horrible term for sure, as race is a social, not biological, construct) could
be comprised of Native Americans marrying whites, which, after the Indian Removal Act of the
1830s, made Native Americans 'white.' Or, the families could be the result of white slave
owners' sleeping with slave women.
What About the Spanish?
Because the Spanish never settled along the Red River Valley, not many families in this area
can trace their ancestry to the Spanish or Mexicans. However, the face of the Valley is
changing, and in the near future many families will be able to claim some Latin heritage.
Genealogists who have mostly European family backgrounds often encounter a double-edged
sword. Though European Americans, being the ethnically preferred 'whites,' have usually left
some paper trace, researchers also learn quickly that documentation depended on
socio-economic status. Those with ancestors who weren't rich can run across lots of dead ends.
Culture
One of the most interesting things to learn from genealogy, however, does not rely on
statistical information, but on cultural belonging. White Americans often lament that they do not
have a distinctive cultural identity of their own. But if you know your family's geographical
background you can often discern what old European countries you can feel kinship with.
America is a very strict, class-based society (one of the many cultural traditions handed down
by the English), and some Europeans were 'valued' more than others. Hence, Americanization
came easier to certain groups than others. Then again, some cultural groups purposely
isolated themselves. Thus, ancestry becomes much easier to trace for those with ties to
German, Italian, or Czech communities
In the Red River Valley, however, most white settlers didn't come from overseas - they were
Americans seeking opportunity Out West. Hence, one of the biggest clues as to cultural
ancestry is the state from which the family arrived.
Upper South
Those who discover family from Tennessee or Kentucky - two of the biggest suppliers of
'whites' to the Red River Valley - were mostly from Scots-Irish-Welsh stock. These families came
to America in search of better economic opportunities and were comprised of yeoman farmers.
The first Americans to settle the Red River Valley, most of these early families did not own
slaves and generally did not favor secession, though they did fight in the Confederate Army.
Plantation South
While lower South pioneers had settled quite early in East Texas, most of these families were
slave-holders and carried on Southern plantation culture in cities like Marshall, Tyler, and
Jefferson. Their ancestry is a varied lot - though heavily English, many are Creole (a blending of
English, French, and African) or French. Often, French family names were 'anglicanized,' thus
making some names look English when the background is actually French.
Lower South
Poor families from the Lower South - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia - made up
the majority of settlers to the Red River Valley after the Civil War. These poor whites were
either yeomen or sharecroppers, escaping the harsh and often violent conditions of
Reconstruction. My own family is from this line - they trudged along the lower South for
generations, trying to make a living out of sharecropping before coming to Texas to own a
piece of land. These families are often of Scots-Irish-Welsh-English, French, or mixed ancestry.
Mixed race families (a horrible term for sure, as race is a social, not biological, construct) could
be comprised of Native Americans marrying whites, which, after the Indian Removal Act of the
1830s, made Native Americans 'white.' Or, the families could be the result of white slave
owners' sleeping with slave women.
What About the Spanish?
Because the Spanish never settled along the Red River Valley, not many families in this area
can trace their ancestry to the Spanish or Mexicans. However, the face of the Valley is
changing, and in the near future many families will be able to claim some Latin heritage.
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| How to Discover European Family Origin The first place to look when trying to figure out your family's cultural origin is to check port logs. Like Ellis Island in Manhattan, Southern ports also kept records of those immigrating to America. Galveston and New Orleans were the two main ports that processed new arrivals. None of the passenger lists are free. Here are links to the lists: New Orleans http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx ?dbid=7484&o_xid=0028727949&o_lid=00 28727949&o_xt=39601402 Galveston http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=L ist&dbid=8722&ti=0 |
| Researching European Ancestry |
| Typical southern home. |
| Anglo Cemetery. |