JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
The drive for most of those who came here early, I'm referring to the period of 1620 to 1760 would have a mix of religious freedom, which we have been taught, but also the great bait on the hook was the opportunity to own your own land in amounts impossible in Europe.
The indentured servitude program had clauses that granted either gold or real estate when the servitude period was met.
Lucky was the one who fulfilled his obligations and receive his allotted land, in our ancestors case Casper Jacobse had the good fortune of being sponsored by Van Ressaler, and being of good health became a holder of much real estate which he paid 6 beaver skins per year for! He owned several lots in Albany, his estate was next door to Philip Schuyler.
Six of his descendants served under Gen. Schuyler in the Revolutionary War and were granted land warrants. Which were used to claim land in Pennsylvania.
He was lucky not to end up in a southern colony where clearing swamps and planting tobacco and rice was the norm.
Rats! Now I must go back and look- you're bringing up names. Schuyler, Yates- counties in NY the New Amsterdam ancestors settled. Huson was one although at the time Hughson and fought for the Wrong George- we've never been able to figure out how in heck they managed to keep their lands, post war. The rest were Dutch. My aunt has a few back to their first days here, this makes me wish to know more. It does seem, no matter what, the human spirit chose that chance to go somewhere, no matter how hard or how great the odds.
Seems a combination, luck and some kind of insane drive. I mean really, for an indentured servant to know, the ridiculous amount of misery suffered that day could be endured because one day it could lead to being a landowner, a successful, independent citizen- took unimaginable vision. I don't know. A revolution composed of so many men like this could hold a clue of why we succeeded against such great odds.