The Mayflower

[BoldHighlander]

As Will Rogers use to say: "My ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat."

[Rex_Tremende]

During the colonial period, far more immigrants came to the Southern and mid-Atlantic colonies than the New England colonies, and are therefore far less likely to have intermarried with Mayflower descendants.

The significance of the Mayflower has over the years become a far overblown myth. The settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts, wasn't even the first permanent English colony in the New World. That was Jamestowne, Virginia, founded in 1607. The Mayflower didn't arrive until some 13 years later.

I have followed one branch of my family tree back to Richard and Isabella (Smyth) Pace, who settled in Jamestown. As Gilmore explains, I am probably one of those who have descended mostly from lower continental stock. But the branches get rather thin that far back, so who could say?

Regards,
Rex.

[Cerebite]

If you want to be technical, the Spanish at St. Augustine* were here before any of 'em, in 1565, to be exact -- and Sante Fe, New Mexico was founded in 1610, a decade before the Plymouth Separatists landed in New England.

One of my favorite sections [paraphrased] from Micheners Centennial[aside: a great writer of well researched historical fiction] is when the newly arrived northern European settlers [Irish IIRC] are telling the "immigrant" Mexican laborers to "go home immigant" not realizing that the Mexicans had European ancestors in North America going back 400 years

[McFarkus]

If you want to be technical, the Spanish at St. Augustine* were here before any of 'em, in 1565, to be exact -- and Sante Fe, New Mexico was founded in 1610, a decade before the Plymouth Seperatists landed in New England.

I think Rathdown's post was spot on, from a history teacher's point-of-view.
*The oldest European permanent settlement in North America.

Regards,
Todd

Of course, the English don't consider that anyone else matters.

[Coemgen]

But what about the Vikings? Weren't they in Newfoundland around 1000?

And how about St. Brendan the Navigator? Didn't he show up in Nova Scotia sometime in the early 6th century?

And weren't there some Phoenician inscriptions found in South America?

And I seem to remember something about Chinese anchors found off the coast of California.

[gilmore]

I have followed one branch of my family tree back to Richard and Isabella (Smyth) Pace, who settled in Jamestown. As Gilmore explains, I am probably one of those who have descended mostly from lower continental stock. But the branches get rather thin that far back, so who could say?

Regards,
Rex.

Not so. Most of the Jamestowne and other early Virginia lines are extremely well researched. See http://www.jamestowne.org and http://www.ancientplanters.org/

I also descend almost totally from Southerners, including Jamestowne immigrants Christopher Branch and John Rolfe, and the latter's wife, Pocahontas.

[gilmore]

But what about the Vikings? Weren't they in Newfoundland around 1000?

And how about St. Brendan the Navigator? Didn't he show up in Nova Scotia sometime in the early 6th century?

And weren't there some Phoenician inscriptions found in South America?

And I seem to remember something about Chinese anchors found off the coast of California.

There are all sorts of stories and conjectures of pre-Columbian Europeans in the Americas. Other than the Vikings, there is nothing that isn't highly disputed, and unlikely.

At any rate, the issue in this thread is permanent English settlements, and doubtless Jamestowne is the first of those.

[Rex_Tremende]

Not so. Most of the Jamestowne and other early Virginia lines are extremely well researched.

What I mean to say is that few of my family lines can be traced as far back as that, so I actually have no idea whether any of them orignated from Plymouth or anywhere else in the northeast.

Regards,
Rex.

[macwilkin]

Of course, the English don't consider that anyone else matters.

That's not just an English trait though...all of the colonial powers acted that way. Remember, the Spanish and Portuguese divided the world without consulting other nations in the Treaty of Torsedillas.

T.

[macwilkin]

One of my favorite sections [paraphrased] from Micheners Centennial[aside: a great writer of well researched historical fiction] is when the newly arrived northern European settlers [Irish IIRC] are telling the "immigrant" Mexican laborers to "go home immigant" not realizing that the Mexicans had European ancestors in North America going back 400 years

Aye, my wife can say a similar thing with some of her French & Spanish ancestors in New Orleans.

T.