There are many uprisings that occurred in the world, both successful and unsuccessful. When we talk about them as aspects of history, often they mean more to some individuals than others because some people have personal ties to the event, war, whatever
In the United States there are organizations for ancestors of people who fought in the American Revolution and the American Civil war. I suppose members of these groups consider themselves more American or southern by being directly tied to these events.
So my question is simply what historical events are your family tied to and how?
To start here is my family story of how Im connected to the Irish Rebellion.
During the Potato famine of 1847, my family couldnt afford passage to the United States so they ended up going to Glasgow Scotland where my great grandfather was born. In 1905, my great grandfather took his family and wife who was pregnant with my grandfather and moved to Boston Mass. USA.. in seek of work in his trade as a boiler maker. They didnt like the USA and moved back several years after but not before my grandfather was born making him a US Citizen. ( thats important later in this story.)
The moved back to Glasgow where my grandfather and brothers and sisters where raised in the Irish slums of Glasgow. My great grandfather who now still had trouble finding work, began to be involved with people some would call, of questionable character. My grandfather rememembered the floorboards of their house being torn up at one point and filled with weapons that would later be picked up in the dead of night, taken to ships bound for Ireland.
This went on for awhile, eventually my great grandfather abandoned his family and went off to Ireland to wield one of those rifles. The details of what happened to him after he arrived in Ireland are unknown as my family never heard from him again.
My Grandfather, now growing up without a father in the Irish slums of Glasgow began to run with some kind of street gang. He was arrested on several occasions, once for throwing a brick through a base drum during an Orange parade which is when Protestants celebrated William of Oranges victory over the Irish Catholics at the battle of the Boyne. 12th of July.
My grandfather later spent time in prison for anti-government activities Im not too clear on exactly what they where, but I do know he had socialist sympathies, involvement with a criminal element and found that finding work in the mostly protestant city as an Irish catholic boy was next to impossible.
When he got out of Prison he was able to make his way to New York, as he was born in the States. His term in prison would have made it impossible for his immigration otherwise.
Anyway, thats my families story whats yours?
