My Trails into the Past

Not having any documentation on why my ancestors came to the United States, it becomes guesswork. My maternal ancestors likely came either before or soon after the Revolution. I have not yet discovered who the first ancestors were. My mother’s ancestors were all in the south and as I research back, I start in Texas and work back east through all of the southern states until we hit Virginia. Records are sparse for most of the families. Now my father’s side of the family are more recent immigrants, arriving in the United States during the 1800s. The Sullivans were the first, coming in 1860s. I have searched for the ship list but have not found it. Jeremiah and Mary Sullivan had eight children born in Ireland and one in Michigan. There is a nine-year gap, so they likely came before 1869, when Michael was born in Michigan. This was after the Great Famine. Jeremiah was a miner, so perhaps the mines were closing and the draw to the Upper Peninsula Michigan was a strong draw. Johan Anton ...