Juneteenth is a little known holiday to many Americans. But it actually has a long history and has been celebrated for generations. In 1865 at the end of the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved Africans in the South. A year later, on June 19th, 1866, the order to free the slaves reached Texas, … Continue reading Three Reasons to Celebrate Juneteenth
Slavery
Andrew Jackson Isgrigg: A Family Civil War Hero
With so much discourse today on race, slavery, Confederate monuments and civil rights, I have been thinking back on my family history. History is often complicated because humans are complicated. In an earlier blog, I shared about my discovery that my earliest ancestors in America were slave owners. It was a difficult reality that I … Continue reading Andrew Jackson Isgrigg: A Family Civil War Hero
An Open Letter to Sampson and Lucy, The African Slaves Owned by My Isgrigg Ancestors
Dear Samson and Luck, You are part of my Isgrigg family that I didn't know existed until just recently. Nearly two decades ago, my father began a journey of writing the story of our Isgrigg ancestors who came to America in 1740. The story he discovered was that at the age of 16, our ancestor, … Continue reading An Open Letter to Sampson and Lucy, The African Slaves Owned by My Isgrigg Ancestors
Daniel D. Isgrigg 