History of Migration in America

Since the first new settlers arrived in America several centuries ago, people have been coming to the United States for a variety of reasons: to find land to farm, to get an education or better job, to earn money to send home, to practice their religion freely, or to escape famine or war, just to name a few. Others came by force. Whatever the cause or reasons, this immigration is what made America the melting pot that it is today.
It wasn't until the later part of the 1820's that the number of immigrants per year was over 10,000, and from that time on, the numbers kept growing. The first real bursts in immigration came in the 1840's and 1850's, when poor harvests forced people to leave Great Britain and Northern Europe. Most of them came to the United States in order to survive -- there simply wasn't enough food to support the population. So, between 1845 and 1860, more than 3.5 million people arrived in the United States in search of a better life.
In the early years, the influx of immigrants was tolerated, if not altogether welcomed. Immigrants helped populate the growing country, and a majority of them were English-speaking Protestants, so they blended in well with the rest of the population. However, as more and more Irish and European Catholics entered the United States, previous immigrant Americans began to protest. They feared both cheap labor and the possibility that a large Catholic population would increase the influence of the Pope in the United States. This fear spawned the "Know-Nothing" movement, a group of individuals who wanted stricter controls on immigration and naturalization.
By 1870, roughly one-eighth of the population was foreign-born, and the opposition to free immigration continued. In answer to the protests, the U.S. government passed laws to regulate immigration. For example, in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act disallowed entry of all working-class Chinese. Later laws also barred people who had no money, individuals with certain diseases, anarchists, and individuals who were deemed insane.
The United States government set up quota systems with the National Origins Acts in the 1920's. These quotas heavily favored British and Northern European immigrants over those from Southern and Eastern Europe. At the time, Americans were more accepting of the British and Northern Europeans, while the cultures and cheap labor offered by Slavs, Greeks, Italians, and other Southern and Eastern Europeans seemed more threatening.
The quotas remained in effect until 1965, when the government adjusted them to allow for even more immigration from all countries into the United States. Now, even those quotas are slightly more relaxed. In the post-World War II era, the U.S. government has made exceptions to the quota rules when political situations in other countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and Cuba have made it necessary.

The earliest European settlements in the United States were concentrated on the East Coast. However, as the country and population have grown, people have slowly migrated towards the West Coast. In the beginning, people moved west because that's where some of the best and cheapest farm land was. At the time of the Revolutionary War, soldiers were offered free land as payment for their services. Then in the mid-19th century, the government offered free land to homesteaders who would live and make improvements on a piece of prairie land. The government also offered subsidies to railroad builders, who spurred the growth of towns across the United States.
Later, as the importance of agriculture died out, people moved where they could find jobs in the booming industries. Whether it was oil in Texas, cars in Detroit, or movies in California, when an industry died out, families moved to the next booming area.
One notable wave of migration began in the 1920's. As the National Origins Acts effectively reduced the number of foreign immigrants, more labor was needed in Northern factories. Thus, many African-Americans from the South took advantage of these job opportunities and began a new life in the North.
Since the 1960's the main migrations have been towards the West and the South. People have continued moving west for the climate and quality of life. The southerly movement was spawned by retirees who also prefer the more temperate climates, as well as the lower cost of living.


You must realize by now that migration for what was to become America, led from Jamestown, down to Virginia and the Carolina’s. Then when Daniel Boone built the “Wilderness Path “, in to Kentucky, and Tennessee. All of the migration to Missouri came mostly from Kentucky and Tennessee. At that time, part of Kentucky belong to Virginia, before Kentucky became a state in 1797. There are a lot of Rice's in Kentucky, who settled there before statehood. The Rice’s migrated from Virginia, I suspect after the American Revolutionary War.
Military/Pension Land Warrants were used a lot in Kentucky. These warrants were issued to soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, instead of pay they got land warrants. Some of the Land Warrants were issued by the British, to those that help them fight the war, as if they really had a right, after that war, to give land away. History will show, that the very reasons that started Wars, those problems, seem to linger long after these Wars had ended. This also led to the War of 1812, when we finally kick the British boot out. These Land Warrants could be sold or given to others, many were given to other family members. They were like cash tender. By 1825, the warrants were no good in Kentucky., and Missouri and Illinois became public-domain, where you could buy 100 acres of land for $4. Sometimes the land would be auctioned off. “Squatters” were people that settled land before a territory had become a state. After statehood, these people were offered to buy the land for $1.25 an acre up to 160 acres, and some of these folks lost their land in auctions.
Once that Daniel Boone cut the "Wilderness Path" to Otter Creek Kentucky., people came not as individuals, but as church congregations. Old family bibles have been found to contain entire list of migrations of individuals from a church group. The whole church would just get up, and move. When they settled, OLE Joe would build the school, and OLE John would build the church. All of the families had 10 to 20 kids, and a lot of these children did not live to adulthood. There were a lot of health concerns, but very little medical assistance. They were just like family, building together, and helping each other, many of these early settlers intermarried with each other’s families. Some of the same families moved with the Boone’s from Pennsylvania to Virginia, then to Kentucky, and even on to Missouri in 1799. All of those families intermarried with each other. You will see that the Boone’s, Hay’s, Collin’s, Wilcoxin’s, Word’s, Howell’s all married together. The Rice’s married into the Bailey family seventy-five times over a one hundred year period.
Folks married much older back then, the men worked the farms with their parents till they had enough money to have there own place, or inherited their parents land. Jonathan Rice was 36 years old when he married Elizabeth Porter, she was 18. Their youngest son Edwin was born in 1860. the same year Jonathan died. There wasn't any law, so they didn't take much to strangers, and handled things, of that sort, the best they knew how.
After you study Genealogy for awhile, you begin to see that every generation since the 1600’s up to the 1800’s had migrated. It was kind of like a family tradition, My father migrated, and now I must do the same thing. Whatever the reason was for migration, pioneer life was not easy.

In the News
This is a heart wrenching article "Doctors struggle to save wounded Marine". The reality of War continues to fill our news. This article proves there are heroes on and off the battlefield. "Semper Fi", Lance Cpl. James W. Higgins.

Song of the Week
John Legend has a new album out this week called "Once Again". This is my favorite "Save Room".

The New 7 Wonders of the World

The commonly known Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were all man-made monuments, selected by Philon of Byzantium in 200 B.C. Today, only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt remain.

His selection of wonders was essentially a travel guide for fellow Athenians, and the stunning sites were all located around the Mediterranean basin, the then-known world.

The monuments he chose, to be remembered in perpetuity, were:

The Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Temple of Artemis
The Statue of Zeus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
The Pyramids of Egypt

All had been built between 2,500 B.C. and 200 B.C.

Now, just as Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1896 with his modern version of the competition, New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber is seeking to revive the concept of the 7 Wonders of the World with this ambitious global campaign, the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The key difference is that, this time around, they will not be chosen by one man, but rather by millions of people all over the world.

The new wonders that are selected will be the people’s choices, and they will be drawn from the earliest time that humankind walked upon the earth up through the year 2000.

It is, therefore, possible that the only survivor of the original 7 Wonders of the World, the Pyramids at Giza, could be chosen for a second time, taking them well into a third millenium of fame!

The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07.

I have spent most of the week at this website, browsing through, and learning about all 21 structures. How interesting, we can all be a part of history, by voting on something so historical. I have almost made my final 7 decision vote, but I am still researching these structures. I have included a link on the sidebar of this blog for your convenience, and for your own vote. Have fun browsing this site!

In The News
- The whole world is watching to see how we handle the Iraq War. We have called the Generals back in for new strategies, because the first set of strategies, did not include contingency plans in case we fail. This is the most important part of the strategy process, ask any executive, with any Fortune 500 company. Maybe we need to put Donald Trump on contracted labor. If you think that Westpoint Graduates, and Generals have a monopoly on War Strategies, just look in every boardroom with American business. Let's get street smart, and invite some civilians into this strategy. If you think that inviting the "Blood" and the "Crips" to this strategy is outrageous, think again! Im tired of these people, beheading our people, in the name of Allah. Let's get some "meat" behind this next strategy.....Whatta ya say!!....I mean...if we HAVE to be there.......let's get in there, and kick there ASS!
- The "Foley Sex Scandal" has once again reached in to the Catholic Church. Foley's boyhood Priest, says they were naked in a hot bath, there was some fondling going on, but nothing abusive..............because he (Foley) seem to like it..............-------->HELLO....WAKE UP.........HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD!! Is this how the Priest...hood justifies there actions. It is a "Hood" ya know!...sick...sick....sick!
- Our bi-polar friend in North Korea apolgized this week, and has promised, no more Nuke test. China shut off their bank accounts earlier this week. Oh YES, I remember, when my mother used to pinch me in the back of my upper arm. OUCH!....................and I did exactly as I was told.
- Country music star, Keith Urban, has checked himself into Alcohol Rehab. Mr. Urban, recently married Nichole Kidman, after a short romance. My question is this, did she check herself in also? Im not stupid, this was one big party to start with, and he surely doesn't drink and party alone. This is the same thing that happen to Rene Zellweggar, and Kenny Chesney. After six months, honeymoon, and the party is over, now we have to learn to live together. That's right, no matter how much money or fame they have, they have to mature together emotionally, without drugs and alcohol, just like the rest of us. This primal process of every human relationship amazes me! Ain't life a bitch!!
- Once again we are censoring our Artist. NBC has decided they will censor Madonna's up coming concert, "Confessions". They will be censoring the part where she is strapped on a mirrored cross, complete with a thorn crown. Tonight I have included the theme song to the 007 classic movie hit "Goldfinger", by Shirley Bassey. Back then, they did not have ratings, you just went, and watched what you wanted. I guess I was twelve, when in 1964 the movie depicted a character named "Pussy Galore". According to Wikipedia, she was the head of the all Lesbian gang known as the "Cement Mixers". Yes...after watching this classic some 100 times in the last 40 years, my mind is warped with sex and drugs. The thought police are looking for me...............Just the stupidity of such censorship, to question our own intelligence about such matters. I am allowed to think what I want, when I want, quit insulting me, by trying to control the way I think, it makes you want to go make "Toilet Confessions"...........I'm puking Galore!

Songs from the Past

I thought I would include some songs tonight, some more oldies. I have a new link out on the sidebar. It is internet radio 24 hrs a day, Maurice Watts website. Maurice has been a Disc Jockey in Harlem, NY, for almost 25 years. I enjoy listening to his Love Zone station. Give it a try, I think you'll like it too!

Roger Miller - King of the Road (Original Version 1964)

Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger (James Bond 1964)

Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In Crowd (1965)

Have a wonderful week!

Biography of Seth Hays

You like my Halloween Costume? I guess you know by now that Al Gore and I started the internet!!


The story of Orville Word and his father, John Word, is exhaustive. I have spent many hours researching this family. My 3rd Great Grandmother, Eliza Wilcox Hays, who married Orville Word, had a brother name Seth Millington Hays. He is my 2nd Great Uncle. The Boone family, the Hays family, and Orville Word were owners of all the trading post up and down the Sante Fe Trail. Here is the story of Seth hays.



Biography of Seth Hays

In 1839-1844 Seth M. HAYS was living in Westport, now part of Kansas City, Missouri. In 1844-1845 Seth HAYS, about thirty?three years old, followed the Kansas River west into present day Kansas.
April 1845 Charles B. Chouteau and Seth M. HAYS were in charge of Frederick Chouteau's trading post (located on what is now Mission Creek in the westernmost part of Shawnee County, west of Topeka, about two miles from the Kansas Indian Mission that Methodist missionaries had founded in 1835).
In the spring of 1846 the Kansas signed a treaty with the government, ceding their land along the Kansas River in exchange for a new but smaller reservation located along the upper valley of the Neosho River, in what is now Morris County, Kansas. Seth HAYS, perhaps sensing that Chouteau's trading post would soon close its doors, returned to Westport.


April 1847 At Council Grove on the Santa Fe Trail, Albert G. BOONE (grandson of Daniel BOONE, and cousin of Seth HAYS. His parents were Daniel Morgan Boone, son of Daniel and Rebecca, and he married Zerilda Randall) and James G. HAMILTON, of Westport, Missouri, (by virtue of their Kansas Indian trading license) established a trading post on the Kaw reservation. Boone and Hamilton placed bachelor Seth M. HAYS in charge. Seth M. HAYS, a citizen of Westport, Missouri, having obtained a license from the Government to trade with the Indians in "Kansas."
April 1847 Seth M. HAYS was the first permanent white settler in Council Grove. When he arrived in 1847, he brought with him a Mexican teamster, who also was a handyman and interpreter, and a freed black slave (Aunt Sallie).
Seth M. HAYS built a log cabin (trading post) near the west bank of the Neosho River near where the Commercial House later stood. He lived there with Aunt Sallie, his housekeeper.
Mid May 1853 At Council Grove, there is a large, well furnished store (run by Seth M. HAYS), where a constant supply of everything required for the road is kept.
Soon after Kansas Territory was organized in 1854, the government ordered a census of the territory. When census taker James R. McClure arrived in Council Grove the following year, he reported that there were thirty?nine people living there aside from the Indians. He also noted that Seth HAYS operated a well furnished store and "kept for sale all kinds of goods needed by the constant stream of teamsters" who passed through the settlement following the Santa Fe Trail.
1857 The HAYS House, said to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River, was founded by Seth M. HAYS.
The Council Grove Town Company was organized in 1857, with Seth HAYS, Thomas Huffaker, the Chouteau brothers, and a few other residents as stockholders; and in 1858 the territorial legislature approved the incorporation of the town.
February 2, 1858 Hezekiah Brake, Mr A., Louis Boyse reached Council Grove that night, and began our arrangements for the trip to New Mexico. Seth M. HAYS kept a store and an outfitting station at Council Grove at this time. He had in keeping now six small Mexican mules, a good pony, a large wagon, and various other necessary acquisitions to our outfit. It took us four days to get the animals ready and lay in a supply of everything needful for our journey. An freed slave who worked for Mr. HAYS roasted coffee, made cakes, and gave us a keg of pickles and sauerkraut as relishes.
October 1858 The first term of the court was held, and the place of holding it was in the old log cabin built by Seth M. HAYS. The court officers were: William Weir, of Wyandotte County, was prosecuting attorney; L. McCarthy, clerk, and W. B. Harrold acted as Sheriff. The place where the jury deliberated upon their verdict was under the shade of a tree that stood in the yard.
1867 Seth Hays adopted a daughter. This is the same time frame that the Quaker Manual Labor School closed (reopened 1869?1873). His daughter was not Kaw (Morris County Historical Society).


1867 The Seth HAYS home was built of bricks from a local factory and native lumber. Hays slave, Aunt Sallie, lived in the basement and cared for the family until her death in 1872.

1868 The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (Katy) Railroad, built through Morris County in 1868, passed through and brought citizens to Council Grove. Wagon freighting over the Santa Fe Trail began to decline. Seth HAYS sold out and started a saloon called the Brown Jug. To attract attention in the growing community, HAYS hired a man with a bagpipe to entertain customers. His business prospered, and when members of a church were without a meeting hall, HAYS let them use his saloon. When the church held services, he would remove all evidence of his business and would cover some of the walls and the bar with wagon canvas. The Brown Jug was the first school in Council Grove.
1872 Seth HAYS's housekeeper, Aunt Sallie, died. Her funeral was held in HAYS's home.
1873 Seth Hays died and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery at Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas.
SOURCES: [Ref. Barry, Louise. The Beginning of the West ? Annals of the Kansas Gateway to the American West (1540-1854). Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society, 1972. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 78172252] [Ref. Dary, David. More True Tales of Old?Time Kansas. University Press of Kansas. 1984]


Seth Hays - Oliver page 267: Unmarried ; adopted daughter: Kittie Robbins Hays



Hays House 1857
112 West Main, Council Grove
Town founder Seth Hays, a grandson of Daniel Boone, opened the Hays House in 1857. Over the years, the Hays House was a gathering place for church services, court trials, bawdy theatricals and politicians' speeches. Among its early patrons were George A. Custer and Jesse James. Today the Hays House is famous as the oldest continuously operated restaurant west of the Mississippi River and the home of fantastic fare. (Order up the marinated brisket, Beulah's Ham, the crispy chicken fried in cast iron skillets, or the fresh peach pie topped with real cream and you'll agree with the rave reviews.)
The town founder, Seth Hays, built this home in 1867. His slave, Aunt Sally, lived in the basement and cared for the family until her death in 1872. Operated as a museum by the Morris County Historical Society, the home is open in the summer on Sunday afternoons and by appointment.
A great deal of the history of Council Grove is embraced in the narrative history of the county, some of which it will be necessary to repeat in order that the history of the organization and growth of Council Grove as a city may be the better understood. The city is located on the Neosho River, and is 170 miles west of the Missouri River. The greater portion of the city, probably three?fourths of it, is situated on the west bank of the stream. The land upon which the city is built was once part of the territory embraced within the Kaw Reservation. The first white person that settled in Council Grove was Seth M. Hays, who came in 1847 to establish a trading post for the purpose of trading with the Indians. The first house built in Council Grove was by him, which was a log cabin, and which stood on the north side of the old Santa Fe Trail, and but a few rods from the west bank of the river. This cabin served the double purpose of being both a dwelling and a store.
Hays Stock Ranch, Near the mouth of Diamond Creek 1854. Established by Seth Hays who also had an Indian Trading Post at Council Grove. Same as Cottonwood Ranch or Station. (Agr. Rept. 1877?8, p. 136; Andreas, p. 1356.)
Seth Millington Hays, of Council Grove, buys the land at the mouth of Diamond creek for a ranch. By a treaty with the Osage Indians the purchase of land by settlers had been provided for. William Harris is put in charge of this ranch.Aside from the Hays ranch at the mouth of Diamond creek there was then no other settlement in the territory of what is now Chase county.
Seth M. Hays, of Council Grove, states that he came to Council Grove in 1844, and shortly after, the Neosho was dry for 18 months. When the land sales were made in 1854, he bought his farm on Osage bottoms, at the mouth of Diamond creek, because more grass grew there than in any other part of Wise county.
Source: Seth Hays-Council Grove on the Santa Fe Trail The Kansas Heritage Server would like to thank Stephen Chinn (Steven.Chinn@Vanderbilt.edu for providing this information

Song of the Week
This is dedicated to the Vietnam Veterans who died and left loves ones behind. Bless you!.........Dixie Chicks "Traveling Soldier".

Funky Soul and a Blast from the Past

I guess you know by now that I am a music fanatic. Yes ......I own a virtual history of music dating back to 1910. I think I have some music from about every year, and from just about every genre. When I was about 15 years old, we used to go camping at Bennett Springs State Park, in Missouri. This was a family thing, and yes we would go about every weekend. When I got older I figured out that this was my fathers way of keeping me out of trouble. But we had fun, lots of fishing, swimming, and meeting new friends, from just about anywhere. The Hawkinsons were from Tulsa, and they were frequent campers, that had kids the same age as me and my brother and sisters. Jim was my age, kind of a weird kid back then, anyway, we used to run together. He had this old phonograph, battery operated, he carried all his albums with him. Keep in mind that this was just shortly before they had boom boxes, cassette tapes, CD's were to come much later. He would walk a mile, and then we would stop under a shade tree, listen to some Jefferson Airplane, then we would walk another mile, we would find another shade tree and stop, and listen to some Cream. This was fun back in those days. We would listen to "Cant Get No Satisfaction" 100 times a day. Now Mick Jagger wants me to pay him .99 cents to download that song. I am patiently waiting for my senior citizen discount.

Somehow I think that things have gotten out of control. Now days, kids have guns for fun. They do unthinkable things, and then blame them on others. The rash of school shootings this past two weeks is unthinkable to me. Where does this hatred come from? Whatever happen to just sitting under a shade tree, listening to the old phonograph?

I thought I would put some tunes up for you tonight. There is a new album just released oct. 2, 2006, its called What it is! Funky Soul and other Grooves, you can read the review at All-Music.Com. This album has some of the oldest Funky style music that I have ever heard. Some of these songs I cant get, because they are so old that folks just dont put them up on a PP network. It is a box set with 91 songs on the set. I love funky music, I know my brother loves funky music too. If Tim and I could have, we would have had Afro haircuts back in the 70's. Some of these are the original off this album and others are remakes. I am going to put a bonus track here too. "Under the Bamboo Tree" Marie Cahill recorded in 1917. So enjoy!

Faze O "Riding High"

Paul Butterfield Band "Get out of my life Woman"

Wilson Pickett "Engine Number 9"

Have a wonderful week!