John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes
Note 1651
The numbers for these Notes are beginning to approach recent history. For example, in the year 1651, the Treaty of Westphalia had been signed for three years. Obtaining this Treaty had not been easy; it took four years to conduct the negotiations with the Catholic faction meeting in one city, and the Protestant faction meeting in another city. The effect of the Thirty Years' War was the dominant factor in the history of the 1600's. It even carried over to the following century, and was important to understanding the events of the 1700's, when our ancestors left Germany. In its various ramifications, it was very important to there even being Germanna Colonies. Some people say that Germany was set back 200 years by the war.
I use this commentary as a way of introducing another half-century Note in which I try to explain what the Notes are all about. They are about our German ancestors who generated the Germanna citizenry. The fact that these people even came to America had many of its roots in the history of what was happening in Germany. The Germans perceived, rightly or wrongly, that there could be a better life in America. To each of them, "better" may have meant something differently.
So, the Notes will, from time to time, look backward to conditions in Germany even before our emigrating ancestors had thought of coming, or even before they had been born. This is one aspect that these Notes may cover. How they got here, both psychologically and mechanically, is of interest to many.
Most of the Germanna people did not land in Virginia. Philadelphia, especially, and other ports outside Virginia were used. Once they were on America shores, why did they decide to go to Virginia? Why east of the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of the Shenandoah Valley?
So far, I have not mentioned genealogy. Of course, we are interested in that also.
My primary concern is the people of a whole or partial German ancestry who lived east of the Blue Mountains in Virginia. This concern might start in Germany and follow them until they were settled in Virginia. There they mixed with other Germans. After a while, a large number of them decided to leave. Some went to other regions in Virginia, but more left the state. Being a Germanna citizen is a fact of some German (or German speaking) ancestry, and of living east of the Blue Ridge for a period of time. But, I regard this as an inheritable trait and so one's descendants retain their Germanna identity.
However, just because someone does not meet the specifications does not exclude them from participating. We have our honorary members. Not everyone can have the pride of being a Germannian but we should not treat them unkindly.
(22 Apr 03)