What did our ancestors bring when they came to America? We really have little information on the subject. It depends also on when they came and what the trade of the father was. If the father was a Zimmermann by trade, i.e., carpenter, he would probably want to bring some of his essential carpentry tools. A blacksmith would like some essential tools, but it is doubtful that he could bring his anvil. The mother would want to bring some of the utensils that she regarded as essential for cooking.
We know they could not bring much. They were limited in the size and weight by the shipping companies. At the Hans Herr House there is an emigrant's chest of the 1730's, a sturdy wooden box, banded in iron straps with four double handles, which served for one family. This box could hold about 20 cubic feet of material. This box is about 2 feet by 2 feet by 5 feet. As one person put it, the chest had to hold nearly all of your worldly goods that you were bringing.
Access to this box on board the ship was limited as it was stored in the hold with other boxes. The boxes were packed tightly together to conserve space and to prevent them from moving around. If there was any extra space, deak boards were used to wedge the chests tightly into a fixed place. When packed into the hold, it was probably impossible to open the lid or cover. One had to hand carry the essentials that would be needed during the voyage.
There would probably be the iron objects in the box, such as the tools the father wanted, and the cooking utensils the mother wanted. Then there would be clothes and bedding. In inventory lists of the goods that emigrants were taking, the clothing might be very sparse. It consisted essentially of the clothes one was wearing plus a change. There might be a better shirt or apron for dressing up. Perhaps two or three extra pairs of stockings. If you were lucky, there would be another pair of shoes. Great coats would help keep one warm and could be used also as blankets. Minimal is the key word.
Some thought would be given to what one was going to do when he reached America. Almost everyone recognized that they might have to start clearing ground, building a house, and planting crops. It would be several months before one could have the benefits of food that one had grown. Essentially, the new comers were dependent on the people already here to help carry them over the first winter. If you had no friends here, you might have to go to work to earn some money to live on. Basically, the first year was devoted to building at least a temporary shelter, and clearing enough ground to raise a sustenance crop. One wanted to bring seeds for food and planting. Cash crops had to be deferred until one was raising enough food for the family.
(04 Oct 03)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.