Ep. 110 - America: The Penal Colony? And Black Sheep in Illinois

America might have been more like Australia than you think. This week, researcher Peggy Lauritzen explains how America also indulged in white slavery! Then, Kathy Manker of Phoenix, AZ talks about her "black sheep" 19th century ancestor.

Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.com. With Fisher's Mets defeating the Cubs to go to the World Series, David shares a database for researching baseball players from the recent and distant past. David also talks about an amazing find he has made for the 170th anniversary of NEHGS... a family tie between author Nathaniel Philbrick (who will be honored in Boston for the celebration) and author Herman Melville, both of whom have researched the story that resulted in "Moby Dick." In Family Histoire news, David talks about a 450-year-old Mexican colonial church that has been revealed by the drying up of a reservoir due to the current drought. It's a fabulous image! Fisher and David then discuss a 100-year-old woman in Buffalo, New York, who still works six days a week, eleven hours a day... and loves it. She's been working since 1930! David then talks about the ongoing archaeological dig at the Boston Common that has revealed items from a Revolutionary era encampment. He then shares his "Tech Tip," and another free database of the week from NEHGS.

In segment two, Fisher visits with researcher Peggy Lauritzen who explains the particulars of pre-colonial white slavery in America. She explains the various types, from apprentices to indentured servants, and the way many ended up in their situations. Peggy claims America was a penal colony long before Australia! It's a revealing discussion you won't want to miss.

Fisher then talks to Kathy Manker of Phoenix, AZ. Kathy and her clan dug up some amazing dirt on a third great grandfather and his family from the late 1800s in Illinois. It sounds a lot like the wild west! You'll be amazed at what she has found.

Fisher and Tom Perry then talk about creating a special box you can use to take digital copies of your antique photographs. It's cheap and fun!

That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!