The ancestors profiled in this volume made difficult decisions in order to achieve a better life for themselves and their families in a new country. For John Ryan and Patrick Quinn, the destitution and death in Ireland between 1845 and 1852 due to the Great Famine (An Gorta Mór) likely fueled their decision to emigrate from Ireland to America. Joseph Litzelswope and his family were immigrants from the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany, which experienced a financial crisis and poor crop production around the time the family departed Germany in 1817. Better work and land ownership opportunities in the United States likely led to the emigration from Ireland in 1827 of Cornelius Harrington and in the 1860s of John Dwyer. Members of these families put down roots and served their communities in a variety of ways, working as teachers, lawyers, and—in wartime—in military and civilian positions. This book serves to preserve these important stories of the past for future generations. 

by Eileen Curley Pironti

Published by American Ancestors in April 2026

8-1/4 x 10-1/4 hardcover, 200 pages, illustrated