Where did they come from, and where did they go?
I love maps! They can often tell us a great deal about our ancestor's lives.
Even though our earliest immigrant ancestors traveled "roads" that were little more than indian paths through the eastern forests, or animal trails through the tall grass of the prairies, they were much more mobile than you would suppose. Within just a few generations after their arrival in this country, our ancestors had managed to traverse the entire continent.
This map plots the migrations of four Ambrose families, as well as locations where some (so far) unconnected families appear. The map is contemporary and state and county boundaries are not necessarily the same as the time period in which our ancestors lived; but it gives a picture of how these families settled this country. Click on a state to see representative families who have been documented there. If you have Ambrose ancestors you have not yet been able to connect, you may find a clue for further research. Or, if you are like me, you can just admire the pioneer spirit and determination required to pack everything you own on a covered wagon and move hundreds of miles to what was then uncharted territory.
