Brazilian Fever Part 2: The Confederates Who Fled to Brazil to Preserve Their Way of Life

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Last month we introduced the topic of "Brazilian Fever", or the little-known fact that thousands of Southern Americans emigrated out of the country following the Civil War. We discussed the background and motivations for these families to uproot and move to another country. This month we're taking a deeper dive into the lives of the families, and what transpired after they left their homeland for Brazil. If you missed part one, you can view it by clicking here. 

William Norris
Public Domain

Somewhere between ten and twenty thousand Southerners immigrated to Brazil in the aftermath of the Civil War, many of them settling outside of Santa Barbara, forming a town known as Americana. One of the men to head up this move to Brazil was William Norris. William was originally from Georgia but had moved to Alabama to become an influential member of society there. Not only did he serve as a senator of the Alabama legislature, but also served as a representative in the State House. He was also elected Grand Master of the Alabama Masonic Lodge. 

Norris was the owner of a cotton plantation, so in the aftermath of the Civil War, he couldn't imagine spending his life under the government of the Union, especially with the loss of slave labor. He decided to travel to Brazil to investigate the claims that the emperor would grant them land and other incentives to move their cotton operation there. 

On December 27, 1865, Norris, his son, and his brother arrived in Rio De Janero. They found a plot of land they liked, that apparently reminded them of Alabama, and founded a settlement. They purchased slaves and started farming cotton once again. Norris sent a glowing report back home, and by 1867, the rest of his family had moved to Brazil as well, along with many other families from the region. They brought watermelon plants to Brazil and enhanced the agriculture in the area. Somewhere around 54 families moved to Brazil and purchased over 530 slaves upon arrival. Although not all of the families settled in Americana, this town was one of the only settlements to actually survive and thrive. 

By Steagall -
 Imigrantes Americanos no Brasil, PD-US

At its peak in the late 1800's, Americana was home to over 3500 "Confederados" as they were called in Brazil. Naturally, the settlement began with a very isolated culture, the families worshipping and marrying only amongst each other, but as the new generations reached adulthood, they were more likely to leave the colony for the larger Brazilian towns, intermarry with Brazilians, and assimilate into Brazilian culture. 

The Norris House - First house of Confederate immigrants
in the colony. 
Public Domain

Americana, however, did not escape the dark shadow of racism. About the time that slavery was finally outlawed in Brazil, Jim Crowe laws were being strictly enforced in the American South. Some of the families returned to their homeland to live in segregated areas. Of those who remained, one of the Confederados near Americana put together a lynching party and murdered a police chief who was pro abolition in 1888. However, Brazilian culture focused more on class distinctions than racial barriers, and they did not have segregation and laws against interracial marriage, therefore the races mixed and eventually the Confederados opinions on race were changed. In fact, the descendants of the Confederados assimilated so much that they abandoned the English language, and the towns became barely distinguishable from the surrounding ones. 

The Confederados also brought a lot of good to Brazil. “They enriched our society with their progressive mind, their capacity for action, and their technical competence, and perhaps in the hearts of their São Paulo descendants has filtered a little of that love of freedom, an American tradition, and that pride of the old planter that is a Southern tradition.” sociologist Jose Arthur Rios observed in 1947. They introduced many new foods such as pecans, Georgian peanuts, and watermelons. They brought tools and innovations to the country such as modern dentistry, kerosene lamps, agricultural machinery, and even blood transfusions which the Brazilian people had never seen before. They established Protestantism and founded churches, cemeteries and schools. Public schools had not been introduced to Brazil until this time, and it was also a foreign concept to permit girls to attend and become literate as well as the boys, a barrier that the Confederados plowed right through. 

Descendents dressed in Confederate attire during the yearly festival in Americana, Brazil
By Felipeattilio - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Today, the main remnant of these Confederate immigrants is the pageantry, music, and most interestingly, its flag. Each year, the town of Americana holds a festival to honor the founders with traditional Civil-War Era attire, foods, dances and music. The proceeds from this festival go to fund the upkeep of the cemetery. The festival has become a controversial topic, however, due to the proud display of Confederate flags, uniforms, etc. While some say that their intent is to celebrate their heritage and keep it alive, others feel it also celebrates the hatred and racism that the Confederados represented. 

Regardless, it is an interesting thread of history and I hope you enjoyed learning about it. 

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

The History of Little Italy in NYC

By Michelle Shocklee

One of the things I enjoy most about being an author of historical fiction is learning about people who came before us. In my new split-time novel, Count the Nights by Stars, two of the main characters have Italian roots. In order to create authentic lives for them, I had to dig into an area of research that was new to me. 

Today, I'd like to share some of it with you. I'll take you on a tour of an 1890s immigrant community called Little Italy in the heart of New York City, but first, the history.

By the late 19th century, Italy had suffered decades of internal strife that left a legacy of violence, social unrest, and widespread poverty. The peasant class in southern, mostly rural Italy, as well as those living on the island of Sicily, had little hope of improving their lot. Disease and natural disasters added to the misery, leaving people desperate, homeless, and searching for something better. 

As transatlantic transportation became more affordable, and as word of American prosperity spread throughout Europe--often brought to Italy by men called "recruiters" hoping to convince people to immigrate to the United States--many Italians found it increasingly difficult to resist the call of "L'America."

Immigrants on their way to Ellis Island, on the deck of the S.S. Patricia, 1906.
(Credit: Library of Congress/Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Once these brave immigrants reached American soil, however, life often wasn't what they'd dreamed. An influx of immigrants from other countries--Germany, Ireland, and China--meant jobs for foreigners were limited. Housing, too, was inadequate to accommodate the huge numbers of people arriving at Ellis Island. Crowded, disease-ridden tenements were all that was affordable or available to them. 

A bank in Little Italy. Circa 1897. 

The area known as Little Italy in the heart of New York City was one of many Italian communities that sprang up in New York and other large, coastal cities. The immigrants that populated these communities brought their culture with them. Bill Tonelli from New York magazine said, "Once, Little Italy was like an insular Neapolitan village re-created on these shores, with its own language, customs, and financial and cultural institutions." While it was important to learn English in order to survive, these immigrants maintained their Italian heritage and passed their language and traditions on to their children. I tried to honor that through the characters in my book. 

Little Italy was not the largest Italian neighborhood in New York City, as East Harlem (or Italian Harlem) had a larger Italian population. However, it was the city's poorest Italian neighborhood. But despite the hardships, disease, and crime, the immigrants who lived there fought to make a life in America for themselves as well as for their children and their children's children. Their legacy can still be seen in the Little Italy of today, where Italian food, music, and the language is enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. 

Little Italy tenement. Circa 1897.

 I can almost picture Luca and Gia, characters in my book, living here. 😢

A street musician and a cop on Mulberry Street, 1897
(Museum of City of New York).

Mulberry Street, 1897. (Museum of City of New York)

Readers, do you think one of these boys might be Luca
when he was growing up in Little Italy?

Your turn: Have you ever visited Little Italy in New York City? I haven't (although I hope to someday), so please tell me about your experience!

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Awards and Selah Awards finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online at www.MichelleShocklee.com

               COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS

1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.
https://www.tyndale.com/p/count-the-nights-by-stars/9781496459930

Old Immigration: Before Ellis Island, there was Castle Garden #Giveaway

by Guest Blogger Natalie Monk

Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to be posting on the blog today, courtesy of the oh-so-talented Pam Hillman! Stick around for a giveaway!

While researching for my upcoming novella, I discovered Ellis Island didn’t open until January 1, 1892. What did immigrants do before then? My Polish-born heroine travels to New York in 1885.

Though I knew my plot and set word count wouldn’t allow me to chronicle her voyage and entrance into the country, I wanted to research those experiences in order to fully understand her character. Plus, I couldn’t have her arriving at Ellis Island seven years before it opened. Stranded on an island—mercy, where would the dear girl have gone?

Castle Garden in its first form was called the West Battery, and eventually became the first official place used by the government to process immigrants in New York.

Its presence prevented any attack on New York during the War of 1812 without ever firing a shot. In 1815, the fort was named Castle Clinton after New York’s first governor, George Clinton. After 1823, the fort became known as Castle Garden when it was used as a theater and social event center. The building held a restaurant as well.

“In the evenings it is generally crowded with citizens, who assemble to derive the benefit from a pleasant breeze of the water, or listen to a band that frequently plays in the Castle garden, which is connected with the walk by a wooden bridge.” – Quote by Grenville Mellen from his 1840 book titled, A book of the United States: Exhibiting its geography, divisions, constitution and government ... and presenting a view of the republic generally, and ... cities and towns with statistical tables.

In 1855, the New York Board of Emigration Commissioners took over and reopened the building as the Castle Garden Emigrant Landing Depot on August 3, 1855.

Over the next thirty-four years, eight to ten million people emigrated to the U.S. through Castle Garden.

July 24, 1855 New York Times

  

Erie Railroad, Castle Garden, New York City

“Immigrants landing at the South Street piers after 1856 were transferred by steamship to Castle Garden for processing. Castle Garden is the round building in the lower left of the picture.” -- Viewsofthefamine.wordpress.com

Emma Lazarus writes of Castle Garden in her 1883 sonnet, "The New Colossus:"

"Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door!"

The Castle Garden Emigrant Landing Depot staffed around 100 people, led by a superintendent. It held a restaurant, wash rooms, and bread stands. The Information Department staffed interpreters for Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Swiss-German. All immigrants had to pass a doctor’s inspection. The sick were put on a steamboat to Ward’s Island or Blackwell’s Island where they were to receive medical treatment.

The Depot also housed an Employment Office which later became a Labor Exchange where immigrants could find work.

Fun fact:

After experiencing the noisy, chaotic atmosphere in Castle Gardens, many Yiddish-speaking people began to use the slang term “Kesselgarden” to refer to any loud, confusing area or space.

The building was closed for immigration in April 18, 1890. From 1896 to 1941, the building housed the New York Aquarium.

Now, the lower, outer walls of Castle Garden are used for ticket sales for ferry rides to Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty.

 

On December 23, 1866, the New York Times published an article from a woman accounting her experience as an immigrant at Castle Garden.

“[At night,] the building being lit up with gas gave a more cheerful aspect to the interior, and enabled us to survey the somewhat novel scene before us. …the Germans and Dutch…the most numerous…being parceled off into the eastern portion of the building, which is separated from the other portion…[which contain the] English, Irish, Scotch and French. Bakers, butchers, boiler-makers, gardeners, grooms, and in fact masters of almost every calling to be found in the book of trades... Most of the strong, healthy girls…[obtain] situations as housemaids, nursemaids, milliners, sewing-machine hands and dressmakers…
Two large iron stoves, between four and five feet high, fed with plentiful supplies of anthracite, and throwing out considerable heat, occupy each end of these apartments, one being set apart for the males and the other for the females.
In a far corner…for fifteen or twenty cents you can obtain a half a pint of coffee, a roll, cheese or butter; but many of the emigrants appeared to prefer purchasing their own tea and coffee, and preparing it in tin utensils in the stoves. There are two water taps and an iron ladle at each end of the division…nothing in the shape of wine, lager beer or spirits being allowed to be sold upon the premises.

There was no prohibition against ‘smoking’ at the Garden…

Two…watchmen…keep order and attend upon the emigrants…

Having determined to rough it with our traveling companions, who could not afford a dollar for their bed and breakfast, we essayed a sleep, but vainly [because of] the cold, sepulchral character of the place…combined with the tantamara of tongues, the squalling of children and the erratic ramblings round about of a colony of rats…even after a fortnight's rocking to and fro…the snug hammock…was a comparative paradise to this.

Only one or two cases had to be sent to the hospital, and altogether the vessel had a clean bill of health, far different from last year, when owing to the prevalence of cholera, many died and had to be thrown overboard.

…the balconies of the building might be converted into dormitories for the women and children, and those in delicate health, and a towel or two, some soap, and other requisites, would be useful supplemental articles in the washing rooms. Many a poor emigrant comes over in a filthy and verminous condition…”

The anonymous lady goes on to speak of stowaways and tell about a body that was found on the voyage to America, a suspected murder. Then the ship S. S. SCOTLAND sank on its return voyage to her home! Read more here: http://silvie.tripod.com/CastleGarden.html.

Have you ever traveled to a foreign country…or moved there? How was your experience similar or different to the early immigrants’?

Here’s a sneak peek at my novella:

For Richer or Poorer

Coming July 2017

(Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection )

In order to bring her starving family to New Jersey, Polish immigrant and housemaid Marcella Lipski must marry wealth…so she dons her employer's discarded ball gowns and goes husband hunting at Newark's tourist spots. There are a few problems, though. Ella's shy. She knows nothing of the rules governing American high society. She'll lose her job if she's recognized. Oh, and she can't speak a speck of English. When a poor-but-mysterious cart driver catches her eye, she must protect her heart at all costs. She won’t leave her family hopeless.

Woody Harris has no desire to be rich, and he lives out his faith by giving most of his possessions away to the street kids on his freight route. When his horse spooks and bowls over Ella, inflicting bruises, Woody offers her free conveyance for a week and starter lessons in English as compensation. He's soon charmed by her innocent, farm-girl ways and her concern for "his" kids. But by the time he learns Ella will only marry for money, it's already too late for his heart.

Natalie Monk is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. Natalie’s a preacher’s daughter from North Mississippi, who loves porch swings, old movies, and meeting readers through her website: www.nataliemonk.com. Her goal in writing, and in living, is to bring glory to her Savior, Jesus Christ.

A paperback copy of A Hope Remembered by Stacy Henrie is up for grabs, a romantic historical mystery about a young American who migrates to England after WWI. Giveaway open to U.S. entrants. Leave your email address in the comments below to enter!

My Cousin, Jack--Cornish Immigrants in the Midwest

The United States of America has long been a destination for many immigrants. People from lands across the sea or to the south have, for one reason or another, left their homeland in search of a better life on U.S. soil. Oftentimes bad situations at home fueled this burst in immigration. Some situations were due to natural disasters, others to war, and others to political turmoil.

For the average Cornish man and woman living in the mid 1800s, a lack of jobs as the tin and copper mines in Cornwall played out caused many Cornish to leave their country and head to the mining areas in the United States.

Commercial copper mining started in northern Michigan during the 1840s and continued for over a hundred years. Creating more wealth than the California Gold Rush, the rich, pure copper deposits along Lake Superior's southern shore drew many a Cornish miner to the snowy Keweenaw Peninsula, which came to be known as "Copper Country."

So many Cornish people came to this underpopulated, wilderness region that Cornish miners became known as Cousin Jacks. This was because the men were always asking foremen if the mine would hire their cousin back in Cornwall. And the cousins, more often than not, were named Jack. Jenny proved a rather popular name among the women, and so Cousin Jennys often arrived on U.S. soil with their Cousin Jack husbands.

The numerous mines in Copper Country loved to hire Cornish workers, as the mines were always looking for skilled laborers who understood English. Thus Cornish men found themselves getting mining jobs much quicker than the Italians, Polish, and Finnish, who also immigrated to the area at the end of the Nineteenth Century.


The Cornish brought many traditions with them. Sports included rugby and wrestling. The religion was mainly Methodist, and the food, well, the food is a particular favorite of mine. The Cornish miners would take pie dough and fill it with meat and root vegetables such as potatoes, rutabagas, and onions. The dough was then packed into the shape of a turnover, baked, and sent with the miners to heat over the fire down in the mine shaft for lunch.

Have any of you ever heard of Cousin Jacks or Cousin Jennys? Did you know about their mining heritage and how valued they were by mine owners in the 1800s? Have any of you ever tried a Cornish pasty? They're a staple in the restaurants near where I live.

If you're interested in seeing more of Cousin Jacks and Cousin Jennys in story form, my novel, Love's Unfading Light, releases in the spring of 2015. It's set in Copper Country and features a Cousin Jenny as the heroine.

****

A mother of two young boys, Naomi Rawlings spends her days picking up, cleaning, playing and, of course, writing. Her husband pastors a small church in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, where her family shares its ten wooded acres with black bears, wolves, coyotes, deer and bald eagles. Naomi and her family live only three miles from Lake Superior, where the scenery is beautiful and they average 200 inches of snow per winter. She is looking forward to the release of her fourth novel, Falling for the Enemy, in January 2015. For more information about Naomi, please visit her website at www.NaomiRawlings.com.

GOING COMMANDO

                    GOING COMMANDO

What is worn under those Scottish kilts?

Anne Greene here. Last month I wrote a bit of history pertaining to the World War II era. This month I’m writing about another passion, 18^th Century Scotland.

The age-old question of what is worn under a Scotsman’s kilt has a simple answer...usually nothing!

Historically Scottish Highlanders wore a tunic under their kilts, and nothing else. Considering the rugged nature of their existence, underwear was not a necessary part of their attire.  

Scottish regiments traditionally went without under-garments. This is likely origin of the phrase going commando!

To the proud and patriotic Highlanders, the kilt was much more than a versatile piece of clothing, it was a cherished symbol of their heritage. In 1746, after the Scots lost the Battle of Culloden – which is the exact time setting of my Scottish Historical Series, Masquerade Marriage, Marriage by Arrangement, and the yet to be released Marriage To A Rogue, begins, King George II outlawed the kilt.

King George passed this law in a British government attempt to subdue the independent Scottish Highlanders. Along with the kilt, the wide leather belt, the fur or leather sporran, the kilt knife, the kilt pin, the knee hose and the Ghillie shoes were all prohibited. Ironically this law forged the Kilt into a symbol of Scottish culture and national pride, rather than just the traditional Scottish clothing worn by Highland clans.

The Jacobite defeat at Culloden was the last battle on British soil, the exhiled Prince Charles fled the country he had hoped to rule. His supporters, the Highlanders, suffered terribly from ‘Butcher Cumberland’ who ordered death to all Highland participants. To further punish Scotland, Parliament issued Acts to destroy their clans, their identities and their economic structures.

New laws abolished heritable jurisdictions, claimed estates for the crown, banned the playing of bagpipes, the wearing of tartans and Highland dress for all except government troops, and restricted the possession of weapons. Read of these momentous events in my Scottish Historical series. 

            How many of you have traced your heritage back to Scotland or to another place of origin?

            Leave a comment. This month Anne is offering her commenters a chance to win her choice of any one of Anne's three published books. Leave a comment about your own heritage below for a chance to win and to speak with Anne. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous writing awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement releases in April.  A Texas Christmas Mystery also won awards. In 2014, her World War II novel, Angel With Steel Wings, about WASPs, women test pilots will release. She makes her home in McKinney, Texas. 

Visit with Anne and view her other books, her blog, travel pictures, and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com. Anne’s never too busy to talk with her fans.

Her highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com.

Visit with Anne every 14^th day of each month here at Christian Fiction Historical Society. Join her in May for SINGING IN THE RAIN, plus another great giveway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen--Revisiting my Irish Family History by Kathleen L. Maher

Map of Ireland

If you're Irish, come into the parlor! And if you're not, you get a pass anyway, since it is estimated that more Americans identify themselves as having Irish heritage than any other ancestry, with the exception of German Americans. But we're a generous lot. You can all be honorary Irish this month!

Irish Immigrants facing NYC skyline

Being a lover of history and proud of all the Irish blood that's in me, naturally I wanted to learn about my family's beginnings in this country. I uncovered some great moments in the life of one of my mother's people, John Francis Cronin.

My mother's father's father came over to escape the Potato Famine in 1849. I am the youngest of the youngest of the youngest, so there is only four generations between me and the boat that brought my ancestor John Cronin to America. He landed and settled in New York City with his family. At the age of 15 he enlisted to fight in the Civil War, telling the recruiting officer he was eighteen years old. John mustered with the famous NY "Fighting 69th" regiment, and saw action at the Fall of Petersburg, was present at Appomattox Courthouse, and marched in the Grand Review in Washington on May 23, 1865.

Grand Review at Washington

My great grandfather went on after the war to make his living as a hatter. The expression "mad as a hatter" came about from exposure to mercury used in shaping the felt to make the hats. Since the element acts as a neurotoxin, it can and did deteriorate a hatter's brain. From family stories it is hard to say which affected my great grandfather more, that or the drink, since he was the proprietor of a tavern later in life.

John Cronin and his saintly wife Elizabeth Cropp Cronin lived in and around New York City and went on to have 11 children, four of whom never lived past the age of five. My grandfather Vincent Cronin was his seventh son.

NY 69th Memorial at Gettysburg

Involved with the planning of the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City during his life, he marched with the veterans of his regiment every year up to his old age. In fact, his last St. Paddy's Day parade he contracted pneumonia and died shortly thereafter.

The Irish in America have a long and colorful history. The early immigrants  fought our wars, built our bridges and railroads, and worked mines and farms and factories. Their hard work and diligence paved the way for future generations to gain acceptance and contribute in every facet of society.

rural farmhouse print giveaway

In the words of Gerald O'Hara, Scarlett's father, "It's proud I am that I'm Irish. And don't you be forgetting, missy, that you're half Irish, too. And to anyone with a drop of Irish blood in them why, the land they live in is like their mother."
In the spirit of that love of the land, I am giving away a print of a rural farmhouse today to one lucky commenter. This reminds me of my own farmhouse here in upstate NY, as we wait for spring to take hold.

Kathleen L. Maher writes historical romance set in the 19th Century, and is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency. She won ACFW's 2012 Genesis contest, and has a novella coming out May 1st through Helping Hands Press titled Bachelor Buttons, about the Irish Draft riots in Manhattan during the Civil War.

And don't forget that Christian Fiction Historical Society is running a giveaway for the month of March. For every comment you leave in the month of March you are entered for a Kindle drawing as well as a $25 Amazon gift card. Winner of farmhouse print will be announced tonight at midnight. Good luck!