My Rebellious American Past

Happy 4th of July to my American friends! Although I'm Canadian, my history on my mother's father's side traces back to the Revolutionary War.

The Silliker brothers (I can't remember their first names) appeared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I'm not sure from where in the 1770's. My mother thinks Ireland, but I have no record of it. They fought in the war, but they chose the wrong side. Yes, they fought on the British side. Which makes no sense to me. The king was demanding taxes but not giving anything in return. Taxation without representation. Taxes are supposed to provide services to the people. But King George just wanted the money. Yes, this was the same King who married Charlotte and went crazy. If you've been watching Bridgerton, then that's who we're talking about here. Anyway, my ancestors fought for the British. And one of them was caught and hanged as a spy. I have the genealogy somewhere, but can't lay my hands on it right now. So when the Independents won, my family ran up to the north to what would later become Canada. They settled in Prince Edward Island and stayed there until my grandfather travelled to Ontario. In Canada these groups of people are known as The Loyalists.

However, many of them stayed in the U.S. One of them married into the Strang family, and one of her descendants, James Jesse Strang, became a Mormon. When Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, died, James claimed to be the next prophet and took a group of followers (the Strangites) to Michigan, where they settled on Beaver Island. He proclaimed himself King of the island. You can read about him here.

James Strang - Wikipedia So there are my connections to the United States. Through rebels and false prophets.