Where the Waters Part
A Family’s Search for Freedom and Authenticity: Nine Generations of Wards, Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia, and Their Descendants
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2019
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
This is a story of the Wards, Irish immigrants initially settling in Pennsylvania and Augusta County, Virginia. It follows nine generations over two-hundred-fifty years, beginning with the first generation that arrived in Philadelphia around 1730. Notable representatives include: -a citizen of colonial Virginia who participated in the church/state debate of 1785; -a Revolutionary War soldier who spent a cold winter in 1777‒1778 with General George Washington; -a Baptist minister who became an influential and long-time president of a Texas college in 1900; and -a United States Air Force doctor who monitored the safety of the first Americans sent into space beginning in 1961‒1962. Surveying this family's lengthy history, certain of their ideals and peculiarities have persisted across the generations, shaping individual and family choices and actions. Drawing heavily on the philosophy of Charles Taylor (The Ethics of Authenticity), the author believes that the Wards were continually searching for a balance between freedom and authenticity.
Endorsements (1)
“James Ward thoughtfully narrates the history of his family—‘Scotch-Irish’ immigrants to the United States—across nine generations. The story skillfully shows how the intertwined ideals of freedom and authenticity both guide and help to explain many of the key issues and life decisions of the family. Readers interested in American immigration, family genealogy, and/or social history will especially find this work to be revealing and useful.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem