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Origin of the first Serbs that arrived in Central and North America?

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Amicus:
On several topics here, we had discussions about famous families from our South (Ohmuchievich, Masibradich, Martolosich, Jakovljevich, Skochibucha, Sagroevich), who were well know overseas sailors of their time, but we never hadn't discussion about their participation in conquest of the New World.

After the Columbus's discovery of America (1492), some of the most powerful maritime merchant fleets of that time were those of Spain and Ragusa. These two states are especially important to us because our first contacts to New World came right through these two maritime states.

At first, Ragusa was a state leaned on Serbian Lands in its background, from where came most of its that time population (esspecialy after fall of Bosnia in 1463, and Herzegovina 1482), and second, Spain of that time was a state that recruited many sailors from Ragusa to its maritime service.

So in short period after first expeditions to New World, people from our lands started to participate in sailings across the Atlantic, and probably were the first one from these parts of World who left their genetic traces in the Central and North America.

These practices are continued through whole 16, 17, and 18th century (it is possible that some Serbs took participation in American War for Independence also, we have some records from 1781, where is mentioned count Vecsovich from Venice, who is expected to brought more Dalmatians), but first Serbian settlements aren't recorded before the start of 19th century. It is the time when we have the first recordings of Serb settling in New Orleans, mostly sailors and fishermen from Montenegro and Herzegovina, who immigrated to New Orleans seeking employment.

In the same time, Serbs are settling in Alabama and Mississippi, and as well as in California, where they joined the Gold Rush.

First larger Serb settlements are recorded in last decades of 19th century, when they were leaving maritime regions of Austria-Hungary, but also its other parts (Bosnia, Slavonia, Hungary...), and settling mostly in California, which had climate similar to that of the Dalmatian coast.

One of first Serbian settlers was Djordje Shagich (ser. Ђорђе Шагић), also known as Djordje Ribar, or in English George Fisher (born in Stolni Beograd, Hungary), who came to United States after fall of First Serbian Uprising (1804-1813), and in following years made a great political career.

In a short period, many other Serbs start arriving to United States, which is possible to trace through immigration records where they were recording variously, mostly by their country of origin, because of what we find the recorded also as: Turks, Bulgarians, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Dalmatians, Bosnians, Herzegovinians and Austro-Hungarians. Through the census from 1910 we can ascertain that just in USA there were more than 50.000 Serbs (dominantly from Austro-Hungary)

In attachment I'm sending few maps for better understanding of political occasions in the time of Spanish king Phillip II (1556–98), of the time before American War of Independence, political borders of modern North America, and approximately ethnic and political borders of Balkans in first decade of 19th century.



And in some new posts, I'll try to extract some past and modern American surnames that originate from our Lands, with information where exactly are they from.

Синиша Јерковић:

--- Цитат: Amicus  Новембар 02, 2016, 05:24:00 поподне ---At first, Ragusa was a state leaned on Serbian Lands in its background, from where came most of its that time population (esspecialy after fall of Bosnia in 1463, and Herzegovina 1482), and second, Spain of that time was a state that recruited many sailors from Ragusa to its maritime service.

So in short period after first expeditions to New World, people from our lands started to participate in sailings across the Atlantic, and probably were the first one from these parts of World who left their genetic traces in the Central and North America.

These practices are continued through whole 16, 17, and 18th century (it is possible that some Serbs took participation in American War for Independence also, we have some records from 1781, where is mentioned count Vecsovich from Venice, who is expected to brought more Dalmatians), but first Serbian settlements aren't recorded before the start of 19th century.

--- Крај цитата ---

Interesting topic, Amicus.

I would only like to mention that famous Serbian astronomer and physicist from Ragusa, Rudjer Boskovic was supporter of American Revolution and that he met with Benjamin Franklin during his visit in London 1760-61.

Source: The Ragusan Perceptions of America XVI-XVIII centuries, Dragoljub R. Zivojinovic

Amicus:

--- Цитат: Синиша Јерковић  Новембар 02, 2016, 06:37:52 поподне ---Interesting topic, Amicus.

I would only like to mention that famous Serbian astronomer and physicist from Ragusa, Rudjer Boskovic was supporter of American Revolution and that he met with Benjamin Franklin during his visit in London 1760-61.

Source: The Ragusan Perceptions of America XVI-XVIII centuries, Dragoljub R. Zivojinovic
--- Крај цитата ---

Thank you Sinisha for you you contribution. ;)

I also wanted to mention one excellent source for starting family origin researches, which is well known Liberty Ellis Foundation, on which site we can research all entries to United States at that spot (Ellise Island) from the end of 19th to the second half of 20th century.

For me, it was interesting to check inquiries like: Bosniak, Bosnyak, Szerb, Racz, Dalmatin. Many of them are from different parts of today Hungary, what was expected, but it is interesting that there were a lot of migrations from inner parts of Austria-Hungary. But also, it is interesting to find Bosniaks/Bosnyaks from Poland, who could be some descents from those man took from Bosnia for military service in armies of Middle Europe states, like Poland, Prussia, Bavaria, Denmark, that were recruited through centuries from the end 17th to early 20th century.

Source: Johann David von Dzingel: Geschichte des königlichen Zweiten Ulanen Regiments, Potsdam, 1858

aleksandar I:
I’d say this is a very interesting topic, Amikus. I took a little interest in Djordje Shagich and found a book by Marko and Dusan Lopusina “Serbs in America”. There I read loads of interesting info about Djordje Shagich Fisher. So, I’d like to join the discussion with certain pieces of information about this intriguing Serb in America. I find parts about his involvement in revolutions in Mexico and Texas especially curious, as well as about the author of the memoires, who is thought to be the founder of adventure genre.

Chapter Illyrian Slavjani

By founding the Serbian newspapers “Slavjan” in San Francisco the editor Djordje Shagich tried to inform the American public about the problems of orthodox Serbs and Greeks in the Balkans under Turkish rule......

Livingston recognized Fisher not only as a person who took part in revolutions in Mexico and Texas mid-19th century, but as the author of “Memoires”, which represent the first instance of the adventure genre in the United States. When Livingston wrote his first book about prominent Americans in 1853, he included Shagich, or George Fuisher as one of top 200 most respected American individuals. So in his book “Portraits of Eminent Americans Now Living” he wrote:

“George fisher is the greatest living linguist, considering he speaks 18 languages. He speeks Serbian, Hungarian, German, Greek, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian fluently, and speaks many other languages such as Latin, Russian, polish, Czech, Slovakian, Moravian, Croatian, Dalmatian, Montenegrian, and others.”

Historian Thomas Strieter form Huston wrote about Shagich and said the following:

“He is a linguist, adventurer with physical and psychological prowess and daring, a conman. A boisterous self-adoring fan, eager to see his name in the press, almost a blackmailer. Fisher is one of the most unusual characters to lean toward Texas and one that took the most inspiration out of it for his annals”.

Djordje Shagich and Freemasonry

There is evidence that the pioneer of our emigration to America, man officially noted in 1815 as the first serbian emigrant, Djordje Shagic, was a mason. When stayed in Mexico and Texas in 1825, which, as that time was a part of the Mexican state, Shagich founded the first mason group Jorkions. Some Serbs even consider Djordje Shagich, alias George Fisher, was sent to US form Germany to spread Freemasonry. This Serb even founded masonic lounges in Panama and California while they were parts of the Kingdom of Mexico, making him the perfect man of the job. When Texas secured its independence, Shagich, in summer of 1848, together with Edwin Moor form Texas Navy, traveled as a spokesperson for the Grand Freemason Lounge of Texas. ....

 An interesting book, written in Serbian.

Source: Srbi u Americi

Wolf Sagash:
World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient.
Jake Allex Mandusich

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