Jacob Orth and His Siblings

An investigation of a family of 18th and 19th century Alsatian blacksmiths dives deep into place, culture, and the realities of the time — and follows the challenges faced by the family as they emigrated to America.

The context of 18th and 19th century rural Alsace — and a glimpse of village life, especially as it related to being a blacksmith — provides a backdrop for understanding Jacob Orth and his family, as well as what may have figured into their decision to emigrate to America.

The pushes and pulls of emigration were complex and different for different families. So too were the harrowing logistics of moving a family thousands of miles away, across an ocean, especially during times when ship conditions involved food and fresh water shortages and rampant disease.

Though perhaps prepared for the rigorous journey, few were likely prepared for what their lives in the New World would hold. Emigrants' hopes versus the actual conditions they faced upon arrival were frequently mismatched. The new challenges they confronted may well have surpassed the challenges they faced in their old lives, at least for a period of time.

Jacob and his siblings negotiate the interplay of opportunity, personal choice, life's tragedies, differences in faith, and accommodation of their new families as they marry and have children.