The History of an American Family

The marriage of Annie Urbanna Culler and Albert Chandler Watson II in 1929 brought together two family lines whose ancestors first arrived in America as early as 1735. Those early immigrants were some of the first settlers of Orangeburg, South Carolina and some of their descendants have remained on the same land for nearly 300 years. The personal accounts of this family take the reader on an intimate journey though American history and offers a glimpse into the lives of those who helped to shape our country. We get a sense of what it was like to be a settler in a new land. We join them as they fight for their freedom as American patriots. They form communities while the country spirals toward a brutal civil war. Some fight, and some die, but all are affected. The family perseveres and moves forward just as the country does. Subsequent generations serve in local governments, establish churches, and form bonds of community that still remain vibrant today. The history of this American family parallels the history of the rural community of Orangeburg, the history of South Carolina and, in many ways, the history of the United States.