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Alanna Vaughan was born
I was the fifth of eight children and one of two girls. My mother died 2 years after i was born which left me and my sister Alexia to run the house alone. Because the men of the family never considered us worthy of working with them, me and Alexia deicided to leave for America and work a land of our own. -
Me and Alexia cross the Atlantic Ocean to America
At 19 years old me and Alexia( who was 24 at the time) finally saved enough money for two third-class passsenger tickets aboard 'The Carpathia' which would take us to America. Because the third-class cabins were out in the air and very cramped and there were no showers a lot of people including Alexia became sick. Without any medicine aboard the ship, their conditions only worsened. Many people died but Alexia was able to hold on and survived the entire passage which lasted 2 weeks in total. -
We arrive in America looking for work
Upon arriving to America me and Alexia meet Gael who also has left Ireland in hope of finding work and to bring her mother over in a few years. She takes us to a large tall building which we learn are called tenements. Because we only had 2 Irish Pounds, we could not afford proper housing or food. we lived in the tenemnet for 5 months in exchange for working for the food comapny but Alexia got sicker and sicker. due to the unhealthy conditions of the tenement. -
I leave for the Oklahoma territory alone after Alexia adn Gael pass away.
Alexia died July 24 and Gael soon caught her illness and passed too a week later. this left me alone and i had no desire to stay and work alone without my sister. i had heard of the Oklahoma territory where you could race for your own land which is what me and Alexia had always wanted. I bought one train ticket which would take me halfway to Oklahoma. How i would travel the other half, i didn't know. -
I meet Le and we travel together to the Oklahoma territory
I made it safely through the train ride but had not taken a proper bath in weeks.Not knowing anyone I was alone and had no passage for the rest of the trip. On my second night of sleeping at the train station I noticed groups of wagons who would stop to rest. I soon met Le who had come from China and was also on his wy to the Oklahoma territory for his own piece of land. His family had been left behind due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.He offered me some space i his wagon which i gratefully took. -
Our trip is delayed and we look for work
After a 2 weeks in the wagons one of the wheels broke and we were stuck. we needed to find work to pay for the repairs but no one would hire us for our nationalities. Le was greatly discriminated for being Chinese and i was too occasionally for travelinjg with them. Our trip was greatly delayed but after 3 weeks we were able to keep going and finish our trip. Upon arriving me and Le were married and our goal was to earn our land. We had great competiton but were ready to fight. -
The race takes place and we gain our land
The day of the race finally arrived and i helped Le get the horses and wagon ready. we were taking a big risk by taking the wagon because it could easily get broken or shattered.The wagon willl slow the horses down but many others have it as well. The race was a close call but Le was bale to get to our land first and I came close behind. We'd won our land and started settling in. We soon made plans to bring our families over as well. -
Chinese Exclusion Act prevents Le's family from coming over
We have settled in our new home and have our first son, John.Two of my brothers have come to America and take refuge in New York.The eldest makes plans to come join us with his wife and two kids in the next month. Le didn't have much luck.His family is still stuck in China and are not being allowed to leave or enter America.Le still gets looks and rude comments in work for being Chinese.A couple years later his family was able to sneak onto a ship and disguise themselves all the way to Oklahoma. -
We make plans to go down to California for the Gold Rush
Le's family makes it to our home but we realize it's too dangerous and someone could realize they came illegaly while the Chinese Exclusion Act was in action. We hear from a co-worker that California has plenty of work for miners and there aren't as much danger there.We buy an extra wagon for Le's family and head for California. My brother stays in Oklahoma with his family and keeps our house. -
We arrive in California
After almost two months of traveling, we finally make it to California. Le finds work mining very easily and is much more accepted.After a matter of years the Act is removed and Le's family can breathe easily again. Le makes 10 times the amount of money he made in China although it is hard, long, and tiring work.We have two more kids and stay in Califronia for the remainder of our lives raising a family.