This is to give recognition to John A. Godfrey the progenitor of our physical existance who generated the root of our family through procreation. We are the begotten offsprings of this root canal who cometh forth into the newness of life, molded into the vessels that we become as we bathe in the energy of the sunlight of the Cosmic universe.

We work our way through numeric history and strive towards the mark of perfection and plant ourselvses on solid ground, as trees planted by the rivers of water and bring forth the fruit of life in its season, as we attempt to make this world just a little bit better than it was before we arrive. We are aware that the winter of our lives constantly approach because we spend our years as a tale that is told, and as we pass through the winter solstice of time, and the great life source begins to ebb draining the sap from our being and we begin to lose the solar energy, the spirit of prophecy speaks to us saying, "Have you fought a good fight, have you kept the faith and are you ready to pass through the transition of this life into the eternal existance.

Thus I now attempt to coordinate the african american history which cojoined with my genealogical connection to my progenitor with the years which surrounded him.

Let us begin with the beginning of the 19th Century, since it is somewhat established that John A. Godfrey was born in Haiti, let us go back to 37 years be for his birth. It is historically noted that Toussaint L'Ouverture,born 1743 and was a full blooded Haitian negro, and was a Haitian born in slavery. He became a Haitian Liberator and led the negroes in the insurrection of 1791, in connection with the French Revolution. Haiti/Hayti or Santo Domingo, West Indies Island, second largest Island or second in size of all the Islands of the greater Antilles, it is bound on the North by the Atlantic Ocean, on the South by the Caribbean Sea, and it is separated from Cuba, by the Windward Passage on the West. The Mona Passage separates it from Porto Rico on the East. About two-thirds of the Island is mountainous; it has an area of 28,429 square miles and is divided politically into te Republics of Haiti on the West and the Dominican Republic on the East. The Republic of Haiti occupied one-third of the Island, its area is 10,204 square miles, and the population in 1927 was 2,300,000, excluding white residents, the majority being negroes together with Mulatto Haitians, descendents of former french settlers. Its climate is tropical and its rivers include Artibonite, navigable for 100 miles. Port-Au-Prince is its capitol and principle city. It chief products are coffee,cacao,sugar and hardwoods. Copper is found but it is not worked commercially, other mineral resources of gold, silver, tin, sulfur and soft coal are not yet developed but concessions for mining them have been granted. Following the discovery of the island in 1492, the Spaniards rapidly exterminated its Aboriginal inhabitants and imported African slaves, the stock from wich its present negro population is sprung. In 1630 French Buccaneers undertook the conquest of the country, following which a mingling of white and black races resulted in the growth of an intermediary class of mullatoes who sought equality in political rights from France. In 1783 the English came to their aid, but Toussaint L'Ouverture, who then espoused the cause of the French, was appointed Governor. He was later removed by Napoleon and on January 1,1804, Haiti proclaimed its independence. In 1822 the Spanish part of the Island came under the administration of Haiti, but seceded in 1844 to form the Dominican Republic. During this period from 1822, which was 18 years before the birth of my grandfather John A. Godfrey and 1844, when my grandfather was 4 years old there was no slavery, for Haiti became independent in 1804, which was 36 years before the birth of my grandfather, John A. Godfrey. This leads me to believe, that my grandfather, was born a free man and was free when he came or was brought to America. Thus during the seceeding 67 years, a long series of revolutions troubled the country. Its present government is under another constitution, ratified July 15,1932. Its president is elected by 36 duputies and 20 senators sitting as anatinal assembly, for a period of 6 years. The deputies are elected by popular vote and the senators chosen by an electoral college. Through treaty provisions, to be effective from 1915-1936, the United States government supervises the constabulary and finances of Haiti. (What happened from 1936 to the present). From this account the Island of Haiti received its independence through the liberator Toussaint L'Ouverture, who in connection with te French Revolution became a General of Haiti in 1795 and in 1801 he became master of the whole country, renounced the authority of France and framed a constitution by which he was president for life. He was later captured by the order ofNapoleon after the peace of Amiens and he was sent to france and died there in prison in 1803. We find that also in 1800(1+8=9)Gabriel Prosser and Jack Bowler led a slave revolt in Virgina. This was 40 years before my grandfather, John A. Godfrey was born. Yet it relates to the restlessness of human beings caught up in slavery with a hunger for freedom. In the year 1808, slavery became illegal, yet it was still practiced, in 1812 war broke out with (country) and in 1820 the Missouri compromise was accepted. This was twenty years before the birth of my Grandfather John A> Godfrey.

Once again in 1822 Denmark Vesey led a slave revolt in South Carolina, and in 1831 Nat Turner, just 9 years before the birth of my grandfather, Turner led a slave revolt in Virginia.

Then just seven(7)years before John A. Godfrey was born in 1833 a great sign of the fall of slavery took place according to my interpretation. The falling of the Stars occurred as aportent of the times relative to the fulfilment of the captivity of the children of Africa in America. This event took place in theyear of 1833. The most spectacular portion of this event was seen in the United States of America. This omen was witnessed by Frederick Douglass, who was fully aware that the time of the end had cme for the final cptivity period for the enslaving of the children of Africa. An account of this documented event is given in the works of Review and Herald Publishing Association's Bible Readings for the Home,pp.279-80 and 252-53:

"Remarkable diplay of falling stars...'The morning of November 13th, 1833," says an eyewitness, a Yale astronomer, "was rendered memorable by an exibition of the phenomenon calling shooting stars, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any simular one hitherto recorded....Probably no cel estial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another class."__Denison Olmstead in 'The American Journal of Science and Arts, vol.25(134),pp.363,364.

"From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction wit shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs. At Boston, the frequency of meteors was estimated to be abut half that of flakes of snow in an average snowstorm....Traced backwards, their paths were invariably found to converge to a point in the constellation Leo"---Agnes M. Clerke, A Popular History of Astronomy(1855 ed.),pp. 369,370.

Frederick Douglass, in reminiscing about his early days in slavery, says: "I witnessed this gorgeous spectacle, and was awe-struck. The air seemed filled wit bright descending messengers from the sky....I was not without the suggestion of the moment that it might be the (harbinger of the coming of the son of man); and in my then state of mind I was prepared to Hail Him as my friend and deliverer. I had read that the stars shall fall from heaven,' and tey were now falling."__Life and Times of Frederick Douglass(1941 ed.),p.117.

Note__When the Scripture mentions stars falling, itevidently means what even an astronomer refers to as "Falling Stars," or meteors. Within a little over a half century following the most notable darkening of the sun and moon, a number of star showers occured, but 'probably themost remarkable of all the meteoric showers that have ever occured was that of the Leonids, on November 12(12-13),1833" (Charles A> Young, Manual of Astronomy[1902 ed.],sec. 521), when "a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North America bore the brunt of its pelting." (Agnes M> Clerke, A Popular History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century, 1885 ed.,p.369.)

An eyewitness reported:"This language of the prophet has always been received as metaphorical. Yesterday it was lterally fulfilled,...as no man before yesterday had conceived to be possible that it should be fulfilled....Were I to hunt through nature for a simile, I could not find one so apt to illustrate the appearance of the heavens as that which St. John uses in the prophecy....They were what the world understands by the name of "Fallng Stars."....The falling stars did not come, as if from several trees shaken, but from one: those which appeared inthe north, fell twrad the North; those which appeared in the east fell toward the East! those which appeared in the west fell toward the West; and those which appeared in the south,(for I went out of my residence in the Park, 0fell toward the South; and they fell, not as the ripe fruit falls. Far from it, But they flew, they were cast, like the unripe fruit, which at first refuses to leave the branch and ; and when it does break its hold, flies swiftly, [strait off],descending; and in the multitude falling some across the tracks of others, as they are thrown with more or less force." --Eyewitness account in the New York Journal of Commerce, vol.8 no.534, Saturday, November 16,1833.

To help support this documentation concerning this amazing event, we quote another source, Uriah Smith's Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation,pp.445-48: "The Stars of Heaven Fell--The voce of history still cries, Fulfilled: We refer to the great meteoric shower of November 13,1833. On this point a few testimonies will suffice. At the cry,"Look out of the window," I sprang from a deep sleep, and with Wonder saw the east lighted up with the dawn and meteors...I called to my wife to behld; and while robing, she exclaimed, "See how the stars fall!" I replied,"That is the wonder." and we felt in our hearts that it was a sign of the last days. For truly, "the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind" Revelation 6:13...And how did they fall? Neiter mself nor one of the family heard any report; and were I to hunt through nature for a simile, I could not find one so apt to illustrate the appearance of the heavens, as that which St. John uses in the prophecy before quoted,"It rained fire!" says one. Another,"It was like a shower of fire." Another,"It was like the large flakes of falling snow, before a coming storm,or large drops of rain before a shower." I admit the fitness of these for common accuracy; but they came far short of the accuracy of the figure used by the prophet. "The stars of heaven fell unto the earth;" they were not sheets, or flakes, or drops of fire; but they were what the world understands by the name of "falling stars;" and one speaking to his fellow in the midst of the scene, would say, "See howthe stars fall!'" and he who heard , would not pause to correct the astronomy of the speaker, any more than he would reply. " The sun does not move," to one who should tell him, "The sun is rising." "The stars fell" even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." Here is the exacness of the prophet. The falling stars did not come, as if from several trees shaken, but from one: those which appeared in the east, fell toward the ast; those which appeared in the north fell toward the north; those which appeared in the south(for I went out of my resdence into the park),fell toward the south; and they fell not as ripe fruit falls. Far from it. But they flew, they were cast, lke the unripe fruit, which at first refused to leave the branch; and, when it des break its hold, flies swiftly, straight off descending; and ii the multitude falling, some cross the track of others, as they are thrown with more or less force.

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Let us return to the era of our brothers and sisters the period of 1838 which in its Hebrew connection we have 3760+1838 which equals 5598 and (5+5+9+8=27 and 2+7=9 a perfect number.) The year 1838 was only two years before the birth of John A. Godfrey which causes me to look into the events of this period. In May of 1838, the Cherokee Indian was told to move from the land which was a great injustice because they gave up fighting and became a peaceful nation in 1788 and they were guarenteed by the government the land in Georgia to live on, thus they took up farming and became impressed by the Declaration of Independence and the consttution, they formed their own republic with a written constitution they codified laws setup courts and a police force, invented sylables so their language could be written, they even setup a capitol city which they were proud of,built it and named it "New Echota ".

It wass in 1839 that (Cinque and the Amistad) one year before the birth of my grandfather John A> Godfrey(more information to fill in).

Yes it was in 1840, during what became known as the "Log Cabin and hard Cider campaign," that Harrison ran against Van Buren in the presidential election, Harrison wa painted as the hero of Tippecanoe and ran under the slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." In a circus like campaign, the arstocratic Harrison was portrayed as a log cabin--dwelling. Hard cider drinking frontiersman who was a major military hero. Van Buren on the other hand was branded as a champagne drinking dandy. William Henry Harrison easily defeated his opponent Martin Van Buren. At his inauguration,Harrison rode a white horse to the capitol, refusing to wear a hat or coat dispite the cold and stormy weather. His 8,578 word inaugural address, the longest on record in history took about one hour and forty five minutes to read. during the ceremony Harrison caught cold. He died of pneumonia at the age of 68 years on April 4, 1841. He is therefore remembered for having the shortest term of all the presidents.

And it was during this calm before the storm of the civil war, my grandfather John A. Godfrey was born in April 1840. For he was about to enter into a world which was in the grip of slavery and he would be unwillingly sucked into the hole of America's misguided soul,which because its desire of one human being to dominate another would lead it into being caught up in institutional slavery. Be it also known that William Henry Harrison's father Benjamin Harrison was one of the signers of the declaration of independence which phrased the saying, "All men are created equal" etc.