G2G: Americana Brazil Confederates Fled to After the U.S. Civil War

Question

Hi Wikitreers,

We have an interesting piece of U.S. Civil War history that I don’t think many know about or maybe most do but it is the story of a place in South America called Americana, Brazil. 

It appears many Veterans of the Confederate States of America fled there after the War?

One such veteran is William Hutchinson Norris a notable 

Maybe you know of more who fled? 

1.) Does William have a Wikitree?

Any further insight is welcome

Thank you 

Answer 1

That is a very interesting piece of history! I wonder how many people moved to Brazil.

To answer your question, he does have a Wikitree profile. It is here: Norris-612.

There is also a category with some of the people who moved from America to Brazil: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Confederados. One of the other Confederados includes Cicero Byrd Jones (Jones-148741) who was born in Alabama and died in Americana. He is an ancestor of Rita Lee Jones-148731 (Brazil's Queen of Rock) alongside William Norris.

Thank you very much for sharing!

Comments

Thank you. The category is one I wasn’t aware of as haven’t research too many in the CSA. Added William Norris to the g2g 

Answer 2

I met descendants of Americans who fled to Brazil. They were Presbyterian missionaries at the time. Gordon was the married name. I also visited a  church and cemetery where Civil War folk are buried. Don't recall the name of the church. The interesting fact about the cemetery was a small monument in the middle and the southern flag painted on one side. I remember someone asking why did they move to Brazil? The most obvious answer was to keep their slaves or to escape northern retribution.

Comments

Hi Arnold

Thank you

They left to Brazil which still allowed slaves up to about 1888? It does appear they didn’t want their old way of life to change. They wanted to still have plantations, cotton and slaves. Eventually that way of life would come to an end even in Brazil…

Answer 3

Another fun, fascinating, learning experience brought to us the fabulous Andrew Simpier.  I've added two WT profiles to the Confederados space page ... and I'm searching for more.

Comments

Hi Jo

Thank you

I think there was mentioned by the Wikipedia that 30 families went to Americana to join the venture…how many others I’m not sure and it would seem there children and generations after became part of Brazilian culture and life. I imagine their stories are fascinating!

---

I am told the ruler of Brazil invited them there to teach Brazilians farming techniques. I always found it interesting that Brazil outlawed slavery without a civil war.

---

That's right, and the gov't paid their expenses to get them there.

https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/the-confederados/

Answer 4

I am very familiar with the family of William Hutchinson Norris.  I have copies of letters written by some of his children back to family members in the United States.  There is also an excellent diary that I found a copy of located at the Alabama State Archives written by a young female who migrated to Americana.  There was also a documentary produced that ran on ? Maybe PBS?  William Hutchinson was my gg-grandfather's first cousin.  

I am a new member and first time visiting this this G2G feed.

Answer 5

One further post from this inexperienced Wikitreer (me) about this family.  Forgive me if this is better posted elsewhere!  The Wikipedia article linked above has so many inaccuracies and errors that it is truly disturbing.  For instance, the article states that William Norris, father of William Hutchinson Norris, was born 1757 in Johnston County, NC.  This is correct.  Then it goes on to state that he was a cotton merchant based largely in Charles, SC, and New Orleans, LA.  I have not seen any research to collaborate that statement.  And William Norris was certainly NOT a North Carolina State Senator.  Neither was his father.  William Norris born 1757 died 1844 in Harris County, GA.  Their is an obituary available.  The information for Nancy Watkins, mother of William Hutchinson Norris, is also inaccurate in this Wikipedia article.

Answer 6

It's certainly quite fascinating. I first stumbled upon the Confederados in Brazil while I was researching the Spanish artist Remedios Varo, whose husband's previous wife was born to a Tennesseean family that ended up in Rio. She was Elsie Houston, also a notable known as a singer.

It'd be worthwhile at some point to set up some categories for American expatriates in Brazil, if they don't already exist.

Comments

So as we can see their is probably many there who can trace their roots back to the Confederate South and during the U.S. Civil War. The profile of the singers roots is really a great insight of one such descendent 

---

I’m curious if this was Elsie Houston’s grandfather Persis Daniel Houston (1843 - 1921) who served in the U.S. Civil War in the 17th Tennessee infantry; see Civilwardata

Answer 7

Hey Andrew! As others have mentioned, we have started to catalog some of these profiles as we catch them, but we haven't devoted huge efforts to it, particularly because I think it's a project worth having a collaborator on both ends - someone on the Brazil side and the U.S. side - as the records are uneven in terms of accessibility, language, and a few other issues that I think should be ironed out (surname standards being one)

That being said! There's this book on the subject - The Confederados: Old South Immigrants to Brazil, that would require purchase or an interlibrary loan. FamilySearch has this collection of tombstone transcriptions: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/199910 - I believe page 11 has your William H. Norris.

and this civil record collection which starts in 1875ish - https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/412754

Americana SP as sorted in FS does not have any records of its own until 1920s, which should have descendants though I imagine the immigrants and first generation themselves are of stronger interest for anyone interested in the Civil War so the above records will have more relevant names.