400 Years of Moving Toward Freedom
In Search of Social & Economic Freedom
This November 2020 marks the 400th anniversary that my ancestor Degory Priest signed the Mayflower Compact after landing in Cape Cod in 1620.
While Degory passed away shortly after arriving in the new world, his wife and daughters would continue living in the Americas and their descendants would pioneer west for generations to come.
What I find fascinating is how, despite only recently finding out about Degory, my own motivations in life have so closely mirror the motivations of my ancestor. His leaving of England to find religious / social freedom and later his leaving Holland for America in order to gain economic freedom.
Ultimately, America offered Degory both social and economic freedom.
I am the living beneficiary of Degory’s choice to leave Europe for America and the sacrifices he and his family made to carve a life out of the wilderness. As a result I have enjoyed a level of prosperity my ancestors could have only dreamed of.
This rhymes with my own story of leaving Maryland to Texas for greater social / religious freedom and later setting up in Switzerland for economic freedom.
It has been my life long hope that Mars will offer me both.
I also hope my plans to settle on Mars and beyond will offer a similar benefit to my family and our descendants.
