A grandmother I had never known took me on a spirited tour of all my North American ancestors where they described, in their own words, the lives they lived. Some came from England in the early 1600s, others came from Nordic Countries, some as late as the mid-1800s. They travelled by sail, steam, wagon, handcart, train, but mostly they walked as they worked their way west over the next 300 years always searching for religious and personal freedom, family, land, and adventure. Some established trading posts in the wilderness, built farms and businesses or preached their brand of religion while building communities. Many fought wars with the French, British, Indians and Mexicans while building wagon trails and finding gold. Each had their own story, teased out by hundreds of hours of research and a little creative writing to tell their story of the courage, fortitude, loss, and accomplishment they experienced. Their actions were influential in the building of America, in both the US and Canada. As they were early arrivals and often with large families, there are many in the US and Canada who share these ancestors and similar experiences.