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I can trace to the 1700's on almost every line here in the states other than my immigrants. (about 80 percent I gues)
Mom's side, The Trahern's I can trace to 1725. I think I know his father, but until I get to Maryland I won't know for sure. The choctaw were born in 1760's, that's as far as I will ever go. I have the name of the females which is an accomplishment there. The whites who came and married them all came from Virginia, I know they were born about 1760 or so, and their names. George Adams, well that bugger lied so many times, I just haven't tried on him, The Rogers, we know them until at least 1790, and probably, if the information in a journal is right, much further in Virgiina. Their wives were also Rodgers, and I think Cherokee, so I end with them, about 1820. The Hinds, they wrote a book about in 1899, it traces them back to the 1640's I believe. The Hager's I can trace to 1800, and if I could find the name of the husband for sure, I could go back another 100 years. I know where they came from, but not who. We still don't know my grandfather's paternal grandma's name though, so there's another dead end, and we don't know the surname of his maternal great grandmother either.

On my Dad's side, My Baker's, Copelands and Brunsons all were American Revolution soldiers, there are online genealogies that go back to the 1600's but all I know for sure is mid 1700s..I get lost after that, and again, I need to go to South Carolina. My McCurdy was born in 1793, the dang individual isn't found where he said he was born, but maybe there's something in South Carolina. My Pyburn was born mid 1700's, he was I think a Tory sympathizer, he came to the Spanish Territory of Alabama in 1784. My Hardy, well I stop at 1810 on him, I know he's from GA. but I can't link him just yet. We are looking into genetic testing for some descendants, and it may just spring a match with some other families. My Beck's were from SC...I can trace him to 1790, and I just haven't confirmed his father yet, again need to go to SC, the same story for my Franklins, my Vaughns and my Johnsons. The Owens and Howards are in the culpepper archives, they are supposed to be gentry, I haven't bothered beyond about 1775, too hard to prove, and I just don't trust other's genealogies a hundred percent. The Barnes I know til 1820, my aunt says she knows it further, but I don't know if I trust the research, it just doesn't pan out for me from what I discovered, I want more proof to believe it.

Still, aside from the Creek, Choctaw and Cherokee, lol, we share a common ancestry, just a continent away. If I were to do a mitrochondrial dna it would show some women in Britain.

And there was me thinking I had it hard working out if my ancestors were English, Scots, Welsh or Irish. At least my background is limited to the British Isles. Your background crosses an ocean and a continent!
I think it's impressive that you've managed to track down as much as you have. Don't worry about not tracing your tree back 400 years because most people can usually only get to the mid 1700's which is still an achievement in my opinion. The only people who can reliably go back to the 1600's are landed gentry, people of significance or royalty.

Stay true to your nick and keep seeking. :)

Shewhoseeks,

I’ve found that records are actually more easily obtained in England that they are in the States.

One problem that exists is that boundary lines have changed over the years. There is a web site that does a fairly good job of explaining where those lines are from the beginning of civil registration in 1837 until a couple years ago. It’s found at the following site:

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/index.html

I haven’t found anywhere that tracks the lines prior to civil registration. If you use the Family Search site at all, they add to the confusion because they are not always consistent nor correct in their district or county listing.

When you’re working with census records, keep in mind that the enumeration district may not follow county lines. Because of the terrain, an area in one county may be easier reached by the enumerator of another county. Thus that area appears in the records of the wrong county. The same holds true for the States.

As you have already discovered, if you get confused just ask on the B-G Forum. Most members will go out of their way to help.

……………..Ed