[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] [Ger-Poland-Volhynia} 1816 Weather affects Ancestors worldwide

[rbbtfarm]

Just watched a Discovery channel show on the Indonesian volcanic eruption of Mt. Tambora in April 1815. So much ash was thrown into the air by the eruption, it has been estimated to be about 100 times the volume from the 1980 eruption of Mt. Ste Helens, WA. The Tambora ash blotted out the sun completely  as much as 400 miles away. That lasted four days before it began to disapate. Before the eruption, it had been the tallest volcano in the world. Thought the information on a severe weather events in 1816 might be of interest. 

It caused famine across the world and lasted for a few years, killing many and causing severe living conditions for others. All Europe was affected and it reached across the world to the U.S. Thought it might fill in some possible explanations for movement of our ancestors wherever they lived in the 1815-1820 time frame. 

As the ash encirled the world, temperature dropped and it became know as the spring that never came. Farmers had crops fail in the field, because the growing season was cut in half in many areas. This especially affect Switzerland. Severe weather conditions were felt and it snowed in parts of the U.S. that summer. Mary Shelly spent the summer indoors, due to the cold weather, and wrote "Frankenstein". There were riots in the streets of France, where memories of the revolution, just 50 years earlier, were still fresh among the populace.

That brings to mind another show about German towns who drew lots to chose towns people for U.S. immigration. Think that was in the mid 1800s, but now I wonder if the Tambora event led to the later emigration of Germans, as well as other Europeans. Think the German towns sent about 50% of their people away with funds to emigrate and a set of good clothes. In turn, the emigrants turned over all their property to those who remained behind. 

Anyway, this sounded like a possible cause and effect event, similar to the Irish potato famine emigration. Something to ponder.....Tricia M.