{"id":21218,"date":"2026-07-08T17:59:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T21:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/?post_type=wfsu-news&p=21218"},"modified":"2026-07-08T18:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T22:41:04","slug":"how-one-local-familys-roots-reach-back-to-the-birth-of-america","status":"publish","type":"wfsu-news","link":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wfsu-news\/how-one-local-familys-roots-reach-back-to-the-birth-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"How one local family’s roots reach back to the birth of America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long before The Westcott Story<\/em> was written, its roots were already taking shape in a family history that stretches deep into America’s past.<\/p>\n

Author Christine Broderick Emmanuel’s two-volume work, The Westcott Story<\/em>, traces 400 years of her family’s lineage in the United States. Spanning 14 generations, the books chronicle moments in time that intersect with watershed events in American history.<\/p>\n

One such account is that of Emmanuel’s five-times great-grandfather, John Westcott, who was captain during the Revolutionary War. Emmanuel says Captain Westcott earned his place in the annals of American history through his role in one of the most iconic scenes of the nation’s inception.<\/p>\n

“He [was] with George Washington, on his boat, crossing the Delaware\u2014the epic scene that was directed by Henry Knox, the general\u2014and the rest is history,” Emmanuel says.<\/p>\n

This scene, of course, was immortalized in Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, The Westcott Story<\/em> offers a personal lens through which to view the nation’s history. By following one family’s journey across centuries, Emmanuel emphasizes the individuals of the broader American story.<\/p>\n

You can hear the full conversation on our podcast.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 WFSU<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[],"tags":[1136,1135],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow one local family's roots reach back to the birth of America - WFSU Local Routes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wfsu-news\/how-one-local-familys-roots-reach-back-to-the-birth-of-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How one local family's roots reach back to the birth of America - WFSU Local Routes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Author Christine Broderick Emmanuel's two-volume work, The Westcott Story, traces 400 years of her family's lineage in the United States. 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