"[L]iberty must at all hazards be supported.
We have a right to it, derived from our Maker.
But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us,
at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood."
-- John Adams, 1765
The Miami Valley is in southwest Ohio. It includes parts of Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Clark, Miami, Darke, Champaign, Shelby, Logan, Butler, and Warren counties.
TheAmerican Revolutionary War(1775–1783) was between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the 13 colonies which became the newly formed United States.
Jacob Baker was born on May 20, 1753 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania according to Pennsylvania Church Records of the 18th Century. His parents were Philip Baker and Anna Catherine Gramm. He was christened on June 24, 1753 at the First Reformed Congregation’s Church. The sponsors for his christening were his aunt and uncle, "Jacob Kuebelinger and wife [Veronica Gramm Kiblinger]."
Jacob married Magdalene Kibler before 1776 when he was twenty three years old. Their children and life together are described in detail in the section on Jacob and Magdalene Baker.
Jacob was a soldier in the American Revolution. He served as a private in Shenandoah County where he resided.
He moved his family to German Township, Clark County, Ohio where he died on September 21, 1821 at age 73. He is buried in Lawrenceville Cemetery in Clark County with his wife and other family members. Jacob’s tombstone inscription reads
Jacob Baker, died Sept 21 AD, 1821 in the 73 year of his age.
His will was probated on October 1, 1821. It was dated on September 17, 1821, a few days before he died.
Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.
Shenandoah County, Virginia was established in 1772. It was originally Dunmore County.
Choosing a Godparent sponsor was not just a formality in 17th century Germany. Each child had one Godparent of the same gender. It established ties between families that were near kinship. The Godparent was expected to provide spiritual support and material support in times of need.
Pennsylvania is one of the 13 original states and was originally founded in 1681 as a result of a royal land grant to William Penn, the son of the state's namesake.
The first Europeans settled in the Northwest Territory in 1788. Migrants came from New York and New England. Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1, 1803.
