The object is a civil war chest used to carry belongings and weapons for soldiers back in the civil war. My Great-Great Grandfather on my mothers side had this same chest for all his years he served in the civil war, all the way to 1863. He served in the Civil War as their  family was still struggling financially and a spot in the war was 3 meals a day and a paycheck. He survived all throughout the war and lived long after, regaining financial success and life after the war. His parents came in from Germany back near the 1810’s looking to find new life in America, as they were not doing well financially in Germany. They were still struggling for a long time, having to send off my Great Great Grandpa(their son) to war. It connects to my family as my Great Great Great Grandfather and Grandmother migrated from Germany to the US, and it was a way of symbolizing how my Great Great Grandpa  and my family fought for our country to have a sense of righteousness and belonging in the USA. This object shows what it means to be an American because it shows in history how we have had to fight to get our rights from each other as fellow Americans as well as other powers such as Great Britain, when we were fighting for independence.
 

– LC

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more