1 comments about The Flowering of the Maryland Palatinate.

1. The Flowering Of The Maryland Palatinate describes the lives and times of the two hundred adventurers who participated in the original expedition to Maryland in 1634, describing in detail their part in the founding and settlement of the colony, and the development of colonial Maryland's distinctive manorial system. Consisting principally of biographical and genealogical sketches of these two hundred settlers drawn by genealogist Harry Wright Newman from contemporary court records, letters, and miscellaneous papers, The Flowering Of The Maryland Palatinate is not only a definitive history of thee early Marylanders, but has done for genealogical research the same kind of seminal and groudbreaking work for the passengers of the Ark and the Dove, that took a legion of genealogical researchers to perform regarding the passengers of the Mayflower. The Flowering Of The Maryland Palatinate is highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, genealogical center, and public library genealogical and colonial era reference collections.

3 comments about Feminist Genealogies, Colonial Legacies, Democratic Futures (Thinking Gender).

1. By focusing the feminist eye on the transnational and "post-colonial" nations, Alexander offers an opening. . .a way to experience other cultures and transcend our own social locations. Her argument reveals that just because a nation is no longer under direct colonial control, it does not mean that the effects of the colonial mindset have diminshed. We all hold inherited ideologies about what we are. . .but that does not necessarily put us in a victim position. We all have agency, however we exercise this power in different ways. An amazing book that should be read so that the experience of feminism will be seen as what it really is, and not bounded by our ideas of "Women Power" residing in the white, middle-class agenda.



2. This book is required by several Women's Studies classes around the country. I feel it is too wordy and hard for many students in undergraduate programs to understand. The main issues in the book are hidden behind a large academic language that not all students understand. The points made in the book though, are valid ones.



3. This is a challenging book, but as an edited volume, can be read slowly. A familiarization with writings on the distribution of global capital would be helpful, but if you don't have that background, the introduction to the book outlines some of the major points.

   As a Ph.D. student, I am constantly citing the articles in this volume: one on sexualized flight attendant uniforms in Singapore, one on tourism being based on heterosexuality, another on mati work (which roughly translates as sex work), one on the role of the cinema in shaping ideas of gender and nationhood, and one on how the concept of "sovereignty" applies to Native American politics in the US.

   From my own experience as a TA, I agree this volume is very difficult for most undergraduate students, but this is because they lack the vocabulary to understand what they are reading and to discuss it critically. The book would work well in a class that is focused around globalization and transnationalism, or in an honors level seminar.

2 comments about Genealogical Encyclopedia of the Colonial Americas: A Complete Digest of the Records of All the Countries of the Western Hemisphere.

1. Christina K. Schaefer has once again succeeded in giving the genealogical world a book that should be in everyone's library. As the title says, it covers all of the colonial Americas, North, Central and South. Not only does it provide information for each colony or nation, but it also gives resources available in the various European countries which colonized and changed the face of the Western Hemisphere. It's coverage is so complete that only a nation or area-specific book may contain more information. This book will go down in the annals of genealogical scholarship as one of the best works ever produced, if not the best!



2. Until the publication of this remarkable new work, no single source could be used to identify and locate the records of the various countries of the Western Hemisphere. Given the extent and diversity of the records, this is hardly surprising; and yet the creation of such a source is precisely the task Christina Schaefer set herself. The immense body of records of the colonial period in the Western Hemisphere presents a serious challenge to the researcher--in some cases even a stumbling block--and therefore in this work Mrs. Schaefer has undertaken a systematic examination of the records to show the researcher where to find the most important genealogical records of the period and how to access them, all within the framework of a single encyclopedic volume.
   
   Equally important, she has defined the various classes of records in each country, identified as many of them as is practicable in a book of this size, provided historical background and brief sketches of the records themselves, added a description of the principal holdings of the major repositories of each country, and has interwoven selected reading lists throughout. The reader will appreciate, of course, that the subject matter is vast, covering the colonial records of all the Americas, from Latin America to the Caribbean, from the original Thirteen Colonies to Canada and New France, so of necessity the author has been at pains to be as comprehensive as possible. In the end, she has put together a magnificent reference work, one that will guide all researchers, beginners and professionals alike, to the most direct and reliable route to the colonial records of the Western Hemisphere.
   
   The scope of the work covers the period of colonial history from the beginning of European colonization in the Western Hemisphere up to the time of the American Revolution, and the records described are the primary records used in genealogical research. However, the time line has been extended to provide more complete information in the following instances: U.S. states other than the Thirteen Colonies with records that begin prior to the Revolutionary War, until such time as they became part of the U.S. (possession, territory, state); Latin American countries, which did not declare their independence from Spain and Portugal until 1808 and later Canada through about 1841; Carribbean countries and dependencies to about 1810; The subject of slavery up to the abolition of the slave trade.
   
   While the best sources of information regarding an immigrant ancestor can usually be found in the country to which he immigrated, there are, nevertheless, many important records still to be found in the country of origin--records which had either remained in the mother country or had been returned to the mother country: church records, for example, emigration and trade company records, indenture agreements, military records, missionary society records, probate records and wills, provincial land grants, and tax records. Thus the last section of this book provides information regarding the location of colonial records in such countries as Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland, and at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
   
   The range of the book is so remarkable that even the most seasoned researcher will find it breathtaking. What follows is a listing of the contents of the seven distinct parts that make up the whole. From this itemization the reader can draw his own conclusions about the value of the work as an indispensable desk reference: Chronology of colonial history and dates of first colonial governors, Colonies of Latin America arranged according to mother country, Colonies of the Caribbean, The Thirteen Colonies plus Maine and Vermont, Other U.S. States with settlements prior to the Revolution, Canada, and Resources for further research, including the ocation of colonial records in such countries as Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland, and at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
   
   
   EDITORIAL REVIEWS
   
   "This extensive compilation will suggest numerous original and printed sources, leading the serious researcher to new and exciting works."--AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOKS ANNUAL (2000), p. 157.
   
   "For Americans this is a valuable guide for Colonial research. It is especially useful for areas outside the U.S. where research guides are not common."--FEDERATION OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES FORUM, Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 30.
   
   "This volume is a definite aid in facilitating research planning."--COLONIAL LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY REVIEW, p. 345.

1 comments about Kegley's Virginia Frontier: The Beginning of the Southwest. the Roanoke of Colonial Days 1740-1783.

1. With its vast territorial rights and claims, Virginia at one time had the most extensive frontier of any of the original thirteen states and colonies. Moreover, Virginia served as a gateway for the various migrations to the west, northwest, and southwest by early colonists, including the intrepid Scotch-Irish. By far the most authoritative and comprehensive account of the advance of the Virginia frontier in colonial times is Kegley's Virginia Frontier--a mammoth work detailing the social, religious, and family life in Southwest Virginia from 1730 to 1790.
   
   The importance of this extraordinary work to genealogists cannot be overstated. Kegley culled through a multitude of original records to ensure that his work would be the most reliable sourcebook available on this subject. To help the reader understand the migration into this new area, Kegley focuses particularly on the settlers themselves. He identifies each newcomer with his place of settlement, and then examines the pioneer's experiences and subsequent movements, using nearly three dozen maps to show more definitively the location of settlements and important homesteads. More than sixty additional illustrations further enhance and clarify the text.
   
   The narrative is divided into five parts: Part I covers the Virginia frontier from the beginning of the colony to 1740; Part II covers the period from 1740 to 1760; Part III tells the story of the Virginia frontier in the French and Indian War; Part IV covers the closing years of the war and the settlements from 1760 to the organization of Botetourt County in 1770; and Part V details the organization and development of Botetourt County from 1770 to 1783. Throughout each of these parts--in section after section--there are biographical sketches and countless lists of land grants and deeds of conveyance identifying thousands upon thousands of settlers and their family members. This documentary history is without a doubt the premier source of information on the pioneers of the Virginia frontier.
   
   "Henceforth [Kegley's Virginia Frontier] will be regarded and accepted as the one necessary and sufficient corner-stone in any collection of books dealing with the history of the Virginia frontier."--Samuel M. Wilson

No comments about Researching Your Colonial New England Ancestors.

5 comments about Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period.

1. I was priviliged to make the aquaintance of the author a few years prior to his passing in Santa Fe NM. He was a true Renaissance Man - a painter, a poet, an historian, an author, etc. in addition to his lifetime of service in the Franciscan order. His prose and poetry have won literary prizes in the U.S. and Europe.

   This book is THE starting place for anyone having family history ties to New Mexico, and a must-read for those interested in the history of New Mexico. Well before Jamestown and the Pilgrims, New Mexico was settled continuously beginning in 1598 by Spaniards whose descendents today still make up a major portion of the population of New Mexico.

   This book has been reprinted numerous times and sells out every time. I recommend you get it now before it goes out of print and distribution again. This newer edition reprint was launched by the nephew (Dr. Thomas Chávez)of the author and the edition includes important new material.

   I recognize some the other reviewers above, who are experienced genealogists specializing in New Mexico. We all agree - this book is essential for every New Mexico genealogist and historian.

   John E. Chavez (aka: El Profe Loco)




2. If you have ancestors listed in this book, you must have it. Just to see them listed in it makes you feel soo proud and you have it to show others in case they think you are full of crap.



3. This is an excellent resource for New Mexican genealogy research. The information is documented, the layout is clear, and the book is easy to use. I have consistently returned to this book while researching for my clients' family history and for mine as well. There are some errors, so don't use this book as the sole source of your work.
   
   The only problem I see with this book is that sometime people become TOO eager to make their known lines stretch out to "fit" the work in here. But most researchers, professional and ameteur, aren't like that.
   
   Purchase this book before it goes out of print, just like the previous reviewer urges. You'll use it for decades.
   
   Salena Ashton



4. Very interesting, felt there could have been more added but was happy to have as a resource and history reference.



5. The Origins of New Mexico Families is a must have source book for anyone conducting genealogy research that includes New Mexico. A Must Have Book!

3 comments about Plymouth Colony: Its History and People.

1. In doing research on my own ancestor who was a passanger on the Mayflower and one of the original Pilgrims, I have used over 50 books. This one is by far the best. Very readable, this book provides an excellent narative of many of the events of the first 70 years at Plymouth, and detailed descriptions of many of the Pilgrims. For anyone interested in this era, this book is a must.



2. There are hundreds of books out there about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving and all that goes with the subject. But the majority of these books are written either in a stodgy, encyclopedic (read: Boring!) format, or they are written for children. Well, now I have one that is actually written for adults, as well as in an easy to read manner. Written mainly from a genealogical stance, the author, Eugene Aubrey Stratton, did his "putting flesh on the bones" research; that is, he sought out how the pilgrims lived their daily lives in all aspects of their time and place. Instead of the cartoonish figures we all see come November, Mr. Stratton actually gives an authentic look to these early Americans. He makes the reader feel that they now know the pilgrims, not only through their historical prominence in our early history, but by name, and we feel their hardships, especially of their first winter here. After the first time reading this book, I re-read it, only this time I read the 'Biographical Sketches' section, located toward the back of the book, first, THEN I went to the beginning. My advice to the first time reader is to do the same. You will then know who you are reading about as names are mentioned.
   This book is, simply put, the best of its kind. Maybe more genealogists should write our history books! At least they bring history to life!



3. My husband & I are both descended from The Mayflower - He from William Brewster & Stephen Hopkins and I from William Bradford. This book has added so much information for our Genealogy. I cannot tell you how many times I have used it to add information to our family history file. It has many years of use.

5 comments about Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family.

1. The recently published paperback is an update of the original hardback. It adds 16 pages of interesting happenings, including a visit to the White House. Additional, outstanding artwork is also included. Many different areas are identified where educators have used the original, hardback publication for academic studies. Shannon Lanier prefaces the new pages with a statement of hope for the future of his kids, his entire family and for America. Near the end, Jane Feldman extends this as a challenge to live up to Thomas Jefferson's legacy, especially: "All men are created equal".

   "Jefferson's Children" is a true story of racial togetherness. It starts with Shannon and Jane off on a cross country journey. This is a model in itself, for their backgrounds and colors are substantialy different. The journey concludes with the writings of many people of different colors and backgrounds, including some who do not claim to be descended from Thomas Jefferson. This projects one loving and caring family - all of which is a unique and outstanding model of racial togetherness.

   The paperback represents a step forward in American history. As readers recognize this, they may find both the hope and the challenge for the future as Shannon and Jane have.

   Those who are interested in the question of who fathered Sally Hemings children may find an analysis by the National Genealogical Society of interest. It is JEFFERSON-HEMINGS, Quarterly Journal, volume 89, number 3, published in september 2001 and is available...at subscribing libraries.




2. This story is catalogued as a book for teens and young adults,
   but I found it great reading for an older audience. It was
   written as a result of research done by twenty-year-old Shannon
   Lanier, a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave
   Sally Hemings. With slavery as the backdrop, this book is an
   attempt to combine the history of one American family. Amidst
   the controversy surrounding the biography of Thomas Jefferson
   and his offspring, Shannon shares his family's story.

   Many descendants of Martha Jefferson and several generations of
   historians have resisted the claims of kinship to Jefferson by
   Hemings' offspring, and they feel these claims will tarnish his
   legacy. But the information collected by Shannon is not a myth,
   and it is his belief that he has found the final piece of puzzle
   to complete the search for the the Hemings' family tree. Shannon
   never intended to bring shame to Jefferson's legacy, but he is
   aware that his research will show an unveiled look at a man many
   feel is beyond reproach.

   The story is told with a collection of historical essays,
   interviews and family photographs, and is wonderfully illustrated
   by Jane Feldman. This is not the Thomas Jefferson we studied in
   school and there is the strong possibility that this particular
   information may never appear in history books. Since there are no
   written records of the slaves' birth, and of the period after
   slavery was abolished, to substantiate Shannon's claims. The
   history during these periods was memorized and told by oral
   historians. But in 1998 DNA tests produced evidence that there
   is a link between the Jefferson and Hemings families.

   If nothing else, this story should produce sensitive discussions
   on how we define our country based on the color of our skin. The
   introduction by Lucian K. Truscott IV, a fifth generation great-
   grandson of Jefferson through their daughter Martha
   Jefferson-Randolph, shares his hope that this story will show us
   that the worth of a person should not be determined only by what
   we see.

   Reviewed by aNN Brown
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers




3. I bought this book for my 12 year old nephew who wanted to understand "passing."
   
   He had heard that people "passed into the white world" and wanted to understand this concept as he comes from a mixed race background where his Grandmother scandalised many English people when she married a Bengali in a time when Black people were still being murdered for just whistling at a white girl in the USA.
   
   So I have got him this book which talks candidly and in a language that a twelve year old will understand about "Jefferson's Children", both legitimate and illegitimate."
   
   All of whom walked many paths, some down the road to embracing their Anglo-African roots, others to never know their slave origins as they slipped away into the embrace of their "white roots", and just as many who would never doubt their racial purity because they were descended from the two legitimate daughters of Thomas Jefferson.
   
   This is an excellent book for teens and adults alike; it looks at the proud descendents from this illustrious lineage as well as those who see such a bloodline as curse rather than a blessing.
   
   I liked the fact that the book wasn't over syrupy, it was down to earth yet proud with a healthy dose of cynicism from some people both Black and White, I liked that and I think my nephew will like that too.
   
   Of course there are many people, who will continue to deny that Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson ever had a relationship, and this is reflected in the book.
   
   I find this curious as DNA has proven that the children of Sally Hemmings were Thomas Jefferson's offspring, and their excuses such as "Thomas loved his wife Martha too much to take up with a slave," made me smile. Sally Hemmings was his wife's half sister, and probably looked a lot like her, I leave the rest to your imagination plus the fact only Sally and her children were freed upon Thomas Jefferson's death, and also the fact that
   Sally followed Thomas Jefferson back to the USA when she could have stayed in Paris a free woman of colour.
   
   All of this is expressed in this wonderful book that should be on the shelf of every school in the USA.
   
   I just wish we had books like this in England because we too have a secret history like the Hemmings and Jefferson relationship, born from Britain's colonisation of Africa, India and the Caribbean, we too have a legacy that needs to be told and perhaps one day it will be.



4. I am a Lutheran church librarian in Florida who bought this book for our church library. I feel it has very important things to say about the definition of family. A family can be a traditional nuclear family with a mom, dad and 2.3 kids. It can have two mothers, two fathers, step-parents, and grandparents. The people in the family can be of all different races. They do do not even have to be biologically related since they can be adopted. I want my parishioners to realize all this. A family is defined as "a group of people who love and support one another." If a particular family does not match your traditional particular concept of family, GET USED TO IT!
   
   I was raised to appreciate and enjoy history, and I first visited Monticello as a middle-schooler. This book is particularly interesting in that it fleshes out the individuals who made up the family of Monticello, white, black and every shade in between. Thank you, Shannon Lanier, for writing this family history. It is a very important historical statement besides being a fascinating family genealogy. Since we have no photos of Jefferson, I especially enjoyed studying the faces of his descendants in these photos--one or two seem to be the spitting image of him.
   
   As to whether Jefferson was a god or not, no he was not. He was human and had failings and gifts just like anyone else. He was a product of his time. That meant he did certain things indicative of that time. So what? It just makes him a more interesting person to me. Does it really help us to try to judge him by today's standards? All we can really do is to examine the man in the context of his time. This book can be enjoyed by both teens and adults and will especially interest those who liked Jefferson, the colonial era, or who like genealogy.



5. this inspiring book was written by a friend of mine...who i've known since he was shorter than i am now! i'm very proud of him and he did an awesome job of showing both sides of this extended family and in including all kinds of views of the situation. brilliant...he also happens to be an alum of Hughes Center High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. GO BIG RED! I love you Shan-Shan!

3 comments about Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families (Royal Ancestry) (Royal Ancestry).

1. Even though I do not, to my knowledge, have a single drop of royal blood in my veins, I have a longstanding interest in peerage genealogy -- if only because the earliest surviving records concern the lineages of European society's movers and shakers, not the yeoman farmers and small tradesmen whose genes I carry. Richardson is well known and widely respected in this field, having published numerous peerage articles in the most respected journals and having been a contributor to the last couple of editions of Weis. Those of us who hang out on the soc.genealogy.medieval newsgroup have watched for years as this massive work took shape (always keeping in mind that the level of discourse in that venue often verges on the sophomoric). The final result is close to being a masterpiece not only of genealogy of the traditional sort but of comparative historiography. His purpose is to document the lines of descent for about 190 individuals who immigrated to the North American colonies before 1700 from the Plantagenet dynasty who ruled England from 1154 (the accession of Henry II, Duke of Anjou) to 1485 (the defeat and death of Richard III at Bosworth Field at the hands of Henry Tudor). He notes that his work is an expansion and major revision of David Faris's _Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-Century Colonists,_ but the new work is so very extensive, this must really be regarded as an entirely new work; Faris considered only the descendants of Henry III (who died in 1272), where Richardson traces the progeny of all sixteen of Geoffrey's great-grandchildren who left descendants, both legitimate and illegitimate. Further volumes are planned to cover descents from Magna Carta sureties, the early feudal barons, and the Emperor Charlemagne. (Remember that anyone who descends from a single royal house in Britain or on the Continent will also have descents from most of the others.)
   
   The plan of organization is reminiscent of that devised by Frederick Weis, with each family's listed lineage beginning at the point of bifurcation from the previous, earlier lines; all generations are numbered from Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, the first "Plantagenet." Citations are very, very full, which is sure to make this a heavily cited secondary source itself. In fact, Richardson seems to have read everything (the bibliography is the most complete I have ever seen, running to more than seventy-seven pages!) and obviously has thought very carefully about what he read. A number of important discoveries and changes to previous scholarship are included, such as the proven parentage of both Margery de Bohun and Joan Hastings (both major problems for decades), and the maiden name of Margaret de Mowbray (important for descendants of Mayflower passengers). Even more important is the discovery that the "Fair Rosamond" Clifford, mistress of Henry II, was not the mother of William Longspée (created Earl of Salisbury); that dubious honor now goes instead to "Countess Ida," wife of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. Nor does he consider his work to be complete: His snail-mail and e-mail addresses are included, as well as a website address, with the plea that new discoveries, additions, and corrections will be submitted by readers. This oversized volume was my birthday gift to myself this year and it already has two dozen bookmarks tucked into it.



2. Exceptionally well-sourced and well-indexed. One can tell at a glance which immigrants are descendants of each person listed. Where possible, the author has listed both parents for each person, along with all possible siblings. A must-have for anyone doing research on American colonial ancestry.



3. One of the best sources for the amateur and professional alike, Douglas Richardson's books rank as the be all and end all along with John Dorman's Adventurers of Purse and Person for those wishing to tie their American genealogical lines with the petty nobility and royalty of Europe. A must-have for every genealogist. Extremely well sourced.

1 comments about Chasing The Frontier: Scots-Irish in Early America.

1. Larry Hoefling leads the reader through the migration of the Scots-Irish from the Scotland lowlands, to Ireland, and then on to America. He provides excerpts from the lives of different Scots-Irish surnames of these early pioneers in America which is invaluable for the genealogist with Scots-Irish ancestry. Mr. Hoefling as been able to merge the history of these people's migration to America, along with a personal look at wills, death records, marriage records, military rosters, and land deeds of these early pioneers. Anyone with Scots-Irish ancestry would find this book an invaluable addition to their collection, and may even find the name of one of their ancestors included in the book.