Genealogical Encyclopedia of The Colonial Americas

Description

Genealogical  Encyclopedia of the Colonial Americas
A Complete Digest of the Records of All the  Countries of the Western Hemisphere
Christina K. Schaefer
Volume  totaling
829
pages. Book  is in excellent condition. Just  what you need for genealogy research.
Until the publication of this remarkable 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.
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