The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference: Quick Facts And Timelines Of American History To Help Understand Your Ancestors

I have always enjoyed trivia games and books with lists or facts. I call these books bathroom readers. However, they often contain very useful information, much of it historical. However, it never really dawned on me how useful such a book could be to a genealogist until I was given a copy for review of The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference: Quick Facts And Timelines Of American History To Help Understand Your Ancestors. This small facts book contains a wealth of information useful to researching one’s ancestors.

This guide “outlines the major political, military and social events in the United States from the colonial era through 1940. It also includes immigration trends and census dates to help you narrow your research focus and find genealogy records faster.” Inside these pages the reader will find timelines, charts, lists, and maps for events and people. Military events and major wars are covered, along with more mundane but popular subjects like food, songs, books, and more for each time period. There are also many genealogically oriented topics covered, like censuses and immigration data, including major points and countries of origin.

The author best describes how to use this book in your genealogical research:

“When you are trying to find an ancestor in a specific era, consult the chapter on that era. The events of the era may have directly impacted your ancestor. Wars create service records for soldiers, but also may have displaced your ancestors if fighting took place on their lands. Disasters and disease also displace people. Additionally, you’ll find listing of census records in online databases…”

Both useful for research, as well as simply fun to read, this is a great little guide. The book also makes a great gift.

Order copies of The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference: Quick Facts And Timelines Of American History To Help Understand Your Ancestors for yourself or as a gift from Family Roots Publishing; Price: $14.69.

Chapter

Introduction

How to Use This Book

Chapter 1 – Colonial America to 1763

• About the Era
• America Before the Europeans
• Exploring the Continent
• First Settlements in America
• Formation of the Original 13 Colonies
• Important Documents of the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• Colonial America, 1689-1783 Map
• The Puebloan Revolution
• The Witchcraft Trials
• Wars of the Era
• Inventions
• Famous People of the Era
• English Monarchs in America’s Early Colonization
• Social Classes in Virginia
• Life Expectancy 1640-1700 (For a Person Aged 20)
• Mortality
• Medical Treatments
• Epidemics
• Books of the Era
• Colonial Colleges
• Songs of the Era
• Popular Foods of the Era
• Recipe From the Era
• Most Popular Names
• Colonial Churches
• Population in the 13 Colonies
• Population Percentages
• Immigration
• Slaves as a Percentage of the Population
• The Economy and the Triangle Trade
• Colonial and Territorial Censuses of the Era

Chapter 2 – Revolutionary America 1763 to 1783

• About the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• Territorial Growth, 1775 Map
• British Legislation That Spurred the Revolution
• Boston Massacre
• Major Battles of the American Revolution (1775-1783)
• “That Fort That Saved America”
• Revolutionary War Casualties (Estimates)
• Military Leaders
• Civilian Leaders
• Florida During the Revolution
• The Mission Ear in California
• Europe During the Revolution
• Beginning of a New Repulic
• The Pox of Smallpox
• George Washington’s Health
• Songs of the Era
• Recipe From the Era
• Most Popular Names
• Revolutionary War Land Grants
• Displacing of Loyalists
• American Population Growth
• Colonial and Territorial Censuses of the Era

Chapter 3 – An Expanding Nation 1783 to 1830

• About the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• The Treaty of Paris
• The Great Compromise
• Bill of Rights
• Order of Statehood 1787-1821
• Wars of the Era
• Territorial Growth, 1790 Map
• Causes of Death in the War of 1812
• Territorial Growth, 1800 Map
• Louisiana Purchase of 1803
• Lewis and Clark Explore New Territory
• Direct Purchase of Federal Land
• The Louisiana Purchase Map
• Northwest Ordinance
• Westward Expansion and Exploration, 1803-1807 Map
• Division of Land
• Missouri Compromise
• Oregon Territory
• Territorial Growth, 1820 Map
• Territorial Growth, 1830 Map
• Along the Trail
• Famous People of the Era
• Westward Expansion and Exploration, 1815-1845 Map
• The Country’s Presidents 1783-1830
• The Country’s First Ladies 1783-1830
• The Age of Jackson
• The Death of George Washington
• Inventions and Discoveries of the Era
• Epidemics
• Women and Medicine
• Popular Foods of the Era
• Recipes From the Era
• Songs of the Era
• “The Battle of Baltimore”
• Books and Poems of the Era
• Most Popular Names 1800-1810
• The First Federal Census
• Total Population of the United States, 1830
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population in 1790
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population in 1830
• Top 10 Immigration by Country
• Major Immigration Ports of Entry
• Official Census Dates of the Era
• Non-Population Censuses of the Era
• Non-Population Censuses of the Era
• Colonial, Territorial and State Censuses of the Era

Chapter 4 – Growth, War & Reconstruction 1830 to 1870

• About the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• The Order of Statehood 1836-1867
• The Nat Turner Rebellion
• Manifest Destiny
• The Oregon Trail Map
• Along the Oregon Trail
• Food on the Oregon Trail
• The California Gold Rush by the Numbers
• Territorial Growth, 1840 Map
• Territorial Growth, 1850 Map
• The Railroad
• Bleeding Kansas
• The Pony Express
• Territorial Growth, 1860 Map
• Wars of the Era
• Events That Shaped the Civil War
• Territory Lost by the Confederacy, 1862-1865 Map
• The Election of 1860
• 10 Costliest Battles of the Civil War
• Reconstruction
• Territorial Growth, 1870 Map
• Famous People of the Era
• The Country’s Presidents 1830-1870
• The Country’s First Ladies 1830-1870
• Invention of the Era
• Disease in America
• Popular Foods of the Era
• Recipe From the Era
• Popular Music of the Civil War
• Books of the Era
• Reflecting the American Ideal
• Most Popular Names 1861-1870
• 1860 Federal Census
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population 1860
• Proportion of Blacks and Whites in the South, 1860
• Top Immigration by Country
• Official Census Dates of the Era
• Non-Population Censuses of the Era
• Colonial, Territorial and States Censuses of the Era

Chapter 5 – Industrial Revolution, War and Depression 1870 to 1933

• About the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• 11 States Join the Union
• Territorial Growth, 1880 Map
• Territorial Growth, 1900 Map
• Territorial Growth, 1920 Map
• Land Rush!
• Major American Wars of the Era
• The Wild West
• The Industrial Revolution
• Industrial Revolution Milestones
• Leisure Time
• The Roaring Twenties
• Great Depression
• The Most Famous Kidnapping of the Era
• Famous People of the Era
• The Country’s Presidents 1870-1933
• Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
• The Country’s First Ladies 1870-1933
• “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor/Your Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free”
• Inventions of the Era
• America Takes to the Skies
• Two Deadly Epidemics of the Early 20th Century
• Epidemics
• Popular Foods of the Era
• Recipes from the Era
• Prices During the Era
• Popular Songs of World War I
• Books of the Era
• Going to the Movies
• Academy Award Winners
• Most Popular Names 1880
• Most Popular Names 1920
• Median Age at Marriage (Estimate)
• Total Population of the United States, 1900-1930
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population in 1870
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population in 1930
• Two Labor Forces Come to America
• Ellis Island Opens
• Top 10 Immigration by Country 1871-1880
• Top 10 Immigration by Country 1921-1930
• Official Census Dates of the Era
• Non-Population Censuses of the Era
• Colonial, Territorial and State Censuses of the Era

Chapter 6 – New Deal and World War II 1933 to 1945

• About the Era
• Events That Shaped the Era
• States Admitted to the Union
• The New Deal: An Era of Recovery
• Civilian Conservation Corps Camps, 1934-1942 Map
• The Dust Bowl
• Timeline of World War II
• The Manhattan Project
• Victims of the Holocaust
• Rationing
• On the Home Front
• Famous People of the Era
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Rosie the Riveter
• Inventions of the Era
• Prices During the Era
• Popular Foods of the Era
• Recipes From the Era
• Songs of the Era
• Books of the Era
• Going to the Movies
• 10 Most Popular Names 1940-1949
• Top 10 U.S. Cities by Population in 1940
• Top 10 Immigration by Country 1931-1940
• The U.S. Population Growth 1930-1940
• Official Census Dates of the Era
• Non-Population Censuses of the Era
• Colonial, Territorial and State Census of the Era

Appendix

• U.S. State Fast Facts
• War Records to Search For
• Major Genealogical Records Generated from U.S. Wars
• U.S. Immigrants by Country (1820 to 1975)
• Timeline of Immigration Laws
• Major U.S. Migration Routes