We are now offering a bundle of two of what I belive are the most useful Timeline & History oriented books published for genealogists.
Following are reviews that Andy and I wrote earlier about the books:
Review of History for Genealogists, by Leland K Meitzler
One of my favorite books is Judy Jacobson’s History For Genealogists – Using Chronological Time Lines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors. I find myself constantly returning to the volume for guidance in historical information that has the potential of adding increased data, and often generations, to my family history. Beside that, it’s just a VERY GOOD READ!
Any experienced genealogist knows that it’s imperative that we understand the historical context within which our ancestors’ lived. However, that’s a tall order. You could spend every moment of your life reading history – both online and off – and still not have the facts that will help you understand why your ancestors did what they did. This is where History for Genealogists comes to the rescue.
History for Genealogists highlights and dates events that played into the lives of our ancestors. Consider the following illustrations: If you have lost track of your 1880 ancestor in Iowa, have you considered that he might have moved there during the Economic Panic of 1873? Your forebears were living in Texas in the 1840s, but did you know that they might have come from Kentucky as part of the “Peters Colony?” Did you know that you can learn a great deal about your ancestors if they belonged to a labor or fraternal organization like the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, or the Catholic Family Life Insurance Society?
As Mrs. Jacobson puts it, “The average person might define historical research as the study of the human past and genealogical research as the study of a human’s past. History lays the foundation to understand a group of people. Genealogy lays the foundation to understand a person or family using tangible evidence. Yet history also lays the foundation to understand why individuals and societies behave the way they do. It provides the building materials needed to understand the human condition and provide an identity, be it for an individual or a group or an institution.”
The initial chapters of History for Genealogists explain the value of historical time lines. Here the reader learns the clues that time lines can suggest about hidden aspects of our ancestors’ lives. Mrs. Jacobson illustrates the virtues of time lines with several case studies.
The bulk of the book consists of specific historical time lines that answer fundamental questions about our forebears. For example, if you are trying to learn when your ancestors left one place for another, it would be helpful to ask the question, “Why did they leave?” Did it have to do with a military conflict, social injustice, religion, disease, economic hardship, a natural disaster? No matter what the explanation, Mrs. Jacobson has a historical time line that could lead to the explanation. For example, your ancestor’s departure may have coincided with the outbreak of the Crimean War, a virulent epidemic, an earthquake, or a religious war.
Other chapters pose answers to other crucial questions, such as “How did they go?” and “What route did they take?” For these conundrums, Mrs. Jacobson uses time lines to lay out the history of the transportation revolutions in America (roads, rails, canals, and air travel), as well as the history of the great western trails our ancestors followed in crossing the country.
The author dissects our the past into scores of time lines. There is a time line of the Industrial Revolution, American immigration, and the Labor Movement. Researchers can also make use of a time line for the history of each of the 50 states, and, in brief, for the rest of North America, Europe, and more.
History for Genealogists concludes with a helpful bibliography and an index of people and places, wars and battles. As an example of how to use the index – I do a lot of research on ancestors who lived or migrated through Nebraska. In checking the index for Nebraska, I found ten entries: pages 25, 39, 60, 70, 85, 113, 154, 180, 181, and 204. This led me to the following information about Nebraska:
- Page 25 – The 1882 Omaha Labor Riots – found in a chronological listing of Uncivil Disobedience dating from 1641 until 1949.
- Page 39 – The 1802 Smallpox outbreak killing Omaha Indians – found in a chronological listing of disease epidemics in America dating from 1657 until 1931.
- Page 60 – Information of the rapid settlement of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas – found in a chronological listing of Railroad advances dating from 1779 until 1935.
- Page 70 – Information that many Czechs went to Wisconsin, Texas and Nebraska – found in a chapter on Coming to America and Who Went Where?
- Page 85 – The Western Trail ran from Ogallala, Nebraska to Central Texas, and connected to the Oregon Trail. – from a sub-chapter section on Western Trail and Roads, from a chapter section on America’s historic migrations, found in the Coming to America chapter and Who Went Where? This chapter alone is absolutely amazing in its variety and depth of information.
- Page 113 – The top ten destinations for Orphan Train children was New York, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, Kansas, Indiana, and Nebraska – found in a subsection on orphan trains in a chapter on “Even Harder to Find Missing Persons.”
- Page 154 – Wyoming wasn’t even a territory in 1860, but neighboring Nebraska was and that unorganized section of Nebraska Territory contained census information for what would become Wyoming – found in the introduction to the comprehensive State-by-State chapter.
- Page 180 – Montana was included in Nebraska Territory – found in the Montana section of State-by-State chapter.
- Page 181 – The Nebraska section of the State by State chapter contains 25 entries starting with the 1763 Treaty of Paris granting land west of the Mississippi River to Spain and concluding with the 1944 Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project enacted for flood control, dams, reservoirs, and hydroelectric plants.
- Page 204 – The 1860 Census of Wyoming was included with the census taken for Nebraska – found in the Wyoming section of the State-by-State chapter, made up of 34 entries.
The following is from the Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Seeing Ancestors in Historical Context
The Long Range
Chapter 2. Creating a Timeline
Why?
How?
Case Studies Using Timelines
Thomas Pound – Tracking an Individual
Thomas Richley – Designing to Find Mathematical Problems
Chapter 3. Why Did They Leave?
Military
American Military Actions
Major Revolutionary War Events and Battles
Major Civil War Events and Battles
Major Spanish-American War Events and Battles
International Skirmishes Involving the United States
Foreign Military and Armed Engagements
Racism, Injustices and Political Unrest
Uncivil Disobedience
Political Motives
Religion
Escape and Banishment
Genocide
Disease
Epidemics in America
Important International Medical Events Influencing Populations and Migrations
Economics
Events Having a Major Impact on Financial Stability in the U.S.A.
Natural and Unnatural Disasters
International Disasters
Disasters in the United States
Chapter 4. How Did They Go?
By Road
By Rail
By Water
By Air
Chapter 5. Coming to America
Who Went Where?
To Canada and Back
America’s Historic Migration Patterns
The East – Eastern Trails and Roads
The Mountains – Appalachian Trails and Roads
The South – Southern Trails and Roads
The Midwest – Midwestern Trails and Roads
The West – Western Trails and Roads
Long Distances – Long Distance Trails and Roads
Trail of Tears
The Religion Factor
Chapter 6. Myths, Confusions, Secrets and Lies
Myths
Confusion
Secrets
Lies
Chapter 7. Even Harder to Find Missing Persons
Name Changes – Legal or Not
Females
Slaves
Isolated Societies
Orphan Trains
No Public Records At All
Places That Changed Their Names
Ghost Towns
Three Lost States – Franklin, Transylvania, and Westmoreland
Meandering Boundaries
Historical Maps
Chapter 8. Society History and Community Genealogy
Immigration
The American Industrial Revolution
Associations, Brotherhoods, Societies and Unions
The Rise of the Labor Unions
Genealogical Information Found in Books
Local Histories
Social History Books
Diaries and Journals
Other Sources
Oral History Projects
Keeping it All in the Family
Do It Yourself
9. State by State
Colonial Differences
State Timelines – Alabama to Wyoming – 49 pages
Chapter 10. And Region by Region
The Melding of Nationalities
Just One City
International Timelines
The Rest of North America
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
British Isles
The Rest of Europe
Africa
Russia and the Rest of the Former Soviet Union
Middle East
Asia
Oceania – Australia and Island Nations
Bibliography
Index to People and Places, War and Battles
To order the bundle, Click HERE! To order your copy of History For Genealogists alone during the Bundle Sale, click on the following link: History for Genealogists, Using Chronological Time Lines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors; by Judy Jacobson; 286 pp; Paper; Item # CF9956.
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Review of The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference, by Andy Pomeroy
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.
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
To order the bundle, Click HERE! You may also order a copy of just The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference: Quick Facts And Timelines Of American History To Help Understand Your Ancestors.
