Tracing Your Colonial American Ancestors

mm015Over the past few years, the folks who publish Family Chronicle, Internet Genealogy, and the History Magazine have created a series of journals offering a collection of previously published article, gathered together on a single topic. Here are some of the journals we have already reviewed:

The same group, Moorshead Magazines, has now brought us Tracing Your Colonial American Ancestors. At 82 pages printing offers 18 articles by popular contributor David A. Norris. The contents of this collection of articles are described by Norris himself:

“Many Americans can trace at least part of their ancestry back to people who lived in the colonial era. Each of the original American ‘Thirteen Colonies’ was unique, and within them, the counties and towns had their own distinctive characteristics. Fortunately for the genealogists today, the Internet, libraries, archives, books, and microfilm are all available to help find and understand family history information from the colonial era. I hope that this guide will provide useful ideas and tips for the reader who is digging into the fascinating history of this time”

 

Contents

Colonial Newspapers

Newspapers of the day can offer more than just news about your ancestor, but also a look into their daily lives

Maps of Colonial America

Between websites, atlases and modern reproductions, there are lots of places to find maps from the colonial era

Revolutionary War Records

We look at some rich resources for early births, marriages, maiden names and more

Birth, Marriages & Deaths

Tips and hints for locating more vital record information for colonial ancestors. Look outside the box!

The New Calendar

The change to the new calendar in 1752 left a mess for future generations of historians and genealogists

Passenger Ship Records

There are many passenger records for colonial ancestors that have been published or place online

Tax Roll & Colonial Censuses

A look at colonial censuses, along with tax rolls and tithables as helpful census substitutes

Militia Records

It wasn’t all coins and paper money; quite often our ancestors relied on barter and credit

Colonial Money

Along with probate and land records, court records offer some of the richest resources for your research

Colonial Court

Along with probate and land records, court records offer some of the richest resources for your research

The French and Indian Wars

Four European wars spilled over into the histories of many New World families

Indentured Servants

There are a number of easily accessible published and online sources to help you locate your ancestor

Voting & Poll Books

Most election lists are long lost, but scattered lists of voters remain for some of the colonies

Political Committees

Opposition to British rule created new types of family history records

Probate and Land Records

Some of the best information you will discover will come from the land and probate records of your ancestors

Colonial Weights & Measures

The US inherited some British systems of measurement, but differed on others after American independence

Brands, Ear Marks & Strays

Records of your ancestors’ livestock can be a gateway to the past

Predator Bounty Records

Records of bounties on various types of predators or “animal nuisances” can add color to your family history

Get a copy of Tracing Your Colonial American Ancestors or any other the magazines listed above from Family Roots Publishing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.