Did you know that boundaries of the State of Arizona were not finalized until the Gadsden Purchase of 1853? Gold strikes played an important role in enticing Americans to settle in Alaska. Can you name the dates of the strike at Sitka, Sindham Bay, or the Yukon? Following the American Revolution, a number of the Original Thirteen States owned land in what is referred to as the “Old Northwest Territory.” Do you know when Connecticut relinquished its ownership to the Western Reserve, paving the way for a significant migration into the future State of Ohio? In 1860 the Nebraska Territory had a population of 29,000, but by 1880 it had exploded to 452,000. What event in 1865 “paved” the way for this population spurt? Here are two milestones that influenced the lives of many 19th-century New Yorkers: the opening of the Erie Canal and the departure of the first train from New York City carrying orphans to the Midwest. Can you name the years? Finally, the export of cotton from South Carolina would help to seal the economic and demographic future of that state. Do you know when it began?
The forgoing examples constitute just specks of the information author Judy Jacobson provides for each of the 50 U.S. States in the Second Edition of her book, History for Genealogists: Using Chronological Time Lines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors. Besides the American timelines History for Genealogists for other countries, immigration, battles, pandemics, natural disasters, developments in transportation, immigration, and other topics that impacted the hopes, dreams, and lives of our ancestors. This 2016 Second Edition includes new timelines for fashion trends, and life on the American home front during the two World Wars.
In short, whether you’ve hit a dead end in your genealogy, or you want to know more about the lives and times of your ancestors, History for Genealogists is one book that promises to point you on your way.
