The purpose of this book is to show the researcher how to trace a 17th-century New Netherland ancestor back to his place of origin in Europe. Mrs. Epperson demonstrates that without leaving the United States, and without speaking or reading a foreign language, the researcher, in using such records as exist at the LDS Family History Library and family history centers throughout the United States, can successfully trace his New Netherland ancestry all on his own. Step by step she guides the researcher through the maze of extant records–passenger lists, marriage registers, early court records, and church records–pausing along the way to explain Dutch naming practices and the importance of glossaries, gazetteers and maps. Her book is the new crucial link for the millions of Americans whose ancestors are numbered among the band of 10,000 inhabitants of 17th-century New Netherland.