Genealogical Encyclopedia of The Colonial Americas

Genealogical 
Encyclopedia of the Colonial Americas
A Complete Digest of the Records of All the 
Countries of the Western Hemisphere
Christina K. Schaefer
Volume  totaling
829
pages. Book 
is in excellent condition. Just 
what you need for genealogy research.
Until the publication of this remarkable work, no single 
source could be used to identify and locate the records of the various countries 
of the Western Hemisphere. Given the extent and diversity of the records, this 
is hardly surprising; and yet the creation of such a source is precisely the 
task Christina Schaefer set herself. The immense body of records of the colonial 
period in the Western Hemisphere presents a serious challenge to the 
researcher–in some cases even a stumbling block–and therefore in this work 
Mrs. Schaefer has undertaken a systematic examination of the records to show the 
researcher where to find the most important genealogical records of the period 
and how to access them, all within the framework of a single encyclopedic 
volume.
Equally important, she has defined the various classes of 
records in each country, identified as many of them as is practicable in a book 
of this size, provided historical background and brief sketches of the records 
themselves, added a description of the principal holdings of the major 
repositories of each country, and has interwoven selected reading lists 
throughout. The reader will appreciate, of course, that the subject matter is 
vast, covering the colonial records of all the Americas, from Latin America to 
the Caribbean, from the original Thirteen Colonies to Canada and New France, so 
of necessity the author has been at pains to be as comprehensive as possible. In 
the end, she has put together a magnificent reference work, one that will guide 
all researchers, beginners and professionals alike, to the most direct and 
reliable route to the colonial records of the Western Hemisphere.
The scope of the work covers the period of colonial history 
from the beginning of European colonization in the Western Hemisphere up to the 
time of the American Revolution, and the records described are the primary 
records used in genealogical research. However, the time line has been extended 
to provide more complete information in the following instances: U.S. states 
other than the Thirteen Colonies with records that begin prior to the 
Revolutionary War, until such time as they became part of the U.S. (possession, 
territory, state); Latin American countries, which did not declare their 
independence from Spain and Portugal until 1808 and later Canada through about 
1841; Carribbean countries and dependencies to about 1810; The subject of 
slavery up to the abolition of the slave trade.
While the best sources of information regarding an 
immigrant ancestor can usually be found in the country to which he immigrated, 
there are, nevertheless, many important records still to be found in the country 
of origin–records which had either remained in the mother country or had been 
returned to the mother country: church records, for example, emigration and 
trade company records, indenture agreements, military records, missionary 
society records, probate records and wills, provincial land grants, and tax 
records. Thus the last section of this book provides information regarding the 
location of colonial records in such countries as Denmark, England, France, 
Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland, and at the 
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The range of the book is so remarkable that even the most 
seasoned researcher will find it breathtaking. What follows is a listing of the 
contents of the seven distinct parts that make up the whole. From this 
itemization the reader can draw his own conclusions about the value of the work 
as an indispensable desk reference: Chronology of colonial history and dates of 
first colonial governors, Colonies of Latin America arranged according to mother 
country, Colonies of the Caribbean, The Thirteen Colonies plus Maine and 
Vermont, Other U.S. States with settlements prior to the Revolution, Canada, and 
Resources for further research, including the ocation of colonial records in 
such countries as Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, 
Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland, and at the Library of Congress in Washington, 
D.C.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
“This extensive compilation will suggest numerous original and printed sources, 
leading the serious researcher to new and exciting works.”–AMERICAN REFERENCE 
BOOKS ANNUAL (2000), p. 157.
“For Americans this is a valuable guide for Colonial research. It is especially 
useful for areas outside the U.S. where research guides are not 
common.”–FEDERATION OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES FORUM, Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 30.
“This volume is a definite aid in facilitating research planning.”
–COLONIAL 
LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY REVIEW, p. 345.
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