Lineage and family in colonial America -- The rise of American genealogy -- Antebellum blood and vanity -- "Upon the love of country and pride of race" -- Pedigrees and the market -- Everybody's search for roots.
Summary
Traces the history of genealogy in the United States, from its early preoccupation with social status and lineage, to a nineteenth-century search for Anglo-Saxon roots, to a twentieth-century acceptance of diversity and the introduction of DNA technology.
"While most genealogy books focus on original records and primary sources, this title focuses on secondary sources that have proliferated because of the growth of genealogy. It identifies and explains the vast number of published genealogical sources, acting both as a guidebook and a bibliography to the printed material in the field. The introduction alone is a treasure trove of information, and should be called Genealogy Sources 101. Coverage includes encyclopedias, gazetteers, indexes, abstracts, histories, biographies, military sources, periodicals, and much more. Appendixes include CD-ROMs for family historians, major genealogical libraries in the United States, and a list of genealogical publishers and booksellers. This monumental source is highly recommended in all libraries for the beginner or expert ".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles", American Libraries, May 1999. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.
