Some Wore Blue & Some Wore Gray (Free Kindle eBook)

With the 150th Anniversary of the Battle at Gettysburg and the Siege of Vicksburg, New York Times Best Selling Author, Heather Graham, is revisiting one of her favorite time periods - The American Civil War. This time, however, she has compiled biographies of some of her favorite real-life characters of the period. We hope you'll enjoy her gift to you in SOME WORE BLUE & SOME WORE GRAY. And feel free to comment in the review section if there are people you would be interested in reading about from the Civil War. Ms. Graham sees this as a living, growing document and is certain to add to it as time goes by. Enjoy! 

And then when you want to see where all this love of history took her, check out her three Bantam novels ONE WORE BLUE, ONE WORE GRAY, and AND ONE RODE WEST. 

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Vital Records: Massachusetts, 1600s-1800s

The depth and quality of information contained in Massachusetts vital records is more significant than any other state. Although Massachusetts did not develop a centralized system of collecting vital information until 1844, they did require that towns collect vital records (births and deaths) very early on. Though sometimes incomplete and varying in accuracy, the importance of this data set cannot be over-emphasized...

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The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (Free Kindle eBook)

Sir James Knowles (1831 – 13 February 1908) was an English architect and editor. He was born in London, the son of architect James Thomas Knowles and himself trained in architecture at University College and in Italy. He designed, amongst other buildings, three churches in Clapham, Lord Tennyson's house at Aldworth, the Thatched House Club, the Leicester Square garden (as restored at the expense of Baron Albert Grant), and Albert Mansions, Victoria Street, Westminster.[1] However, his preferences led him simultaneously into a literary career. In 1860 he published The Story of King Arthur. In 1866 he was introduced to Alfred Lord Tennyson and later agreed to design his new house, Aldworth, on condition there was no fee; this led to a close friendship, Knowles assisting Tennyson in business matters and, among other things, helping to design scenery for The Cup when Henry Irving produced that play in 1880. Knowles became intimate with a number of the most interesting men of the day, and in 1869, with Tennyson's cooperation, he founded the Metaphysical Society, the object of which was to attempt some intellectual rapprochement between religion and science by getting the leading representatives of faith and unfaith to meet and exchange views. Members included Tennyson, Gladstone, W.K.Clifford, W. G. Ward, John Morley, Cardinal Manning, Archbishop Thomson, T. H. Huxley, Arthur Balfour, Leslie Stephen, and Sir William Gull.[1] The society formed the nucleus of the distinguished list of contributors who supported Knowles in his capacity as an editor. In 1870 he succeeded Dean Alford as editor of the Contemporary Review, but left it in 1877 owing to the objection of the proprietors to the insertion of articles (by W.K.Clifford notably) attacking Theism and founded the Nineteenth Century (to the title of which, in 1901, were added the words And After). Both periodicals became very influential under him, and formed the type of the new sort of monthly review which came to occupy the place formerly held by the quarterlies. Inter alia it was prominent in checking the Channel Tunnel project, by publishing a protest signed by many distinguished men in 1882. In 1904 he received the honour of knighthood. He was a considerable collector of works of art. He was married twice, in 1860 to Jane Borradaile, in 1865 to Isabel Hewlett. He died at Brighton and was buried at the Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery... 

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Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920

Trace your turn-of-the-century ancestors with information on approximately 886,000 individuals whose deaths were recorded in Indiana. Originally compiled by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), this collection covers 67 of Indiana's 92 counties...

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Rhode Island Vital Records, 1500s-1800s

Referencing approximately 550,000 individuals, this database includes pages of 20 volumes of the Rhode Island Genealogical Register and 13 volumes of Rhode Island Vital Records...

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A Short History of the World (Free eBook)

Although best known for his scientific romances that paved the way for the modern science fiction genre, H. G. Wells (1866-1946) produced significant works on politics, society, science and history. Fascinated as much with the real world as his imaginary one, and displeased with the quality of history textbooks at the end of World War I, Wells took on the task of writing his own book of world history. In 1919 he published "The Outline of History," a 1,324-page book in three volumes, which he soon followed with the much shorter and highly popular work, "A Short History of the World." This condensed work is a monumental account of the physical, spiritual, and intellectual evolution of the human race, and chronicles key events of humanity's development. More importantly, Wells brings to light the continuity of history, and provokes thoughts on the future implications of our scientific and intellectual progress...

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History of the United States (Free eBook)

Charles Austin Beard (November 27, 1874 - September 1, 1948) was an American historian. He published hundreds of monographs, textbooks and interpretive studies in both history and political science. His works included radical re-evaluation of the Founding Fathers of the United States, whom he believed were more motivated by economics than by philosophical principles. Mary Ritter Beard (August 5, 1876 in Indianapolis, Indiana - August 14, 1958) was an influential American historian and archivist, who played an important role in the women's suffrage movement and was a life-long advocate for social justice through educational and activist roles in both the labor and woman's rights movements. She wrote several books on women's role in history including On Understanding Women (1931), (Ed.) America Through Women's Eyes (1933) and Woman As Force In History: A Study in Traditions and Realities (1946). In addition, she collaborated with her husband, eminent historian Charles Austin Beard on several distinguished works, most notably The Rise of American Civilization (1927)...

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New York Deaths, 1700s-1900s

This information derives from a great variety of local sources including cemeteries, churches, newspapers, and town records. Because it originated with local sources, the information included here is especially valuable and would otherwise be quite difficult to find.

Knowing the date and location of a vital event such as a death, you can determine where to follow up with additional research. For example, you may wish to write to the county to obtain copies of the original records. Original death records can provide you with information such as the names of the individual's parents and the name of a surviving spouse, if any. The birth and death dates and locations may also allow you to find newspaper announcements about the person's birth or death, which may provide more details about the family...

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The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vols. 1-39, 1650-1900s

Published by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the Magazine is distributed semi-annually to its members. This scholarly journal contains book reviews, methodological case studies, discussions of major resources, family histories and genealogies, and research guides...

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The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vols. 1-85, 1600s-1900s

Among the oldest and most widely respected genealogical journals, the NGS Quarterly contains methodological case studies, discussions of major resources, compiled family histories and genealogies, and guides to research. Originally published between 1908 and 1997, the essays collected here include information on more than 701,000 individuals.

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Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace

Following its enthusiastic reception in 2007, we are pleased to announce a new edition of what is now the definitive guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources, a guide so thorough that it leaves nothing to chance, whether you want a podcast or a census record. The new second edition of Evidence Explained includes updates to numerous websites, new models for electronic sources such as blogs and online forums, and new model citations to traditional and non-traditional genealogical sources, thus continuing its role as the single-most comprehensive style manual for genealogical writing and publishing... 

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Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin, Volumes 1-38

Each volume includes historical and genealogical material, family charts from personal and public records, transcribed public-domain documents, letters to the editor as well as queries and answers. Published by the Maryland Genealogical Society, the Bulletin is distributed quarterly to its members and contains family history information from the 1600s to the 1900s. The essays and articles collected in this database include information on approximately 240,000 individuals.

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Criminal London: A Pictorial History from Medieval Times to 1939

London has always had more than its fair share of criminals, and medieval records are full of murders, fights, forgery and vagrancy. As the capital, it was the obvious centre for conspiracies, riots and revolts, while its wealth and anonymity made it a magnet for thieves, robbers and criminal gangs from the entire kingdom. In addition to the criminals and their crimes, the author also provides a well-researched and illustrated account of those who spent their lives pursuing them: the police, thief-takers, magistrates and judges.

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Massachusetts, 1620-1930 Local and Family Histories

This database contains seventeen comprehensive volumes of Massachusetts local and family histories. Many of the volumes were published in small quantities or for limited distribution and have previously been hard to find and research. They contain information on approximately 192,000 Massachusetts residents and their families, often referencing family members from other states, such as Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine.

On this database you can find historical information from the following towns and their early settlers and residents: Canton, Clinton, Dedham, Duxbury, Millbury, Newburyport, Northampton, Roxbury, Salem, and Watertown.

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Legal London: A Pictorial History

London has been home to more lawyers, for more centuries, than any other city on earth. Paris ran it neck-and-neck until the 18th century, after which London romped away as the national and then imperial capital of a legal system with centralized Royal Courts of Justice, Inns of Court, Courts of Appeal, debtors prisons, the Old Bailey, the Archbishop’s Court at St Mary le Bow, the Bridewell, the notorious Fleet Prison, and the Metropolitan Police. No other city so celebrates, in surviving buildings and institutions, the work of judges, lawyers, litigants, criminals, and the police! This new book does justice to them all. Covering both civil and criminal aspects of the law, the author’s narrative account is enormously expanded by 200 photographs and engravings, each fully captioned; plus maps to show the location of the courts, Inns, prisons, and other places of punishment throughout the metropolis. This fascinating study of the law at work in days gone by is both entertaining and informative. Though of particular value to everyone interested in London history, it will appeal to members of the legal and law enforcement professions everywhere that the "English" system and tradition has left its mark. 

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Maryland Probate Records, 1674-1774

This database is a comprehensive index of more than 600,000 individuals who were referenced in one of four collections of Maryland wills and probate records. The wills, inventories, and accounts referenced by these images will provide you with valuable insight into the lives of your Maryland ancestors. If you find an ancestor listed in an abstract, you will also find all of the information you need to track down the original record quickly and easily.

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Ancestral Trails. The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, Second Edition

This is the second edition of the book that has been called the Bible of British genealogy. Originally published in 1997 in association with the Society of Genealogists (London), and now revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in the field, Ancestral Trails enables the researcher to form a coherent picture of past generations by describing virtually every class of record in every repository and library in Britain. The early chapters help beginners take their first steps by dealing with such matters as obtaining information from living relatives, drawing family trees, and starting research in the records of birth, marriage, and death, or in census records. Later chapters guide researchers to the records that are more difficult to find and use, such as wills, parish records, civil and ecclesiastical court records, poll books, and property records. So the book is ideal for the beginner and the experienced researcher alike, and will enable those who are persistent enough to trace their ancestry back to the Middle Ages. 

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Virginia Family Histories #4, 1600s-1800s

This database contains seventeen volumes of Virginia genealogies and family histories. Originally published by a variety of entities, these books contain information about approximately 212,000 individuals. The Virginia resources include vestry books, family histories, vital records, and historical accounts of the colonization of Virginia and its counties.

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The Ontario Register, 1780s-1870s

This extensive collection of genealogical records, which includes vital records as well as family histories, contains a wealth of information about residents of Canada and their descendants. While most of the 244,000 individuals listed are from Canada, some are from the United States.

• Death Notices of Ontario
• Directory of the Province of Ontario, 1857 with a Gazetteer
• The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons and Daughters of the American Loyalists of Upper Canada
• Marriage Bonds of Ontario, 1803-1834
• Marriage Notices of Ontario
• The Old United Empire Loyalists List
• Ontarian Families: Genealogies of United Empire Loyalists and other Pioneer Families of Upper Canada, Volumes 1 and 2
• Ontario Marriage Notices
• The Ontario Register, Volumes 1-8

What you can learn about each listed individual varies, depending on the record. However, in this collection you will find records ranging from baptismal, marriage, and death records to cemetery inscriptions and deeds of note.

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Memories for My Grandchild: A Keepsake to Remember (Grandparent's Memory Book)

Don't you wish your grandmother had written down her life story? MEMORIES FOR MY GRANDCHILD: A Keepsake to Remember enables you to write down yours! Guided questions and prompts will help you tell your grandchildren (and great-grandchildren to come) all about your childhood and teen years; your education, love, and marriage; work, community, religion, military service; parenthood and family life; and, of course, grandparenthood! This guided journal memory book features:

• Inside back cover pocket in which to store keepsakes, notes 
• Creamy smooth pages that take pen beautifully 
• Archival, acid-free paper helps preserve your memories 
• 7-1/2'' wide x 9-1/4'' high 
• 96 pages, concealed wire-o binding

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The Complete Mayflower Descendant and Other Sources, 1600s-1800s

This database is the only electronic publication of the entire forty-six volumes of The Mayflower Descendant authorized by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Combined, the works on this database reference the names of approximately 200,000 individuals. While the majority of the records date from the 1600s through the 1800s, a number of references date back as far as the 1400s and some date well into the first half of the 1900s. 

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Your Story: A Guided Interview Through Your Personal & Family History

This beautiful, debossed hard cover clothbound volume guides you in writing "your story" through a series of questions designed to help you record your thoughts, feelings and facts about your life and family. The complete, private history you create is a permanent record, to be handed down from generation to generation within your family. Your Story includes more than 150 sets of questions designed to generate memories, thoughts and experiences, while providing plenty of space to write responses to those questions, and attach pertinent photographs. Each page is acid-free, archival quality paper. Your Story is designed to make the job of recounting details of your life less intimidating and less difficult. A tremendous gift item!

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Library Resources: U.S./Canada Surname Folder Index

This database provides unprecedented access to an index of over 100,000 unique surnames. The information indexed was originally collected in surname folders at local libraries, historical societies, and genealogical organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Because the surname resources were collected locally, availability of this information has not previously been widespread. The contents of the indexed surname folders range from one-of-a-kind family histories to newspaper obituaries, military records, and even correspondence.

Surname: The surname that is the focus of the surname folder found in a library or repository.

Repository: The name of the organization or repository you should contact for more information about the surname you are researching. You can either visit the repository listed, or it may be more convenient to simply write for more information. Since this information was compiled over 20 years, some addresses may have changed. You may wish to confirm the address (perhaps at a local library or on the World Wide Web) before visiting or writing the organization or repository.

State/Province: The state or province in which you can find the repository or organization that holds information on the surname you are researching.

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The Compendium of American Genealogy, 1600s-1800s (Free Genealogy Lookups)

Over 288,000 individuals and provide broad coverage of who's who in early America. The materials date from the pre-1600s to the 1800s and cover the entire United States.

While not all families are represented, almost every name distinguished in early America will be found in the Compendium. The Compendium was compiled largely from lineage records and manuscript genealogies submitted by individuals selected for inclusion, many of which were illustrated with photographs, portraits, and coats of arms...

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Census Index: Ireland, 1831-1841 (Free Genealogy Lookups)

Over forty million Americans now have Irish ancestry. A remarkable aid for painting a complete genealogical picture of families with Irish heritage, this data set indexes approximately 77,047 records from two Irish counties:

• Londonderry: 62,921 records from 1831
• Cavan: 14,126 records from 1841

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Birth Index: Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1680-1800 (Free Genealogy Lookups)

This database lists approximately 476,000 individuals who either resided in or were born in Southeastern Pennsylvania before 1800. This comprehensive index identifies fathers, mothers and children in a region that is genealogically significant for Americans with eighteenth-century European or United States ancestry. These records, found in 213 church, meeting, and pastoral records and compiled by John T. Humphrey, were originally published in a thirteen-volume set entitled Pennsylvania Births...

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Maryland Marriages and Genealogies, 1634-1820 (Free Genealogy Lookups)

Here you'll find six volumes of comprehensive Maryland family histories and marriages. Three of the volumes contain detailed family histories, some gleaned from the Maryland Historical Magazine, while the rest contain listings of Maryland marriages...

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Massachusetts & Maine Family Histories, 1650s-1930s (Free Genealogy Lookups)

This database contains pages from Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy and Massachusetts and Maine Families. These volumes contain information about approximately 77,000 individuals. Since relatively few Cape Cod records have survived, the 108 histories and essays collected in Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy are valuable resources. They can provide a better understanding of the period in which your ancestors lived. Massachusetts and Maine Families documents the complete ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis. Almost anyone with considerable New England ancestry will descend from one or more of the 180 families included in this database. 

What you can learn about each listed individual varies, depending on the original article. These records may provide you with information such as the dates of birth, marriage, and death, will information, description of property, and occupation. Some articles include handwriting samples and photographs.

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Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce

Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian and a member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of the African slave trade and against slavery itself until they were both illegal in the British Empire.

Many are aware of Wilberforce's role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine the beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of how Wilberforce was transformed from an unbelieving, young politician into a radically God-centered Christian, and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.

As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce's life and faith serves as an encouragement and example to all believers...

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The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers

The Victorian Internet tells the colorful story of the telegraph's creation and remarkable impact, and of the visionaries, oddballs, and eccentrics who pioneered it, from the eighteenth-century French scientist Jean-Antoine Nollet to Samuel F. B. Morse and Thomas Edison. The electric telegraph nullified distance and shrank the world quicker and further than ever before or since, and its story mirrors and predicts that of the Internet in numerous ways...

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The Gilded Age: A History in Documents (Pages from History)

When many Americans think of the Gilded Age, they picture the mansions at Newport, Rhode Island, or the tenements of New York City. Indeed, the late 19th century was a period of extreme poverty thinly veiled by fabulous wealth. However, we should not remember the era only for the strides made by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie or social reformer Jane Addams. All Americans had to adjust to the dynamic social and economic changes of the Gilded Age--the booming industries, growing cities, increased ethnic and cultural diversity. African American W. E. B. Du Bois, Native American Sitting Bull, and Chinese American Saum Song Bo spoke out against racial injustice. European immigrants Mary Antin and Robert Ferrari suffered the pitfalls and praised the opportunities found in their new country. Pioneer Phoebe Judson lamented the loneliness of making a life out West. And workers at Homestead Steel lost their lives in an attempt to improve labor conditions. Drawing from the letters, memoirs, newspaper articles, journals, and speeches of Gilded Age Americans, author Janette Greenwood arranges all of these voices to tell a story more vibrant and textured than the simple tale of robber baron versus starving poor. In addition to these voices, visuals--such as advertisements, maps, political cartoons, and a picture essay on Jacob Riiss urban photographs--create a kaleidoscopic view of the quarter century when diverse Americans struggled for the same goal: a better way of life, with more justice and democracy for each and all...

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Pennsylvania, 1740-1900 County and Family Histories

This database is unique because it provides not only family histories but county histories as well. You can learn, for example, not only that your ancestor was married in Butler County in 1800 but what Butler County was like in 1800. With this information you are able to gain a more complete understanding of your ancestors and the times and locations in which they lived...

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Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle

In this one-of-a-kind atlas, scores of archival maps and dozens of newly created maps trace the battles, political turmoil, and great themes of America’s most violent and pivotal clash of arms. From the Antebellum South to Fort Sumter, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the fitful peace of Reconstruction, National Geographic’s Atlas of the Civil War displays eye-opening maps—and a gripping, self-contained story—on every spread.

Eighty-five rare period maps, many seen here for the first time, offer the cartographic history of a land at war with itself: from 19th-century campaign maps surveying whole regions and strategies to vintage battlefield charts used by Union and Confederate generals alike, along with commercial maps produced for a news-hungry public, and comprehensive Theater of War maps. In 35 innovative views created especially for this book, the key moments of major battles are pinpointed by National Geographic’s award-winning cartographers using satellite data to render the terrain with astonishing detail.

In addition, more than 320 documentary photographs, battlefield sketches, paintings, and artifacts bear eyewitness testimony to the war, history’s first to be widely captured on film...

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The Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, 1740-1930

This data collection contains page images of all six volumes of the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. This is an especially valuable resource -- almost half of all persons who can trace their American ancestry prior to 1850 have Quaker ancestors. Approximately 455,000 Quakers who resided in New Jersey, New York, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are referenced within these pages.

These six volumes were compiled by William Wade Hinshaw from monthly meeting records and are among the most important works on Quaker genealogy ever published. According to the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, these volumes represent "One of the indisputably great moments of genealogical research in the twentieth century." (Volume XXXVIII, Number 2, June 1950).

The information contained in these volumes is of great importance because Quakers did not have their vital statistics recorded in civil offices prior to 1850. The records kept by Friends Monthly Meetings during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries usually consisted of births, deaths, marriages, and, of great importance, certificates of removal for Society of Friends members who relocated from one meeting to another...

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Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890

Nantucket is a tiny island with a huge history. In his first book of history, Away Off Shore, New York Times-bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals the people and the stories behind what was once the whaling capital of the world. Beyond its charm, quaint local traditions, and whaling yarns, Philbrick explores the origins of Nantucket in this comprehensive history. From the English settlers who thought they were purchasing a “Native American ghost town” but actually found a fully realized society, through the rise and fall of the then thriving whaling industry, the story of Nantucket is a truly unique chapter of American history... 

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Southern Genealogies #1, 1600s-1800s

The six volumes that make up Notable Southern Families are among the best known works on Southern genealogy ever published. Begun in 1918 and completed in 1932, Notable Southern Families is a collection of family histories that include thousands of individuals of Cavalier, Scotch-Irish, and Huguenot heritage. Compiled by Zella Armstrong, most of the family histories trace lineage to the author of the genealogy.

Historical Southern Families contains genealogies that cover a broad spectrum of Southern genealogy. Each volume in the series, compiled by John Bennett Boddie, contains a number of lineages that run from a few pages each to several hundred.

Depending on the original genealogy, what you can learn about each listed individual varies. For the most part, however, you can learn an ancestor's birth date, baptism date, marriage date, occupation, and death date. Articles include general information on entire families including information on education, residence, and wills. With this information, you will be able to gain a more complete understanding of your ancestors and their lives...

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Eyewitness to the Civil War

At once an informed overview for general-interest readers and a superb resource for serious buffs, this extraordinary, gloriously illustrated volume is sure to become one of the fundamental books in any Civil War library. Its features include a dramatic narrative packed with eyewitness accounts and hundreds of rare photographs, artifacts, and period illustrations. Evocative sidebars, detailed maps, and timelines add to the reference-ready quality of the text.

From John Brown's raid to Reconstruction, Eyewitness to the Civil War presents a clear, comprehensive discussion that addresses every military, political, and social aspect of this crucial period. In-depth descriptions of campaigns and battles in all theaters of war are accompanied by a thorough evaluation of the nonmilitary elements of the struggle between North and South. In their own words, commanders and common soldiers in both armies tell of life on the battlefield and behind the lines, while letters from wives, mothers, and sisters provide a portrait of the home front. More than 375 historical photographs, portraits, and artifacts—many never before published—evoke the era's flavor; and detailed maps of terrain and troop movements make it easy to follow the strategies and tactics of Union and Confederate generals as they fought through four harsh years of war. Photoessays on topics ranging from the everyday lives of soldiers to the dramatic escapades of the cavalry lend a breathtaking you-are-there feeling, and an inclusive appendix adds even more detail to what is already a magnificently meticulous history...

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The New Jersey Biographical Index, 1800s

Throughout the 1800s, with the development of canals, railroads and eventually roadways, New Jersey secured itself as a major transportation corridor between the Northeast and South. With the creation of the nation's first factory town, workers from throughout the East coast settled in New Jersey. It continues to be a strong industrial state with links to New York City, Philadelphia, and other key cities in the region...

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A Generous and Merciful Enemy: Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution (Campaigns and Commanders Series)

Some 37,000 soldiers from six German principalities, collectively remembered as Hessians, entered service as British auxiliaries in the American War of Independence. At times, they constituted a third of the British army in North America, and thousands of them were imprisoned by the Americans. Despite the importance of Germans in the British war effort, historians have largely overlooked these men. Drawing on research in German military records and common soldiers’ letters and diaries, Daniel Krebs places the prisoners on center stage in A Generous and Merciful Enemy, portraying them as individuals rather than simply as numbers in casualty lists.

Setting his account in the context of British and European politics and warfare, Krebs explains the motivations of the German states that provided contract soldiers for the British army. We think of the Hessians as mercenaries, but, as he shows, many were conscripts. Some were new recruits; others, veterans. Some wanted to stay in the New World after the war. Krebs further describes how the Germans were made prisoners, either through capture or surrender, and brings to life their experiences in captivity from New England to Havana, Cuba.

Krebs discusses prison conditions in detail, addressing both the American approach to war prisoners and the prisoners’ responses to their experience. He assesses American efforts as a “generous and merciful enemy” to use the prisoners as economic, military, and propagandistic assets. In the process, he never loses sight of the impact of imprisonment on the POWs themselves.

Adding new dimensions to an important but often neglected topic in military history, Krebs probes the origins of the modern treatment of POWs. An epilogue describes an almost-forgotten 1785 treaty between the United States and Prussia, the first in western legal history to regulate the treatment of prisoners of war.

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Colonial Family Histories #1, 1607-1920

This data set contains images of the pages from the all seven volumes of Colonial Families of the United States of America. Originally published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, these volumes contain information about approximately 142,000 individuals.

Compiled over thirteen years, Colonial Families of the United States of America includes only those families who trace their ancestry back to the Colonial Period (1607-1775). Ranging from three to twenty scanned pages, each family history article gives the British or European pedigree of the colonial ancestor, followed by a listing of his descendants up to the time of the article's writing. Depending on the original article, what you can learn about each listed individual varies.

For the most part, however, you can learn an ancestor's birth date, marriage date, occupation, and death date. You may also be able to determine the family's migration pattern and view their coat of arms. Information for the family history articles collected in this data set was taken from a variety of sources including genealogies, family histories, vital records, cemetery inscriptions, marriage records, and birth and death lists from various parts of colonial America. These seven volumes were provided by the Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, Maryland.

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