Migrations & Settlement Patterns

Genealogical research requires knowledge of the times and places inhabited by our families. A good example of the importance of this knowledge was cited in the introductory pages of the original edition of The Source:

. . . one census might have John Smith born in Mississippi in 1813, while another might say Alabama. In this case, you would need to know that Alabama was created from Mississippi Territory in 1817. A death certificate might list a nonexistent Yellow Bush, Mississippi, but a check of Mississippi place-names might produce Yalobusha County. The problem of shifting political boundaries should be obvious: a householder can appear in various counties or New England towns without ever having moved. The solution in such cases is to find a guide to those changing political boundaries; those containing maps are especially helpful.