Map Guide to American Migration Routes, 1735-1815

Genealogists and family historians use maps to identify places their ancestors might have lived as they migrated to new opportunities in other colonies, states, or regions. This book covers the land routes that Americans used in the 18th and early 19th centuries, before the availability of steamboats and trains. The material is presented chronologically: Colonial Roads to 1750, Colonial Roads, 1750-1775, Roads to the Ohio Country, and Roads to the Old Southwest. Additional aids include one page of notes and references and an index.

The book started out as a series of three articles in the Genealogy Bulletin, so there is some repetition between chapters. The content provides a nice overview of the major routes and maps illustrating the show more colonies, states, and territories through which the roads passed. Researchers will need to use this book in conjunction with more detailed maps that provide county-level detail, as well as a reference guide to county boundary changes for locations of interest. The author repeatedly encourages readers to consult a contemporary road atlas to see how the roads that we currently use follow the same routes as these early roadways. show less