When most people think of Boston between its founding in 1630 and the height of the American Revolution, they probably imagine a procession of Puritan ministers in black followed by patriots like Paul Revere on horseback. In his new book, Brenton Simons will change a few minds and shock a few others. Witches, Rakes, and Rogues demonstrates convincingly that the narrow, twisting streets of colonial Boston were crawling with murderers, con men, and other blackguards. Bostonians may have been prayerful, but they were also prurient and violent.

Originally published in 1856, Drake's history of pre-revolutionary Boston has long been a key resource for historians. From the city's founding to its first churches; natural disasters to outbreaks; witchcraft to Freemasonry, this volume provides detailed historical context for anyone with early Boston ancestors.

By Samuel G. Drake

Foreword by D. Brenton Simons

Published: February 2013

Annie Haven Thwing turned her massive collection of nearly 125,000 index cards into this beloved and highly informative 1920 publication. Thwing used colony records and the Suffolk deeds to paint a picture of Boston’s neighborhoods—the North End, Government and Business Centre, South End, West End, and “The Neck”—and their inhabitants. The story is also told visually in seven charming maps.

By Annie Haven Thwing

Foreword by D. Brenton Simons

6 x 9 paperback, 320 pages, illustrated

Thanks to the efforts of the Civil War veteran, genealogist, historian, and Unitarian clergyman George Madison Bodge (1841–1914), historians and genealogists have a better understanding of the conflict known as King Philip’s War (1675–1676). Based on his detailed analysis and transcriptions of countless pages of seventeenth-century records, Bodge’s Soldiers in King Philip’s War includes the official listing of Massachusetts soldiers and officers, sketches of the principal officers, and official lists of land granted to veterans and their heirs.

In this richly illustrated biography, the author follows in the footsteps of Richard Brunton, a British grenadier who fought in the American Revolution before deserting in 1779. A trained engraver and diesinker, his primitive but charming works include some of the earliest pre-printed family registers in America. Despite his many talents and efforts, he was never able to make an honest living from his craft. Instead, he spent years living on the fringes of society, forging and counterfeiting currency, until his death in a New England almshouse in 1832.

Hannah Mather Crocker's early 19th-century work presents a unique history of Boston and its environs from the 1620s to the 1820s. A leading female writer and women's rights advocate, Crocker pays special attention to women's work and culture, providing a significant resource for women's historians, scholars of feminist political thought, and early-American historians alike. This book contains a masterfully transcribed and annotated version of the text and appendix from the original manuscript, which has been housed at the American Ancestors archives for over 130 years.

How to use land, census, tribal, and other sources for Native research. 

By Meaghan E. H. Siekman, Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press

Published by American Ancestors in April 2020

8 ½ x 11 laminated, 4 pages

By Frank Dorman

Published: 1998

Author: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Published: 2007

For Oprah, the path back to the past was emotion-filled and profoundly illuminating, connecting the narrative of her family to the larger American narrative and ôanchoringö her in a way not previously possible. For the reader, Finding OprahÆs Roots offers the possibility of an equally rewarding experience.