Abrams Collection Genealogy Highlights
Fall 2003
Volume 5, Number 4

Prior to the Second World War, history was written from the top down, such that famous people, significant battles and European royalty were the primary topics of social and economic studies. Since that time period, there has been a rising interest in the history of common people in everyday life. The daily letters and diaries of lower- and middle-income people are now considered legitimate sources of historical research. Official documents have historically been more readily available for American men because of their extended role in government, economics and the military. However, materials such as correspondence and journals were created by women as well as men, and were equally preserved by family members.

On the surface, women may appear to be more difficult to research. However, if the right methods are employed, they can be documented as well as their non-famous male counterparts. Family members cherished their female relatives as much as the men in the family, and valued their photos, possessions and writings, thus safeguarding genealogical materials. Many of the official documents that focus on males in a family can be solidly linked to a female relative such as a sister or wife. As well, many women left behind physical artifacts such as books, quilts and china. Even if a material possession does not state the name of a female ancestor, they may very well reveal something about that woman's life and place her in historical context.

Genealogy Sources to Consider

Military records — The information about a brother who served in the military may provide genealogical information about a female sibling.

Extended family — Research not only the direct ancestral line, but also aunts, uncles and cousins. Any ancestor may have kept genealogical records, and families often lived in close proximity to one another.

Manuscript collections — Letters and diaries may have been kept by any member of the family and deposited in local, state or university archives or libraries. Items could be located in any state, as the donors may have moved away from where the ancestor originally lived.

Physical artifacts — Needlework, quilts, paintings or any item made by the female ancestor may have her name on the item as well as a date.

Religious affiliations — Religious organizations often kept records long before the civil authorities. Knowing your ancestor's religious affiliation may guide you to genealogical data.

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Clicking on the links in the list of resources below will take you directly to the ANSWER catalog record for that item.

Core Books

Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors. Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 1998.
Genealogy CS 14 .C38 1998

Schaefer, Christina Kassabian. The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women's Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1999.
Genealogy HQ 1121 .S33 1999

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Sources

Addis, Patricia K. Through a Woman's I: An Annotated Bibliography of American Women's Autobiographical Writings, 1946 - 1976. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press Inc. 1983.
Reference Z 7963 .B6 A32 1983
Arraigned alphabetically by author, it is indexed by profession, subject and title.

Arksey, Laura, et al. American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983-1987.
Reference Z 5305 .U5 A74 1983
Name, subject and location indexes. See subject, Women's Diaries. Locations broken down by counties.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1980.
Reference Z 5305 .U5 B57 1980
Index to more than 3,200,000 biographical sketches; many resources female or location specific.

Blair, Karen J. History of American Women's Voluntary Organizations, 1810-1960: A Guide to Sources. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1989.
Main HQ 1904 .U49 B53 1989
Annotated bibliography; entries are coded by type of organization and fully indexed.

Claghorn, Charles E. Women Patriots of the American Revolution: A Biographical Dictionary. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1991.
Genealogy E 276 .C5 1991
Biographical sources for thousands of women who participated in the Revolutionary War, based on numerous resources and incorporates all social levels.

Conway, Jill K. Female Experience in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century America: A Guide to the History of American Women. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1982.
Reference Z 7961 .C64 1982
Bibliography of sources, particularly strong on blue-collar work, domestic service and other low-income positions. Includes works on religious groups, marriage, temperance and home life.

Danky, James P., et al. Women's Periodicals and Newspapers from the 18th Century to 1981. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1982.
Reference Z 7965 .H3 1982
Indexed by title, locations, editor, publisher, subject, chronology and catchword. Includes foreign language materials.

Filby, William P. Bibliography of American County Histories. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. 1985.
Genealogy E 180 .F54 1985
Complete listing of written histories for American counties.

Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. Indexes to Deposit Ledgers in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1971.
Genealogy Microfilm HG 2613 .W34 F74 1865

---. Registers of Signatures of Depositors in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1969.
Genealogy Microfilm HG 2613 .W34 F743 1865

Harper, Josephine L. Guide to the Draper Manuscripts. Madison, WI: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1983.
Genealogy Z 6616 .D72 H37 1983
Manuscripts concentrate on the trans-Allegheny West, including the Ohio River Valley and part of the upper Mississippi River Valley. Spans from circa 1740s to the War of 1812. Full-name index as well as appendix of Revolutionary War Pension Applications.

Hinding, Andrea, ed. Women's History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States. New York: Bowker, 1979.
Reference Z 7964 .U49 W64
Arranged alphabetically; includes women, men, locations and topics.

Huls, Mary Ellen. United States Government Documents on Women, 1800-1990: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993.
Reference HQ 1410 .H8
Two-volume set covers both social issues and labor with most material dating from the 20th century. The chapter "Statistical Reports and Industry Studies" contains governmental reports on specific studies, including such topics as "Women Workers in Flint, Michigan in 1929." Both volumes are fully indexed by subject and author.

Index to Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy by William Wade Hinshaw. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1999.
Genealogy E 184 .F89 H52
Quakers regarded men and women as equals. Women in this index are often cross-referenced under their married and maiden names.

Index to Personal Names in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, 1959-1984. Alexandria, VA: Chadwyck-Healey, 1987.
Reference Z 6620 .U5 I53 1987
Arranged alphabetically with many items dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Ireland, Norma Olin. Index to Women of the World from Ancient to Modern Times: Biographies and Portraits. Westwood, MA: F.W. Faxon Company Inc., 1970.
Reference Z 7963 .B6 I73
Concentration on American individuals.

Kennedy, Susan Estabrook. America's White Working-Class Women: A Historical Bibliography. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1981.
Reference Z 7963 .E7 K45
Bibliographies arraigned by topic. Fully indexed including personal names.

Kirkham, E. Kay. Index to Some of the Bibles and Family Records of the United States, Volume II. Salt Lake City: 1984.
Genealogy Z 5313 .U5 K57 1984
45,500 references as taken from the microfilm at the Genealogical Society of Utah. Alphabetized by surname and organized by geographical region.

Mehaffey, Karen Rae. Victorian American Women 1840-1880: An Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1992.
Michigan HQ 1418 .M43 1992
An annotated bibliography of books that would have been available to women in the mid-19th century. Covers topics from sexuality to needlework.

Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.
Genealogy E 181 .N43 1994

Newman, John J. American Naturalization Processes and Procedures, 1790-1985. Indianapolis: Family History Section, Indiana Historical Society, 1985.
Genealogy JK 1811 .N47z
A streamlined explanation of the nationalization process with sample forms.

Salmon, Marylynn. Women and the Law of Property in Early America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986.
Law KF 524 .S24 1986
Background information on legal issues pertaining to women.

Shannas, Carole, Marylynn Salmon and Michel Dahlin. Inheritance in America: From Colonial Times to the Present. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1987.
Genealogy KF 753 .S53 1987
Chapter four is dedicated to inheritance laws and the rights of women and children in the 19th century.

Stamp, Kenneth M., et al. Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War. Frederick, MD: University Publications of America, 1985-1996.
Genealogy F 213 .R43 1985
Microfilmed manuscript collections with finding guides.

Stratton, Joanna L. Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981.
Main HQ 1438 .K2 S77
Contains a "Guide to the Lilla Day Monroe Collection of Pioneer Stories," approximately 759 female names.

Weatherford, Doris. Foreign and Female: Immigrant Women in America, 1840-1930. New York: Schocken Books, 1986.
Main HQ 1410 .W43 1986
Interesting information and data on the lives of some female immigrant groups. Acceptance of the statistics should take into consideration the limited sources of data for the time periods covered.

Winters, Anna Charlotte. 27 Ways to Find a Maiden Name: Or, Who Was That Woman? Santa Cruz, CA: A.C. Winters, 1987.
Genealogy CS 16 .W58 1987
While this item predates widespread computer use, its methods are still right on and have been made easier by genealogy databases.

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Updated 08/07/2008