For years I have been exploring seventeenth century New
England court records in order to gain a better understanding of my Puritan
(and not so Puritan) ancestors. Anyone
who has attempted to read these records knows that they can be difficult to
understand and decipher. The cultural
manners and social behaviors of seventeenth century New England is so vastly in
contrast to contemporary American views.
Recently, during a quest for more information about an
ancestor I am in the process of researching, I came across an awesome find; a
book written by Mary Beth Norton entitled Founding Mothers & Fathers
Gendered Power and the Forming of American Society.
This book, published in 1996, helps the modern researcher
understand the complex meaning of the language and culture of seventeenth
century colonial life. If you are
trying to decipher colonial court records, I recommend taking a look at this
book.
I'm not back this far in my research but I've learned how important it is to know the context of the time periods in which we search. It looks like an interesting read whether searching for ancestors or not. I'm disappointed our library doesn't have a copy. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy-
DeleteMy library did not have a copy either but I was able to get it in another library within the state library system. It your library connected to any other libraries that may have the book? It is an interesting read!