Persons with the surname McRae, or several variations thereof, are listed by state. Information was taken mainly from U.S. censuses from 1790 to 1850.

Genealogical research in U.S. censuses begins with identifying correct county jurisdictions ??o assist in this identification, the map Guide shows all U.S. county boundaries from 1790 to 1920. On each of the nearly 400 maps the old county lines are superimposed over the modern ones to highlight the boundary changes at ten-year intervals. Accompanying each map are explanations of boundary changes, notes about the census, & tocality finding keys. In addition, there are inset maps which clarify ??erritorial lines, a state-by-state bibliography of sources, & an appendix outlining pitfalls in mapping county boundaries. Finally, there is an index which lists all present day counties, plus nearly all defunct counties or counties later renamed-the most complete list of American counties ever published.

Rees Shelby was born ca. 1721 in Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales to Evan and Catherine (Morgan) Shelby. By 1734 the family had immigrated to America, settled in Pennsylvania and was " ... living in the Cumberland Valley on the Conococheague Creek and Muddy Run at "Black Walnut Point" 1 1/2 miles west of present day Green Castle."--Page 43. Rees Shelby and his wife Mary were married in 1738 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina. Rees died 1811/12 " ... on his plantation in Chesterfield County, South Carolina near the hamlet of Crowbark ..."--Page 85.

Report provides the total population for each of the nation's 3,141 counties from 1990 back to the first census in which the county appeared.

Co-authored by Virginia D. Harrington. 2nd printing, 1997. Prepared under the auspices of the Columbia University Council for Research in the Social Sciences.