The lists that comprise the body of this book are presented in three groups.: denizations, naturalizations, and oaths of allegiance.

Census records and name lists for New York are found mostly at the county level, which is why this work shows precisely which census records or census substitutes exist for each of New York's sixty-two counties and where they can be found. In addition to the numerous statewide official censuses taken by New York, this work contains references to census substitutes and name lists for time periods in which the state did not take an official census. It also shows the location of copies of federal census records and provides county boundary maps and numerous state census facsimiles and extraction forms.

A compilation of naturalization and denization records in the British colonies in America between 1607 and 1775. Records were compiled from published literature, then expanded and improved by the examination of original source materials.

Revolutionary-era Manhattan was a chaotic scene of Loyalists, British occupation troops, Patriot spies and thousands of people seeking to live ordinary lives during extraordinary times. In the 1730s, the colonial legislature of New York officially created a fire department, establishing the origins of today's FDNY. As Washington withdrew from the city and the British rushed in, firefighters were forced to choose between joining the cause for independence or helping to protect British interests. Just days later, a fire broke out on September 21, 1776. By daybreak, it had consumed five hundred buildings and was the most destructive fire in colonial North America. While the British claimed it was set by American revolutionary vandals, controversy surrounding the fire remains today. Author Bruce Twickler uncovers the history of New York firefighting as a new nation was forged.

Until 1825 an alien resident of New York could neither hold nor bequeath property, but by an Act of the State Legislature, April 21, 1825, he was permitted to hold real property provided he deposed that he was a resident of the U.S. and intended to become a naturalized citizen. These alien depositions, which were filed in the office of the Secretary of State of New York, for the years 1825-1848, provide some or all of the following pieces of information: the alien's place of residence, regularly by county and often by village, town, or city, is stated; country of birth, sometimes with name of county or department, is often given; date of birth, the age when the alien arrived in the U.S., or when he deposed, is occasionally recorded; date of arrival may be found; and status of a woman (single, married, or widowed) is usually set forth, as is the name of a husband, with his trade or profession.

No scholarly reference library is complete without a copy of Ancestry's Red Book. In it, you will find both general and specific information essential to researchers of American records. This revised 3rd edition provides updated county and town listings within the same overall state-by-state organization. Whether you are looking for your ancestors in the northeastern states, the South, the West, or somewhere in the middle, ""Ancestry's Red Book has information on records and holdings for every county in the United States, as well as excellent maps from renowned mapmaker William Dollarhide. In short, the ""Red Book is simply the book that no genealogist can afford not to have. The availability of census records such as federal, state, and territorial census reports is covered in detail. Unlike the federal census, state and territorial census were taken at different times and different questions were asked. Vital records are also discussed, including when and where they were kept and how""

From its earliest days under English rule, New York City had an unusually diverse ethnic makeup, with substantial numbers of Dutch, English, Scottish, Irish, French, German, and Jewish immigrants, as well as a large African-American population. Joyce Goodfriend paints a vivid portrait of this society, exploring the meaning of ethnicity in early America and showing how colonial settlers of varying backgrounds worked out a basis for coexistence. She argues that, contrary to the prevalent notion of rapid Anglicization, ethnicity proved an enduring force in this small urban society well into the eighteenth century.