Maldonado traces the journey of his family from Scandinavia and the Holy Land to Spain and Portugal and finally to the Kingdom of New Mexico. Arriving in 1598 with the expedition of Juan de Oñate, his ancestors were some of the first settlers of New Mexico. Of the 144 original Spanish/Portuguese colonial families from the 16th and 17th centuries listed by historian and cousin Fray Angélico Chávez, in his pioneering book Origins of New Mexico Families/A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, 119 are on the Maldonado family tree. From the 18th century, 174 of the 277 colonial families identified by Chávez are also on the Maldonado family tree. Over 5,300 names comprise the Maldonado tree - many of them important figures in the annals of New Mexico history. Maldonado's family tree proves the old adage that everyone in New Mexico is a primo, cousin.

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.

The Civil War in New Mexico began in 1861 with the Confederate invasion and occupation of the Mesilla Valley. At the same time, small villages and towns in New Mexico Territory faced raids from Navajos and Apaches. In response the commander of the Department of New Mexico Colonel Edward Canby and Governor Henry Connelly recruited what became the First and Second New Mexico Volunteer Infantry. In this book leading Civil War historian Jerry Thompson tells their story for the first time, along with the history of a third regiment of Mounted Infantry and several companies in a fourth regiment. Thompson’s focus is on the Confederate invasion of 1861–1862 and its effects, especially the bloody Battle of Valverde. The emphasis is on how the volunteer companies were raised; who led them; how they were organized, armed, and equipped; what they endured off the battlefield; how they adapted to military life; and their interactions with New Mexico citizens and various hostile Indian groups, including raiding by deserters and outlaws. Thompson draws on service records and numerous other archival sources that few earlier scholars have seen. His thorough accounting will be a gold mine for historians and genealogists, especially the appendix, which lists the names of all volunteers and militia men.