By David Dearborn, Genealogist | Updated by Ann Lawthers, Genealogist

Introduction

As a group, 17th-century New Englanders may be among the most studied group in genealogy, and thus descendants are blessed with a multitude of printed resources. Prior to 1700, the European population of the area was still sufficiently small and compact enough to be manageable from a genealogical standpoint. In many cases, town vital records, church, colony, court, probate, land, military, and tax records have not only survived, but have been abstracted and published. This guide is intended to direct you to the most relevant and useful published and online resources for tracing your 17th-century New England ancestors.

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