Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt (ca. 1600/1610-1684) immigrated from Holland to New Amsterdam, New York in 1638, and married Annetje Loockermans. Philip Van Cortlandt (1749-1831)--direct descendant in the fifth generation--became a Brigadier General during the Revolutionary War. His brother, Pierre Jr. (1762-1848), also served in the war, and married widow Catharine (Clinton) Taylor, a daughter of George Clinton (who served as governor of New York, and vice president of the United States during Jefferson's second term). Descendants and relatives listed lived chiefly in New York.
Philip Van Cortlandt's Memoir and Correspondence provides a capsule history of the military side of the Revolution, adding many interesting details to our knowledge. Van Cortlandt described the sufferings of the Army, and he evaluated many of the better-known personalities, particularly Benedict Arnold. While reading is sometimes difficult, the writings do project a sense of urgency and truth. Judd has done a commendable job of editing and provides all the requisite notes and explanations. A worthwhile book to start a series that should be of much interest.
The bibliographic holdings of family histories at the Library of Congress. Entries are arranged alphabetically of the works of those involved in Genealogy and also items available through the Library of Congress.
The book presents the stories of the more successful Dutch American entrepreneurs, active in the United States, with some going back as far as 400 years. The majority of the entrepreneurs covered in the book were active during the past 150 years. Each of the individuals covered represent an enterprise that was well known during its respective era. In some of the cases the individuals were better known than the enterprises they represented, and some became historic figures. Some of the more famous Dutch American entrepreneurs are Cornelius Vanderbilt, and his son William Vanderbilt, transportation entrepreneurs in the nineteenth century. Also famous during the early nineteenth century was DeWitt Clinton, the driving force behind the building of the Erie Canal. During the twentieth century, there were such famous Dutch American entrepreneurs as Cecil B. DeMille, Darryl Zanuck, and others in the entertainment industry. The most successful entrepreneurs, still alive today, are the billionaire businessmen, the Koch brothers, who own the multibillion dollar Koch Industries, an oil and chemical industry firm. The book’s audience consists of academics, the public, and specifically the Dutch American public, numbering from 6 to 10 million people. The book is also an important source book and reader for college courses in Entrepreneurship, American History, Culture, Society and Economy.
This ten-year supplement lists 10,000 titles acquired by the Library of Congress since 1976--this extraordinary number reflecting the phenomenal growth of interest in genealogy since the publication of Roots. An index of secondary names contains about 8,500 entries, and a geographical index lists family locations when mentioned.
In Volume 34, covering May through July 1801, the story of Thomas Jefferson's first presidential administration continues to unfold. He quickly begins to implement his objectives of economy and efficiency in government. Requesting the chief clerk of the War Department to prepare a list of commissioned army officers, Jefferson has his secretary Meriwether Lewis label the names on the list with such descriptors as "Republican" or "Opposed to the administration, otherwise respectable officers." The president calls his moves toward a reduction in the army a "chaste reformation." Samuel Smith, interim head of the Navy Department, in accordance with the Peace Establishment Act, arranges for the sale of surplus warships. Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin gathers figures on revenues and expenses and suggests improvements in methods of collecting taxes. Jefferson delivers an eloquent statement on his policy of removals from office to the merchants of New Haven, who objected to his dismissal of the collector of the port of New Haven. He makes clear that while his inaugural address declared tolerance and respect for the minority, it did not mean that no offices would change hands. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth of July, Jefferson entertains around one hundred citizens, including a delegation of five Cherokee chiefs. And on 30 July, Jefferson leaves the Federal City for two months at Monticello.
