Offers information on finding female ancestors in each state, highlighting those laws, both federal and state, that indicate when a woman could own real estate in her own name, devise a will, and enter into contracts. In addition, entries contain information on marriage and divorce law, immigration, citizenship, passports, suffrage, and slave manumission. Material is included on African American, Native American, and Asian American women, as well as patterns of European immigration. Period covered is from the 1600s to the outbreak of WWII. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Johan Adam Böllesfeldt (1706-1761) married Catrina Calstan, and about 1839 immigrated fron Germany to Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and anglicized his name to Adam Bellis I. Descendants (using the surname Bellis) and relatives lived in New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Arkansas, Oklahoma and elsewhere.