Customer Reviews

The Federal Road Through Georgia

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most enlightening. I was able to track my ancestors as they traveled thru Georgia and Alabama. With the aid of a good map, one can pinpoint their exact route. Highly recommend for anyone doing research on their family that settled in Georgia or Alabama.

I found the narrative of this book very enlightening. The mind's eye could
see the descriptions of land and waterway problems of our ancestors. I recommend it for the historical value and the referenced materials. Enjoyed the comments made by the travellers on the roads and the inns in which they stopped.
Sadly, the maps were not of a very good quality. Too small and required a magnifying glass to read the numbers along the trails pictures.
Hopefully the next edition of the book will have enhanced maps of the roads and perhaps also an added overlay map with the counties through which the road ran for a better perspective of the route the roads took.

I have long been fascinated by mention of the "Old Federal Road." I have even seen historic markers on Alabama roadways. But, until I stumbled across this slim volume, I found it difficult to find more than just a few lines written here and there about the Old Federal Road, its origin, development, route, and practical utilization ... its almost-mystical experience, at once brutal and romantic. This telling of the road's history and relatively short but important life should stand as a "must read" for anyone with particular interest in the American Colonial-to-West migration, Native American removal, and/or Alabama state history. This is as good as any 'snapshot' of life on the Alabama frontier in the early history of the state. The text is smoothly written. Several nice maps are included, too (although I wish these were a bit larger).

In researching my genealogy, I wondered often about the location and perils of the Old Federal Road. This book has answered my questions and done so in a way that was most entertaining.

This book is an excellent resource for any who are studying the American frontier. I am currently using this book as a resource for my Master's thesis.