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Pictured: 1940 hats. A lot of records were lost, while other important records are ignored. The actual correspondence of government officials was preserved, beginning with the House of Burgesses. The Virginia Magazine published these accounts and are available online or in public libraries. The correspondence may seem boring, however, it is riveted with names of representatives and other colonials of the era. If one wishes to learn the actual circumstances surrounding a war (for example) then he reads the correspondence between the governors and other state officials. Although the Federal Archives had a good many immigration records, all passenger lists have not been translated and transcribed. Too, you can count the discoveries of sunken vessels under the sea to get an idea of the number of lost Ship Manifests (names and ages of passengers, port of departure, destination).