John E. Clark gives an overview of the growth in the Book of Mormon's historical plausibility since 1830.
John E. Clark, "Archaeological Trends and Book of Mormon Origins," in he Worlds of Joseph Smith: A Bicentennial Conference at the Library of Congress, ed. John W. Welch (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2006), 83-104
[Article examining how the Book of Mormon's claims to historical accuracy has grown over time, such as the relationship between Book of Mormon and Mesoamerican chronologies and civilizations]