African American Genealogy
(Redirected from African American Research)
| African American Genealogy Wiki Topics | |
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| Beginning Research | |
| Original Records | |
| Compiled Sources | |
| Background Information | |
| Finding Aids | |
| Welcome to the African American Research page |
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Its most unique genealogical features:
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State African American Pages
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- African American Digital Bookshelf
- Southern States Slavery and Bondage Collections
- North Carolina Slavery and Bondage Collections
- Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture and Law at HeinOnline - available through public libraries; lists all colony, state and federal statutes related to slavery in the U.S. including cases regarding slavery
- State Slavery Statutes. 354 microfiche. Bethesda, Maryland, University Publications of America, 1989, FS Library fiche nos. 6118902-6118916
National Archives
- Federal Records that Identify Former Enslaved Persons and Enslavers
- American Slavery, Civil Records.
- American Slavery, Congressional Records
- American Slavery, Military Records.
- American Slavery, Judicial Records
Publications
- Black Studies: A Selected Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications, Rev ed.. Washington: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 2007. FS Catalog book 973 A3bs 2007; Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat)
- Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives, by Debra L. Newman, comp, Washington: NARA, 1984, FS Catalog book 973 F2ndL; At various libraries (WorldCat)
- Records of Military Agencies Relating to African Americans from Post – World War I Period to the Korean War, by Lisha B. Penn, comp. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2000, v.105 rev ed. 2006 Reference Information Paper. FS Catalog book 973 J53r; At various libraries (WorldCat)
- Tabular Analysis of the Records of the US Colored Troops and Their Predecessor Units in the National Archives of the United States, by Joseph B. Ross, comp. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1973. FS Catalog book 973 M2rt; Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Black Family Research. Records of Post-civil War Federal Agencies at the National Archives, by Reginald Washington. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2006 Reference information Paper 108. FS Catalog book 973 F27wr; At various libraries (WorldCat)
How to do African American Genealogy Research
- Quick Guide to African American Records
- The FamilySearch Learning Center has several resources available.
- How to start African American Research
- African American Online Genealogy Records
Information
- The first Africans in English America arrived in 1619, a year before the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620. They arrived enslaved, but that would not become their fate, and are found in the colonial records as Free People of Color.
- African ancestry is the most common ancestry of Americans in the following states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
- The Freedman's Bank and the Freedmen's Bureau were separate organizations, from different federal departments. Their records are housed in separate National Archives record groups.
- Ten percent of the African American population was free before the Civil War.
- Only 15 percent of formerly enslaved people used the surname of a former slaveholder.
- From 1865 to 1875 many African Americans changed their surname.
- Over 3,600 free African Americans were slaveholders in 1830. [1]
Keys to success in African American research
You will find the most success researching African American ancestors if you begin with yourself, and follow oral history as well as historical records such as birth, marriage, and death certificates to document the previous generations.
Use the US Census to research your family groups. Many times, you may have difficulty in documenting an ancestor. If you research the collateral lines (aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins), you will discover more about your common ancestor and have a wealth of resources to explore. See United States Basic Search Strategies.
In the beginning, you may use the same type of genealogical records other groups use to identify ancestors. For this reason there is no need to duplicate state resources here. Consult the state and county articles on the FamilySearch Wiki first until you exhaust them. See Finding Records for Your Ancestors, Part A-African American 1870 to Present. You will find records become somewhat scarce as you move back in time.
Once you notice you are no longer able to find your ancestors on the records most commonly used by others, return here and choose the state above where your ancestor lived to discover records not commonly used in genealogy research.
Key Internet Links
References
- Dee Parmer Woodtor. Finding a Place Called Home. A guide to African-American Genealogical and Historical Identity. New York: Random House, 1999. FS Library 973 F2wd
- Tony Burroughs. Black roots : a beginners guide to tracing the African American family tree.New York, New York : Simon & Schuster, 2001. FS Library973 D27bt 2001
- Tristan L. Tolman, The effects of Slavery and Emancipation on African - American Families and Family History Research Utah Genealogical Association Crossroads (March 2011): 6-17 FS Library 973 D25gj
- ↑ Not Quite Free The Free Negro Before the Civil War by Lowell H. Harrison. American History Illustrated FS Library 973 B2ahi vol.9 June 1974 pg 12.
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