African American Resources for New York

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Adoption Bible Records Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Divorce Records Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Occupation & Business Records Online Collections Orphans & Orphanages Periodicals Probate Records Substitute Records Substitute Records Taxation Town Records Vital Records Voter Records

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New York

African American Resources

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Introduction

A list of resource for researching African American ancestors who lived in New York.

Online Resources

1846-1867 U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867 ($)

1849-1968 New York State Colonization Society Records, 1849-1968. New York Public Library

1861-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872

1865-1874 Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874

African American Digital Bookshelf - a growing list of digital books on FamilySearch and other websites

African American History of Western New York

Life Stories: Profiles of Black New Yorkers During Slavery and Emancipation

The African American Migration Experience, Schomburg Center of Research in Black Culture

Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection

African American Women Writers of the 19th Century

Discover Freedmen - this site searches all of the Freedmen's Bureau record collections on FamilySearch altogether (and redirects there)

Hudson River Valley Heritage Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley

New York Slavery Records Index (index)

History

African American slavery was common in New York during the colonial period. Hoff prepared a guide for tracing African American colonists:

• Hoff, Henry B. "Researching African-American Families in New Netherland and Colonial New York and New Jersey," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 136, No. 2 (Apr. 2005):83-95. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 136.

A law passed 29 March 1799 declared that "any child born of a slave after the 4th of July next shall be deemed to be born free." Slaveholders discovered a loophole to keep these children enslaved by registering them in certain counties. Such lists have been located and published for the Town of Castleton (Richmond County), Kings County, and New York County.

Several lists of manumitted individuals have been discovered and published:

• 1659-1846 - O'Neill, Terri Bradshaw. "Manumissions and Certificates of Freedom in the New York Secretary of State Deeds," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 139, No. 1 (Jan. 2008):72-73. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 139.
• Record of Slave Manumissions in New York During the Colonial and Early National Periods. By Harry B. Yoshpe, University of the State of New York, State Education Department, Albany. Journal of Negro History Vol. 26 January, 1941 No. 1 pages 78-107
• 1700s-1810s - Eichholz, Alice and James M. Rose. "New York State Manumissions," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Masters' Surnames A-B: Vol. 108, No. 4 (Oct. 1977):221-225; Masters' Surnames C-D: Vol. 109, No. 1 (Jan. 1978):22-24; Masters' Surnames E-I: Vol. 109, No. 2 (Apr. 1978):71-74; Masters' Surnames J-N: Vol. 109, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):145-149; Masters' Surnames O-S: Vol. 109, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):229-233; Masters' Surnames T-Z: Vol. 110, No. 1 (Jan. 1979):39-42. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 109-110.

Online resources:

• African American History of Western New York
• Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
• African American Women Writers of the 19th Century
• Hudson River Valley Heritage Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley
• McManus, Edgar J. A History of Negro Slavery in New York. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1966.

To learn more:

• Freeman, Rhoda Golden. The Free Negro in New York City in the Era before the Civil War. New York: Garland Pub., 1994.
• Matthews, Harry Bradshaw. Voices from the front line: New York's African American statesmen of the Underground Railroad Freedom Trail: and the United States Colored Troops organized in the Empire State, 1863-1865: roll call, men of the 20th USCT and 26th USCT: introductory essay and research guide. Oneonta, N.Y.: Hartwick College, 2000.

Resources

Biographies

• Life Stories: Profiles of Black New Yorkers During Slavery and Emancipation

Census Records

• Census of slaves 1755. Reprint of vol. III, chapter XI of E.B. O'Callaghan's The Documentary history of the State of New York (Albany: Weed, Parson & Co.) 1850.

Funeral Homes

• CAAGS Obituary and Funeral Home Collection at California African American Genealogical Society - index & images

Genealogies

• "Genealogical History of Black Families of Orange County, New York" by Robert W. Brennan
  

Land and Property

• Guide to the Ichabod Brush Estate Papers, 1817, d. 1809. Mentions James Williams. Digital Archives, Queens Borough Public Library Long Island Division 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, N.Y. 11432

• Guide to the Wilson and Jane Rantus papers, 1834-1883. Largely bills submitted by individuals and the village and town government. Letters written to Wilson Rantus from Thomas Hamilton, pioneer Black journalist, 1854-1861. Other items include insurance policies for private homes, and estate papers. Digital Archives, Queens Borough Public Library Long Island Division 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, N.Y. 11432

Obituaries

• CAAGS Obituary and Funeral Home Collection at California African American Genealogical Society - index & images

Other Records

Railroad

• Inventory of the Blacks in the Railroad Industry Collection, 1946-1954
  

Military Records

• Patriots of Color. Free database at Archives.com. Includes details about 50 black New Yorkers in the Revolutionary War.

• "Honoring New York’s Forgotten Soldiers:African Americans of the Civil
  War: With Research Examples A-Z: A Case Study in Historiographic Genealogy" by Harry Bradshaw Matthews

• Donald M. Wisnoski, The Opportunity is at hand : Oneida County, New York, colored soldiers in the Civil War Lynchburg, Virginia : Schroeder Publications, c2003 FS Library 974.762 M2w

Reconstruction Records

Freedman’s Bank

An excellent source is the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (visit the African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records page to learn more). This company was created to assist African American soldiers of the Civil War and Freedmen. Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company signature cards or registers from 3 March 1865 to 25 July 1874 may list the name of the depositor, date of entry, age, birthplace, residence, complexion, name of employer or occupation, wife or husband’s name, death information, children’s names, name of father and mother, brothers’ and sisters’ names, remarks, and signature. Early books sometimes contained the name of the former slaveholder and the name of the plantation. Copies of death certificates were sometimes attached to the entries. The collection is organized alphabetically by state, then city where the bank was located, then date the account was established, then account number.

Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:

• United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874
• U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1871 ($)

Freedmen's Bureau

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist formerly enslaved persons in the southern United States. The Bureau created a wide variety of records extremely valuable to genealogists. Such documents include censuses, marriage records, and medical records. These records often include full names, former slaveholders and plantations, and current residences. For 1865 and 1866, the section on abandoned and confiscated lands includes the names of the owners of the plantations or homes that were abandoned, confiscated, or leased. It gives the county and location, a description of the house, the number of acres owned, and the number of cabins of enslaved persons. These films do not appear to contain the names of the enslaved.

To find Freedmen's Bureau records:

• DiscoverFreedmen - the search on this site will utilize all of the Freedmen's Bureau records on FamilySearch, including:
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Claim Records,1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Hospital and Medical Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1861-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Ration Records,1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Freedmen's Court Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Land and Property Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

• Other FamilySearch collections not included:
  • 1865-1872 United States Freedmen's Bureau Miscellaneous Records,1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
  • 1865-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Images only. These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information.

• More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - NEW YORK" in the Subjects search bar to find.

Visit the African American Freedmen's Bureau Records page to learn more about utilizing these records.

Vital Records

Birth

• New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 - information may include name, gender, birth date and place, race, and parents and their birthplaces

Marriage

• New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 - information may include the bride and groom’s name, residence, race, age, occupation, no. of marriage, birthplace, marital status, parents and their birthplaces, and the marriage date and place

The Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872) was created by the US government to assist formerly enslaved persons in the southern United States. One of their responsibilities was to record the marriages (past and present) of the formerly enslaved couples. These records can be found in the collections below and include the lists of marriages that occurred previously, marriage certificates, and marriage licenses. The information contained on the records may include the name of the husband and wife/groom and bride, age, occupation, residence, year or date of marriage, by whom, number of children, and remarks.

• United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
• U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867

Death

• New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 - information may include name, gender, death date and place, age, birthplace, race, and parents

Archives and Libraries

African American Museum of Nassau County
110 North Franklin Street
Hempstead, New York 11550
Email: taags.aam@gmail.com
Phone: 516-572-0730

New-York Historical Society Museum & Library – African Americans Collections
170 Central Park West
at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3400

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10037-1801
Phone: (212) 491-2200

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Carl A. Knoch Library Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection

Societies

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society – New York Chapter
Email: info@aahgs-newyork.org
Phone: (212) 330-7882