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''[[United States]]  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go to]]  [[Virginia]]  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go to]]  [[Virginia_African_Americans|African Americans]]'' [[Image:{{Virginiaslavesale}}]]  
''[[United States]]  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go to]]  [[Virginia]]  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go to]]  [[Virginia_African_Americans|African Americans]]'' [[Image:{{Virginiaslavesale}}]] [[Image:Slavery.JPG|thumb|right|300px]]


== Strategies  ==
== Strategies  ==


[[Image:Africa ethnic groups 1996.jpg|thumb|right|300px]] African American research in Virginia can be divided into two general time periods - '''before '''and '''after '''the '''Civil War'''.  
[[Image:Africa ethnic groups 1996.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Africa ethnic groups 1996.jpg]] African American research in Virginia can be divided into two general time periods - '''before '''and '''after '''the '''Civil War'''.  


<br>This Wiki page describes research strategies, and major sources of information about African American families from [[Virginia]]. As you read this Wiki page, also study the [[African American Research]] Wiki pages, which will help you understand more strategies, and the contents and uses of other African American genealogical records.  
<br>This Wiki page describes research strategies, and major sources of information about African American families from [[Virginia]]. As you read this Wiki page, also study the [[African American Research]] Wiki pages, which will help you understand more strategies, and the contents and uses of other African American genealogical records.  
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=== Genetic Testing  ===
=== Genetic Testing  ===


Many African Americans alive today are having their DNA tested to learn which tribes in Africa they descend from. To learn more about this procedure, read [[Hiring a DNA Testing Company]].
Many African Americans alive today are having their DNA tested to learn which tribes in Africa they descend from. To learn more about this procedure, read [[Hiring a DNA Testing Company]].  


== History  ==
== History  ==
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The first slaves were imported into Virginia in 1619. Slaves were emancipated in 1865. The Official Tourism Website of the Commonwealth of Virginia has prepared a nice history of [http://www.virginia.org/africanamericansinvirginia/ African-Americans in Virginia].<br>  
The first slaves were imported into Virginia in 1619. Slaves were emancipated in 1865. The Official Tourism Website of the Commonwealth of Virginia has prepared a nice history of [http://www.virginia.org/africanamericansinvirginia/ African-Americans in Virginia].<br>  


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| bgcolor="#cc99ff" colspan="4" | <center>'''Number of Slaves in Virginia'''<ref name="no">Includes modern-day West Virginia and part of the District of Columbia. ''Ninth Census of the United States: Statistics of Population, Tables I to VIII Inclusive'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1872), 70, 72. Digital version at [http://archive.org/stream/ninthcensusunit00offigoog#page/n72/mode/1up Internet Archive]; {{FHL|281281|item|disp=FHL Book 973 X2pcu}}; William O. Lynch, "The Westward Flow of Southern Colonists before 1861," ''The Journal of Southern History,'' Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1943):325. Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2191319 JSTOR] ($).</ref></center>
| bgcolor="#cc99ff" colspan="4" | <center>'''Number of Slaves in Virginia'''<ref name="no">Includes modern-day West Virginia and part of the District of Columbia. ''Ninth Census of the United States: Statistics of Population, Tables I to VIII Inclusive'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1872), 70, 72. Digital version at [http://archive.org/stream/ninthcensusunit00offigoog#page/n72/mode/1up Internet Archive]; {{FHL|281281|item|disp=FHL Book 973 X2pcu}}; William O. Lynch, "The Westward Flow of Southern Colonists before 1861," ''The Journal of Southern History,'' Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1943):325. Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2191319 JSTOR] ($).</ref></center>
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*Finkelman, Paul. ''State Slavery Statutes: Guide to the Microfiche Collection.'' Frederick, Md.: University Publications of America, 1989. {{FHL|744709|item|disp=FHL Book 975 F23s}}. Pages 317-56 pertain to Virginia and cover the years 1789-1865. The advertisements are indexed. The records list the names of many slaves and slave owners.
*Finkelman, Paul. ''State Slavery Statutes: Guide to the Microfiche Collection.'' Frederick, Md.: University Publications of America, 1989. {{FHL|744709|item|disp=FHL Book 975 F23s}}. Pages 317-56 pertain to Virginia and cover the years 1789-1865. The advertisements are indexed. The records list the names of many slaves and slave owners.


[http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/laws.html The Geography of Slavery in Virginia] includes a list of Virginia slave laws, references to slaves in the House of Burgesses Journals, and other documents.
[http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/laws.html The Geography of Slavery in Virginia] includes a list of Virginia slave laws, references to slaves in the House of Burgesses Journals, and other documents.  


== Records  ==
== Records  ==
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The [http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.faces Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database] Internet site contains references to 35,000 slave voyages, including over 67,000 Africans aboard slave ships, using first name, age, gender, origin, and place of embarkation. The database documents the slave trade between Africa, Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean, and what is now the United States.  
The [http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.faces Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database] Internet site contains references to 35,000 slave voyages, including over 67,000 Africans aboard slave ships, using first name, age, gender, origin, and place of embarkation. The database documents the slave trade between Africa, Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean, and what is now the United States.  


Virginia headright grants identify some slave importations into the colony, see [[Virginia Emigration and Immigration|Virginia Immigration]] for further information about this source.
Virginia headright grants identify some slave importations into the colony, see [[Virginia Emigration and Immigration|Virginia Immigration]] for further information about this source.  


===== Records of Slaves  =====
===== Records of Slaves  =====
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The Library of Virginia has a collection titled '''Public claims, slaves and free blacks, 1781-1865'''. The collection contains tax records for free blacks and slaves, records of condemned blacks who were executed or transported out of state, and records of runaway slaves who were caught and whose owners could not be found. The runaway slaves became the property of the state and were sold to new owners. Copies are available on microfilm at the Family History Library: {{FHL|783095|item|disp=FHL Films 2027937-2027942}}.<br>  
The Library of Virginia has a collection titled '''Public claims, slaves and free blacks, 1781-1865'''. The collection contains tax records for free blacks and slaves, records of condemned blacks who were executed or transported out of state, and records of runaway slaves who were caught and whose owners could not be found. The runaway slaves became the property of the state and were sold to new owners. Copies are available on microfilm at the Family History Library: {{FHL|783095|item|disp=FHL Films 2027937-2027942}}.<br>  


'''African American Families Database online''' The Central Virginia History Researchers (CVHR) has now released the [http://www.centralvirginiahistory.org/index.shtml ''African-American Families Database''] online. The first stage of this website provides a template for researchers trying to locate specific African- Americans who lived between circa 1850 and 1880. This period is particularly challenging for African-American family research because of the difficulty in relating ante-bellum and post-bellum records. The two plantations on which the website currently focuses are Hydraulic Plantation (5 miles north of Charlottesville, Va.), and the Bleak House Plantation (9 miles northwest of Charlottesville Va.).The site contains information on the plantations and information on the enslaved people living on these two plantations. The site also contains a blog focusing on the activities of the CVHR group, and details about the Database project.
'''African American Families Database online''' The Central Virginia History Researchers (CVHR) has now released the [http://www.centralvirginiahistory.org/index.shtml ''African-American Families Database''] online. The first stage of this website provides a template for researchers trying to locate specific African- Americans who lived between circa 1850 and 1880. This period is particularly challenging for African-American family research because of the difficulty in relating ante-bellum and post-bellum records. The two plantations on which the website currently focuses are Hydraulic Plantation (5 miles north of Charlottesville, Va.), and the Bleak House Plantation (9 miles northwest of Charlottesville Va.).The site contains information on the plantations and information on the enslaved people living on these two plantations. The site also contains a blog focusing on the activities of the CVHR group, and details about the Database project.  


===== Runaway Slaves  =====
===== Runaway Slaves  =====


[[Image:Runaway slave ad.jpg|thumb|right|300px]] Names of hundreds of runaway slaves, their descriptions, owners, and ages appeared in '''newspapers'''. They have been published and can be found in: <br>  
[[Image:Runaway slave ad.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Runaway slave ad.jpg]] Names of hundreds of runaway slaves, their descriptions, owners, and ages appeared in '''newspapers'''. They have been published and can be found in: <br>  


*Windley, Lathan A., comp. ''Runaway Slave Advertisements''. 4 vols. (Virginia and North Carolina) Wesport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1983. {{FHL|419052|item|disp=FHL Book 975 F2wL}}. For Virginia, see volume one.
*Windley, Lathan A., comp. ''Runaway Slave Advertisements''. 4 vols. (Virginia and North Carolina) Wesport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1983. {{FHL|419052|item|disp=FHL Book 975 F2wL}}. For Virginia, see volume one.


Many eighteenth-century runaway slave advertisements were published in the ''Virginia Gazette.'' Indexed images of the [http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/BrowseVG.cfm ''Virginia Gazette'' ](1736-1780) are available online through the [http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/ Colonial Williamsburg ]website. (Browse for terms such as "slaves.") Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have indexed all the runaway advertisements for slaves mentioned in this publication and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: [http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/ The Geography of Slavery in Virginia]. These newspapers are valuable resources for all Virginia regions.
Many eighteenth-century runaway slave advertisements were published in the ''Virginia Gazette.'' Indexed images of the [http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/BrowseVG.cfm ''Virginia Gazette'' ](1736-1780) are available online through the [http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/ Colonial Williamsburg ]website. (Browse for terms such as "slaves.") Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have indexed all the runaway advertisements for slaves mentioned in this publication and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: [http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/ The Geography of Slavery in Virginia]. These newspapers are valuable resources for all Virginia regions.  


===== Plantation Records  =====
===== Plantation Records  =====
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===== Revolutionary War, 1776-1783  =====
===== Revolutionary War, 1776-1783  =====


African Americans from Virginia served on both sides of the '''Revolutionary War'''. Many Virginia slaves ran away from their masters and joined British forces after a proclamation issued by Lord Dunmore in 1775. He promised them freedom for this act, and 500 slaves promptly joined him, whom he organized into the Ethiopian Regiment.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Ethiopian Regiment," in ''Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Regiment, accessed 14 June 2012.</ref> Free people of color commonly served their companies as drummers, fifers, and pioneers.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 109-110.</ref> Black "pioneers" would "Assist in Cleaning the Streets &amp; Removing all Nuisances being thrown into the Streets."<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Black Pioneers," in ''Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Pioneers, accessed 14 June 2012.</ref>  
African Americans from Virginia served on both sides of the '''Revolutionary War'''. Many Virginia slaves ran away from their masters and joined British forces after a proclamation issued by Lord Dunmore in 1775. He promised them freedom for this act, and 500 slaves promptly joined him, whom he organized into the Ethiopian Regiment.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Ethiopian Regiment," in ''Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Regiment, accessed 14 June 2012.</ref> Free people of color commonly served their companies as drummers, fifers, and pioneers.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 109-110.</ref> Black "pioneers" would "Assist in Cleaning the Streets &amp; Removing all Nuisances being thrown into the Streets."<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Black Pioneers," in ''Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Pioneers, accessed 14 June 2012.</ref> {{Wikipedia|American_Revolutionary_War#Black_Americans|Black Americans in the Revolutionary War}} An index of slaves and free men of color appears in the ''Index to Sons of the American Revolution'' applications. For a discussion, see the [[Virginia Periodicals|Virginia Periodicals]] article.  
{{Wikipedia|American_Revolutionary_War#Black_Americans|Black Americans in the Revolutionary War}}
An index of slaves and free men of color appears in the ''Index to Sons of the American Revolution'' applications. For a discussion, see the [[Virginia Periodicals|Virginia Periodicals]] article.  


[http://www.archives.com/Patriots '''Patriots of Color'''] is a free database at Archives.com. Includes details about 700+ black Virginians in the Revolutionary War.<ref>Dick Eastman, "Archives.com to Publish the Patriots of Color Database," ''Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,'' 24 February 2012, http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2012/02/archivescom-to-publish-the-patriots-of-color-database.html.</ref>  
[http://www.archives.com/Patriots '''Patriots of Color'''] is a free database at Archives.com. Includes details about 700+ black Virginians in the Revolutionary War.<ref>Dick Eastman, "Archives.com to Publish the Patriots of Color Database," ''Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,'' 24 February 2012, http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2012/02/archivescom-to-publish-the-patriots-of-color-database.html.</ref>  


[http://www.blackloyalist.info/ '''Black Loyalist'''], created by The University of Sydney, includes biographical information about approximately 1,000 black loyalists from the Norfolk, Virginia area.<ref>Dick Eastman, "Black Loyalist Web Site," ''Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,'' 1 May 2011, http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2011/05/black-loyalist-web-site.html.</ref>
[http://www.blackloyalist.info/ '''Black Loyalist'''], created by The University of Sydney, includes biographical information about approximately 1,000 black loyalists from the Norfolk, Virginia area.<ref>Dick Eastman, "Black Loyalist Web Site," ''Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,'' 1 May 2011, http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2011/05/black-loyalist-web-site.html.</ref>  


===== Civil War, 1861-1865 =====
===== Civil War, 1861-1865 =====


===== Early Migrations Out of Virginia  =====
===== Early Migrations Out of Virginia  =====
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Black Loyalists during the Revolution resettled in British Canada after the War concluded.  
Black Loyalists during the Revolution resettled in British Canada after the War concluded.  


In the early 1800s, approximately 500,000 Virginia slaves were forcibly moved to the Deep South.<ref name="ison" /> Dorothy Williams Potter in ''Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823'' ({{FHL|265121|item|disp=FHL Book 975 W4p}}) identifies some white families that took slaves with them from Virginia to the territories that are now [[Alabama|Alabama]], [[Florida|Florida]], [[Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[Mississippi|Mississippi]], and [[Missouri|Missouri]].
In the early 1800s, approximately 500,000 Virginia slaves were forcibly moved to the Deep South.<ref name="ison" /> Dorothy Williams Potter in ''Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823'' ({{FHL|265121|item|disp=FHL Book 975 W4p}}) identifies some white families that took slaves with them from Virginia to the territories that are now [[Alabama|Alabama]], [[Florida|Florida]], [[Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[Mississippi|Mississippi]], and [[Missouri|Missouri]].  


=== Free People of Color  ===
=== Free People of Color  ===
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Not all blacks were slaves in Virginia before the Civil War. Virginia had the largest free black population in the United States.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 9.</ref> Many black families had been free there since the 1600s. For each eight slaves in the state, there was one free person of color.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 10.</ref> Some of the largest families had the surnames Cumbo, Driggers, and Goins. Many free people of color descended from black slave men who had children by white indentured servant women.<ref name="drig">The previous school of thought had the colors and genders swapped - it was believed that they descended from illegitimate offspring of white slave masters and black slave women. A 1662 law stated that the offspring of such relations would take the legal status of the mother. Most children resulting from illicit relations between white slave masters and black slave women remained in slavery. See Paul Heinegg, ''Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware,'' http://freeafricanamericans.com/, accessed 25 May 2012; and ''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 19.</ref> Others were manumitted.<br>  
Not all blacks were slaves in Virginia before the Civil War. Virginia had the largest free black population in the United States.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 9.</ref> Many black families had been free there since the 1600s. For each eight slaves in the state, there was one free person of color.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 10.</ref> Some of the largest families had the surnames Cumbo, Driggers, and Goins. Many free people of color descended from black slave men who had children by white indentured servant women.<ref name="drig">The previous school of thought had the colors and genders swapped - it was believed that they descended from illegitimate offspring of white slave masters and black slave women. A 1662 law stated that the offspring of such relations would take the legal status of the mother. Most children resulting from illicit relations between white slave masters and black slave women remained in slavery. See Paul Heinegg, ''Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware,'' http://freeafricanamericans.com/, accessed 25 May 2012; and ''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 19.</ref> Others were manumitted.<br>  


{| width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
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| bgcolor="#cc99ff" colspan="4" | <center>'''Number of Free People of Color in Virginia'''<ref name="no">Includes modern-day West Virginia and part of the District of Columbia. ''Ninth Census of the United States: Statistics of Population, Tables I to VIII Inclusive'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1872), 70, 72. Digital version at [http://archive.org/stream/ninthcensusunit00offigoog#page/n72/mode/1up Internet Archive]; {{FHL|281281|item|disp=FHL Book 973 X2pcu}}; William O. Lynch, "The Westward Flow of Southern Colonists before 1861," ''The Journal of Southern History,'' Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1943):325. Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2191319 JSTOR] ($).</ref></center>
| bgcolor="#cc99ff" colspan="4" | <center>'''Number of Free People of Color in Virginia'''<ref name="no">Includes modern-day West Virginia and part of the District of Columbia. ''Ninth Census of the United States: Statistics of Population, Tables I to VIII Inclusive'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1872), 70, 72. Digital version at [http://archive.org/stream/ninthcensusunit00offigoog#page/n72/mode/1up Internet Archive]; {{FHL|281281|item|disp=FHL Book 973 X2pcu}}; William O. Lynch, "The Westward Flow of Southern Colonists before 1861," ''The Journal of Southern History,'' Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1943):325. Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2191319 JSTOR] ($).</ref></center>
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[[Image:1790freeblacks.png|right|700px|1790freeblacks.png]]  
[[Image:1790freeblacks.png|right|700px|1790freeblacks.png]]  


Half of the Virginia free black population lived in the Tidewater region during the nineteenth century. In 1860, one-third lived in towns and cities.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 14-15.</ref> Counties with the largest populations of free African Americans in '''1790 '''(more than 450) were [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Nansemond County, Virginia|Nansemond]], [[Northampton County, Virginia|Northampton]], and [[Southampton County, Virginia|Southampton]]. Counties with more than 250 free blacks were [[Campbell County, Virginia|Campbell]], [[Charles City County, Virginia|Charles City]], [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield]], [[Goochland County, Virginia|Goochland]], [[Isle of Wight County, Virginia|Isle of Wight]], [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Prince George County, Virginia|Prince George]], [[Surry County, Virginia|Surry]], [[Sussex County, Virginia|Sussex]], and [[York County, Virginia|York]].
Half of the Virginia free black population lived in the Tidewater region during the nineteenth century. In 1860, one-third lived in towns and cities.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 14-15.</ref> Counties with the largest populations of free African Americans in '''1790 '''(more than 450) were [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Nansemond County, Virginia|Nansemond]], [[Northampton County, Virginia|Northampton]], and [[Southampton County, Virginia|Southampton]]. Counties with more than 250 free blacks were [[Campbell County, Virginia|Campbell]], [[Charles City County, Virginia|Charles City]], [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield]], [[Goochland County, Virginia|Goochland]], [[Isle of Wight County, Virginia|Isle of Wight]], [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Prince George County, Virginia|Prince George]], [[Surry County, Virginia|Surry]], [[Sussex County, Virginia|Sussex]], and [[York County, Virginia|York]].  


70 years later, in '''1860''', many of these people's descendants appear to have continued to live in the same areas. Counties with more than '''1500''' free colored people were [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Nansemond County, Virginia|Nansemond]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], and [[Southampton County, Virginia|Southampton]].<ref name="no" /> The town of [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]] in 1830 (Dinwiddie County) had 3440 white inhabitants, 2850 slaves, and 2032 free blacks, making the black population the majority.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 14.</ref><br>  
70 years later, in '''1860''', many of these people's descendants appear to have continued to live in the same areas. Counties with more than '''1500''' free colored people were [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Nansemond County, Virginia|Nansemond]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], and [[Southampton County, Virginia|Southampton]].<ref name="no" /> The town of [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]] in 1830 (Dinwiddie County) had 3440 white inhabitants, 2850 slaves, and 2032 free blacks, making the black population the majority.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 14.</ref><br>  
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==== Migrations Out of Virginia  ====
==== Migrations Out of Virginia  ====


Many free African American families migrated from Virginia to [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson County, North Carolina]] in the 1700s.<ref name="drig" /> Virginia's free people of color are also now believed to have been the ancestors of Appalachia's [[Melungeons|Melungeon]] population.<ref>Travis Loller, "DNA study seeks origin of Appalachia's Melungeons," ''Yahoo! News,'' 24 May 2012, http://news.yahoo.com/dna-study-seeks-origin-appalachias-melungeons-201144041.html.</ref> An 1806 law required freed slaves to leave the state within twelve months of gaining their freedom. This stiff law was softened by subsequent laws in the 1820s and 30s.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 90.</ref> Many free blacks from Virginia had resettled in [[Indiana|Indiana]], [[Illinois|Illinois]], [[Ohio|Ohio]], and [[Michigan|Michigan]] between the 1840s and 1860s.<ref name="drig" />
Many free African American families migrated from Virginia to [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson County, North Carolina]] in the 1700s.<ref name="drig" /> Virginia's free people of color are also now believed to have been the ancestors of Appalachia's [[Melungeons|Melungeon]] population.<ref>Travis Loller, "DNA study seeks origin of Appalachia's Melungeons," ''Yahoo! News,'' 24 May 2012, http://news.yahoo.com/dna-study-seeks-origin-appalachias-melungeons-201144041.html.</ref> An 1806 law required freed slaves to leave the state within twelve months of gaining their freedom. This stiff law was softened by subsequent laws in the 1820s and 30s.<ref>''The Free Negro in Virginia,'' 90.</ref> Many free blacks from Virginia had resettled in [[Indiana|Indiana]], [[Illinois|Illinois]], [[Ohio|Ohio]], and [[Michigan|Michigan]] between the 1840s and 1860s.<ref name="drig" />  


=== 1865 to the Present  ===
=== 1865 to the Present  ===
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After the Civil War, African Americans appears in the same sources as white people, such as '''censuses''' (beginning in 1870), '''marriage registers''' (though there was often a separate register for "colored marriages"), <span style="font-weight: bold;">birth certificates, death certificates, </span>'''deeds''', '''wills''', '''military records''', '''cemeteries''' and '''church records''' (though they were usually segregated churches and cemeteries), '''tax records,''' '''voter registrations,''' and '''newspapers '''(including ethnic African American newspapers). Unique records relating specifically to black Virginians include '''cohabitation records''', '''Freedmen's Bank''' records, and African American '''biographies'''.<br>  
After the Civil War, African Americans appears in the same sources as white people, such as '''censuses''' (beginning in 1870), '''marriage registers''' (though there was often a separate register for "colored marriages"), <span style="font-weight: bold;">birth certificates, death certificates, </span>'''deeds''', '''wills''', '''military records''', '''cemeteries''' and '''church records''' (though they were usually segregated churches and cemeteries), '''tax records,''' '''voter registrations,''' and '''newspapers '''(including ethnic African American newspapers). Unique records relating specifically to black Virginians include '''cohabitation records''', '''Freedmen's Bank''' records, and African American '''biographies'''.<br>  


In '''1870''', five years after slaves were freed, '''counties '''with the '''largest black populations''' (more than 10,000) were [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle]], [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford]], [[Campbell County, Virginia|Campbell]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Halifax County, Virginia|Halifax]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa]], [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], and [[Pittsylvania County, Virginia|Pittsylvania]]. '''Towns '''with the '''largest black populations''' (more than 5000) were [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]], [[Danville, Virginia|Danville]] (Dan River), [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]], [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]], [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]], and [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name="no" />
In '''1870''', five years after slaves were freed, '''counties '''with the '''largest black populations''' (more than 10,000) were [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle]], [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford]], [[Campbell County, Virginia|Campbell]], [[Dinwiddie County, Virginia|Dinwiddie]], [[Halifax County, Virginia|Halifax]], [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]], [[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa]], [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg]], [[Norfolk County, Virginia|Norfolk]], and [[Pittsylvania County, Virginia|Pittsylvania]]. '''Towns '''with the '''largest black populations''' (more than 5000) were [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]], [[Danville, Virginia|Danville]] (Dan River), [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]], [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]], [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]], and [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name="no" />  


==== Records  ====
==== Records  ====
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''History of African Methodism in Virginia'' (1908) is available [http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/butt/menu.html online] through the Library of Congress's [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/ncuhtml/csbchome.html The Church in the Southern Black Community, 1780-1925] collection.  
''History of African Methodism in Virginia'' (1908) is available [http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/butt/menu.html online] through the Library of Congress's [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/ncuhtml/csbchome.html The Church in the Southern Black Community, 1780-1925] collection.  


The Library of Virginia has prepared a list of [http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/AA_newspaper_holdings.pdf African-American Newspapers], such as the ''Afro-American and the Richmond Planet'', which they hold.
The Library of Virginia has prepared a list of [http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/AA_newspaper_holdings.pdf African-American Newspapers], such as the ''Afro-American and the Richmond Planet'', which they hold.  


==== Later Migrations Out of Virginia  ====
==== Later Migrations Out of Virginia  ====


There were several large migrations of Virginia African Americans into other parts of the country in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1900, most Southern born blacks living in the North had been born in Virginia or Kentucky.<ref>1900 U.S. Federal Census. Study by James Ison.</ref>&nbsp;Around the time of World War I, many rural Virginians moved to urban [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark, New Jersey]], [[New York City, New York|New York City]], and [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]. In the World War II era, many moved to [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] and [[Wayne County, Michigan|Detroit]].<ref name="ison" />
There were several large migrations of Virginia African Americans into other parts of the country in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1900, most Southern born blacks living in the North had been born in Virginia or Kentucky.<ref>1900 U.S. Federal Census. Study by James Ison.</ref>&nbsp;Around the time of World War I, many rural Virginians moved to urban [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark, New Jersey]], [[New York City, New York|New York City]], and [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]. In the World War II era, many moved to [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] and [[Wayne County, Michigan|Detroit]].<ref name="ison" />  


== Societies  ==
== Societies  ==
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{{African American|African American}}{{Virginia|Virginia}}  
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[[Category:Virginia]] [[Category:African_Americans]] [[Category:Virginia_African_Americans]]
[[Category:Virginia]] [[Category:African_Americans]] [[Category:Virginia_African_Americans]]
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