African American Resources for Ohio: Difference between revisions

African Americans make up a rich part of Ohio's History. The [https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Ohio_Constitution_of_1803 The Ohio Constitution of 1803] outlawed slavery, this was in accordance to the [https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Northwest_Ordinance Northwest Ordinance of 1787]. In 1804, Ohio passed Black Laws (sometimes referred to as Black Codes). These laws stipulated that only freedmen with a valid certificate of freedom (obtained from the court) could reside in Ohio. They also had to register their names in the county clerk's office of where they reside, which cost a small fee. Furthermore, freedmen could only be employed if they had a certificate proving their freedom. Anyone who harbored an escaped slave would be fined.

By the early 1800s, a settlement of African Americans was located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. This area was controlled by the Wyandot, a Native American tribe. While some of these settlers were free, others were runaway slaves seeking safety. See [https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Upper_Sandusky,_Ohio Upper Sandusky, Ohio] for more information.  

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/564229 Special enumeration of blacks immigrating to Ohio, 1861-1863]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/564229 Ohio. State Auditor. Special enumeration of blacks immigrating to Ohio, 1861-1863]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/500149 Belmont County. Record of blacks and mulattoes, 1809-1854]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/700567 Greene County. Register of blacks and mulattos, 1805-1844]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/700571 Logan County. Register of blacks and mulattos, 1831-1857]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/700573 Miami County. Register of blacks and mulattos, 1833-1847]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/700575 Montgomery County. Register of blacks & mulattos, 1804-1805]

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/607192 Pickaway County. Records of black and mulatto persons, ca.1819-1848]

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 freed slaves. 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 master or mistress 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.<br>

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist former slaves 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 masters and plantations, and current residences.<ref>"African American Records: Freedmen's Bureau," "African American Heritage," ''National Archives'', accessed 11 May 2018. </ref> 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 former slaves. These films do not appear to contain the names of former slaves.   

*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/335438 WPA. Slave narratives : 1937, interviews with ex-slaves in Ohio] Ohio Historical Society

The Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872) was created by the US government to assist former slaves in the southern United States. One of their responsibilities was to record the marriages (past and present) of the former slaves. 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.