African American Resources for Alabama: Difference between revisions

From FamilySearch Wiki
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
m (Text replacement - "==History==" to "==Historys==")
 
(121 intermediate revisions by 28 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
=== Archives and Libraries  ===
{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
| link2=[[African American Genealogy|African American Genealogy]]
| link3=[[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Alabama]]
| link4=
| link5=[[African American Resources for Alabama|African American Resources]]
}}
{{AL-sidebar}}
<div id="fsButtons"><span class="online_records_button">[[African American Online Genealogy Records]]</span></div>
{{TOC left}}
==Introduction==
Resources for African American research fall into two periods: pre-and post-Civil War. Post-Civil War research consists of consulting the same record types you would use to research non–African Americans. Pre-Civil War records consist of slave importation declarations, plantation records, emancipation records, apprenticeship bonds for freedmen, Alabama hiring practices, census records, plantation owners’ family records, church and cemetery records, military records, and Alabama court records.
==Online Resources==
<table><tr><td>
'''Record Collections'''
*[http://www.discoverfreedmen.org/ Discover Freedmen] Search the following FamilySearch "Freedmen's Bureau record collections"
*'''1790-1860''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1714 U.S., Southeast Coastwise Inward and Outward Slave Manifests, 1790-1860] at Ancestry (free)
*'''1846-1867''' [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1231 U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867] at Ancestry ($)
*'''1861-1872''' {{RecordSearch|1414908|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1863-1878''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61568/ U.S., Freedmen's Bureau Records of Field Offices, 1863-1878] at Ancestry (free)
*'''1865-1872''' {{RecordSearch|2333770|Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch; images — [[Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1865-1874''' {{RecordSearch|1417695|United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedman's Bank Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1865-1974''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8755/ U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874] at Ancestry (free)
*'''1881-1974''' [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2543 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974] at Ancestry ($)
*'''1908-1874''' {{RecordSearch|1307888|Alabama Deaths 1908-1974}} at FamilySearch — [[Alabama Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*[https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/lantern/ The Lantern Project (Legal Records Documenting Enslaved Persons)] at Mississippi State University Libraries — index & images ($)


[http://www.archives.alabama.gov/ Alabama Department of Archives and History]<br> P.O. Box 300100 / 624 Washington Ave.<br>Montgomery, AL 36130<br>(334) 242-4435
<td><tr><table>
'''Digital Archives'''


<br>[http://alabamam.sdp.sirsi.net/client/default# J.F. Drake Memorial Learning Resources Center] <br> [http://alabamam.sdp.sirsi.net/client/default#]Alabama A &amp; M University<br>Box 489<br>Normal, AL 35762<br>Phone: (205) 851-5760
<li>[http://www.afrigeneas.org/ AfriGeneas]</li>
<li>[http://archives.state.al.us/ Alabama Department of Archives and History]</li>
<li>[http://www.birminghamarchives.org/SubjectGuideSuggestedReadin.htm Birmingham Public Library: Collections and Research]</li>
<li>[http://samford.libguides.com/content.php?pid=48940&sid=360072 Samford University: Primary Sources]</li>
<li>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160116031559/http://africanaheritage.com:80/Larrys_Alabama_Archive.asp Larry's Alabama Archive] - Larry E. Caver Jr's Collection of Alabama records</li>
<li>[http://www.accessgenealogy.com/african/alabama/ Access Genealogy: Alabama African American Records]</li>
<li>[http://www.bbaaghs.org/records.html Black Belt African American Genealogical Historical Society: Online Records]</li>


[http://library.samford.edu/ Samford University Library]<br>Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive <br>Birmingham, AL 35229<br>Questions or Comments: 205-726-2748 <br> [http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/ Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)] <br>
'''Lists of Sources'''


[http://www.birminghamarchives.org/SubjectGuideSuggestedReadin.htm Birmingham Public Library: Collections and Research]<br> Birmingham Public Library<br>Department of Archives &amp; Manuscripts<br>2100 Park Place<br>Birmingham, Alabama USA 35203 <br>Phone:(205) 226-3631<br>E-mail: jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us
<li>[http://www.lib.alasu.edu/natctr/research/ African American Genealogy Resources Page] - Alabama State University</li>
<li>[http://www.alabamagenealogy.org/aa.htm Alabama African American Genealogy Research] - A list of Alabama genealogy resources, including records and databases</li>
<li>[http://www.genealogycenter.info/africanamerican/results_afram.php?subject=al African American Gateway:] Alabama (Allen County Public Library)</li>
<br>
'''Digital Books'''


=== Pre-Civil War records  ===
<li>[[African American Digital Bookshelf]] - a growing list of digital books on FamilySearch and other websites</li>


slave importation declarations, plantation records, emancipation records, apprenticeship bonds for freedmen, Alabama hiring practices, census records, plantation owners’ family records, church and cemetery records, military records, and Alabama court records.  
==Research Strategy==
Researching African Americans is often more challenging than researching other groups of people. Start with the present and then work back, one generation at a time. When starting out, first interview relatives, especially older relatives, and survey the records already gathered by others. Oral tradition is an important step because relatives may provide both information on recent generations and clues on where to search next. Additionally, relatives may have journals, newspaper clippings, vital certificates, or other such records of ancestors that may provide essential information and clues. Some crucial records to search for are birth certificates, death certificates, census records, and cemetery records and tombstones. The most difficult parts of African American research are slavery and the decades that followed it. One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. <ref>Armstrong, Elizabeth. "We are family: Piecing together the past." ''The Christian Science Monitor'', 20 November 2002. https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1120/p16s01-lign.html (accessed 27 September 2018).</ref>


===== Plantation records  =====
Research guides:


Some plantation records mention slaves. The Family History Library has many plantation records on microfilm. These records are described in a series of booklets by Kenneth M. Stampp. Guides for Series A–M are available at the Family History Library:<br>
*Burroughs, Tony. ''Black Roots: A Beginner's Guide to Tracing the African-American Family Tree''. (New York: Fireside, 2001).
*Taylor, Frazine K. ''Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama: A Resource Guide.'' (Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. 2008). {{FSC|1478716|item|disp=FS book 976.1 D27t}}.


*Stampp, Kenneth M., ed.''A Guide to Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War: Series A–M,'' ''Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library.'' Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986. ( Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/search/index/library_catalog#searchType=catalog&filtered=true&collectionId=&fed=false&page=1&catSearchType=call_number&searchCriteria=975+H2sm&author_givenName=&author_surname= book 975 H2sm.]) The Family History Library has microfilms of most of the records described in the guide. Alabama plantation records are scattered throughout.
==Historys==
For a comprehensive history of slavery in Alabama, see:


<br>For example, the booklet for Series F describes records of many plantations in Alabama and other states of the Deep South. The records were microfilmed at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina. They are:
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/706908 Sellers, James Benson. Slavery in Alabama. (Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1950, 1994). (Available at the FamilySearch Library, call no. 976.1 F2s) This 426 page book includes a bibliography, on pages 399–409.]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1409988 Sylviane A. Diouf. ''Dreams of Africa in Alabama: the slave ship Clotilda and the story of the last Africans brought to America.'' (New York,New York: Oxford University Press, 2007). FS Library 976.1 F2d]


*''Records of Ante-bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution Through the Civil War: Series F, Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library.'' Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986–1987. (On 84 Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F564185&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D films beginning with 1549774].)
To learn more about the Reconstruction Era (1868-1877), visit:


For a history of slavery in Alabama, see:<br>Sellers, James Benson. Slavery in Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1950, 1994. (Family History Librarybook [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F706908&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D 976.1 F2s].) This 426 page book includes a bibliography, on pages 399–409.
*[http://lestweforget.hamptonu.edu/page.cfm?uuid=9FEC4EC4-9F99-064D-99109BD6B7AE7CB1 Alabama's First Lawmakers]
*[http://www.alabamamoments.state.al.us/sec24.html A Quick Summary]


<br>Records of African-Americans may be listed as "colored" in birth, marriage and death records. See [https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Birth,_Marriage,_and_Death_Records Alabama Birth, Marriage, and Death Records] for those records
To learn more about the Jim Crow Era (1859-1964), visit:


=== Civil War Records  ===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120303021441/http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/insidesouth.cgi?state=Alabama Jim Crow Laws: Alabama]
*[http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1248 Segregation (Jim Crow)], Encyclopedia of Alabama
*[https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/timeline/jimcrow.htm Jim Crow Museum Ferris State University]


A record was made of men of African descent who served in the Confederate Army:<br>Alabama. Department of Archives and History. Negroes in the Confederate Army, 1860–1907. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F522854&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D film 1653243 item 4].) This source lists the name of the soldier and his duty. It may indicate the name of the slave owner, the date of pay, master’s place of residence, where the soldier served in the military, and his military expenses.
==Resources==
===Biographies===
Several biographical dictionaries, compendia, and histories may contain information you need, for example:
 
*''Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790–1950''. (Alexandria, Virginia: Chadwyck-Healy, 1980). {{FSC|509200|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6049870 (first of 1070 films.)}} This publication is sometimes referred to as "The Black Biography Project." Three of the sources included in this collection are:
 
*Boothe, Charles Octavius. ''The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their Leaders and Their Work''. (Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Alabama Publishing, 1895). {{FSC|509200|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6078965}} [set of 3]. This book contains biographies, birth dates, parents’ names, and sometimes pictures. It also provides information on associations and state conventions.
 
*Mixon, Winfield Henri. ''History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama, with Biographical Sketches.'' (Selma, Alabama: A.M.E. Church Sunday School Union, 1902). FamilySearch Library {{FSC|509200|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6079113}} [set of 3]. This book provides pictures, church minutes and history, and speeches. There is no index.
 
*Moorman, Joseph H. and E. L. Barrett. ''Leaders of the Colored Race in Alabama''. Mobile, Alabama: News Publishing, [198–?]. {{FSC|509200|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6079115}} [set of 2]. This source contains biographical sketches with birth dates, educational information, a history of each minister’s service, and a history of churches. It includes an index.
 
===Cemeteries===
 
===Census Records===
The 1866 Alabama State Census lists African Americans.  The census is divided into two sections: "White" and "Colored."  The census lists the head of household, number of family members in each age category (males and females separated), and family total. The 1866 census is found on Ancestry in the [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1576 Alabama State Census, 1820-1866] database. See [[Alabama Census#Online_Alabama_indexes_and_images|1866 Census]] for more information.
 
===Church Records===
A few parish registers list slaves who attended church with their masters (see [[Alabama Church Records|Church Records]]).<br>  
 
To learn more about historic African American churches in Alabama, see ''The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their leaders and their work.'' Booth, Charles Octavius. Birmingham: Alabama Pub. Co., 1895. (available on [https://archive.org/details/cyclopediaofcolo00boot Archive.org])
 
Two churches important to African American history are:
 
*[http://www.blackpast.org/aah/st-bartley-primitive-baptist-church-huntsville-alabama-1808 St.Bartley Primitive Baptist Church Huntsville (1808- )]
*[http://www.blackpast.org/aah/dexter-avenue-baptist-church-montgomery-alabama Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Montgomery (1883- )]
 
===Emancipation Records===
 
===Funeral Homes===
*[https://app.air.inc/a/borzvL1af/b/8dc76b25-27b0-42b5-a889-6c7027db068f CAAGS Obituary and Funeral Home Collection] at California African American Genealogical Society - index & images
 
===Genealogies===
 
===Land and Property===
Slaves are sometimes mentioned in deeds (see [[Alabama Land and Property|Land and Property]]).
 
====Plantation====
Some plantation records mention slaves. The FamilySearch Library has many plantation records on microfilm. These records are described in a series of booklets by Kenneth M. Stampp. Guides for Series A–M are available at the FamilySearch Library:<br>


=== Post-Civil War ===
*Stampp, Kenneth M., ed. ''A Guide to Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War: Series A–M, Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library''. (Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986). {{FSC|1162175|item|disp=FS Catalog book 975 H2sm.}} The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of most of the records described in the guide. Alabama plantation records are scattered throughout.


===== Freedman's Records  =====
For example, the booklet for Series F describes records of many plantations in Alabama and other states of the Deep South:


An excellent source is the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company. 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>  
*''Records of Ante-bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution Through the Civil War: Series F, Selections from the Manuscript Department'', Duke University Library. (Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986–1987). {{FSC|564185|item|disp=FS Library films beginning with 1549774 (first of 84 films.}}
*[https://sankofagenus.com/alabama/ Sankofagen: Alabama plantations]
 
=== Law and Legislation ===
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/723107 State slavery statutes. Alabama, ca. 1818-1865 (22 fiche) FS Library 6118902]
 
===Obituaries===
*[https://app.air.inc/a/borzvL1af/b/8dc76b25-27b0-42b5-a889-6c7027db068f CAAGS Obituary and Funeral Home Collection] at California African American Genealogical Society - index & images
 
===Oral Histories===
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1447234? Alabama, WPA life histories, stories, ex-slave tales, and short stories]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/61226 George P. Rawick, general editor ; Jan Hillegas, Ken Lawrence, editors, ''The American slave : A composite autobiography'' 30 Volumes. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Pub. Co., 1971-1977 FS Library 973 F2aa]
 
===Other Records===
 
*''Dreams of Africa in Alabama: the slave ship Clotilda and the story of the last Africans brought to America.'' By Sylviane A. Diouf. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, c2007. {{FSC|1409988|item|disp= FS book 976.1 F2d}}.
 
===Military Records===
'''Civil War'''<br>
Over 10,000 Alabama freedmen served as Union Soldiers as well as in the Confederate Army.
 
A record was made of men of African descent who served in the Confederate Army:
 
*Alabama. Department of Archives and History. Negroes in the Confederate Army, 1860–1907. (FamilySearch Library [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/522854 film 1653243 item 4].) This source lists the name of the soldier and his duty. It may indicate the name of the slave owner, the date of pay, master’s place of residence, where the soldier served in the military, and his military expenses.
 
'''World War II'''<br>
A record was made of naval casualties by state during the war:
 
*''Combat Connected Naval Causalities, World War II, by States.'' Two Volumes. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946. {{FSC|287905|item|disp=FS Catalog book 973 M3dc}} This source is alphabetically arranged by state, then within the state by dead, missing, wounded, Prisoner of War (POW), died or killed while a POW, and POWs released.
 
The Tuskegee Airmen were America's first black military aviator group and served in the U.S. army between 1941 and 1946.<ref>Nancy Henderson, "Tuskegee Airmen," on ''American Profile'', http://americanprofile.com/articles/tuskegee-airmen/, accessed 11 May 2018.</ref>
 
*[http://tuskegeeairmen.org/explore-tai/a-brief-history/ Tuskegee Airmen] - An estimated 16,000 to 19,000 airmen including mechanics, parachute riggers, and support staff were involved.
*For photos of Tuskegee Airmen visit [http://www.americanprofile.com/articles/tuskegee-airmen/ American Profile - Tuskegee Airmen]
 
<br>
See also [[Alabama Military Records|Alabama Military Records]]
 
===Newspapers===
*[https://informationwanted.org/ Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery]
 
===Probate Records===
Slaves are sometimes mentioned in wills (see [[Alabama Probate Records|Probate Records]]).
 
Garrett-Nelson, LaBrenda. ''Gleaning Information about Enslaved Ancestors from Probate Files'' NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 23- 27 FS Library 973 D25ngs
 
===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 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>
 
Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:
 
*{{RecordSearch|1417695|United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedman's Bank Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8755 U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874] at Ancestry (free)


Alabama had a branch of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company in Huntsville and Mobile. In each city depositors are listed by account number. The records are in:  
Alabama had a branch of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company in Huntsville and Mobile. In each city depositors are listed by account number. The records are in:  


*Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Huntsville, Alabama), Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1865–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F709429&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D film 928571].)
*Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Huntsville, Alabama), ''Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1865–1874''. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. {{FSC|709429|item|disp=FS Library film 928571}}
*Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Mobile, Alabama). Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1867–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/search/index/library_catalog#searchType=catalog&filtered=true&fed=false&collectionId=&catSearchType=film_number&searchCriteria=928572&author_givenName=&author_surname= film 928572 ].)<br>
*Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Mobile, Alabama). ''Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1867–1874.'' National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. {{FSC|133425|item|disp=FS Library film 928572}}
 
[[Image:{{ALFreeBank}}]]
 
====Freedmen's Bureau====
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.


===== Freedman’s Bureau =====
*'''Alabama Collections'''
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1193947? Records of the field offices for the state of Alabama, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872:M1900]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/362692? Records of the Assistant Commissioner for Alabama, 1865-1870:M809]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/479257? Records of the Superintendent of Education for the state of Alabama, 1865-1870:M810]


United States:''Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Records of the Assistant Commissioner for Alabama, 1865–1869.'' National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0809. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F362692&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D films 1612338–60].) These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information. For 1865 and 1866, the section on abandoned and confiscated lands (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F362692&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D film 1612358]&nbsp;) 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.
To find  additional Freedmen's Bureau records:


<br>The separate Freedman’s Bureau records do not usually name relatives or give genealogical information. They can be found in the Family History Library Catalog Subject Search under:
*[http://www.discoverfreedmen.org/ DiscoverFreedmen] site for searching the following Freedmen's Bureau records on FamilySearch:
**{{RecordSearch|2432941|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Claim Records,1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau Claim Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2432992|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Hospital and Medical Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau Hospital and Medical Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2475025|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|1414908|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2431759|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Ration Records,1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau Ration Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2515868|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2515865|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Freedmen's Court Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen’s Bureau, Freedmen’s Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2515867|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Land and Property Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Land and Property Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2492627|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
**{{RecordSearch|2427894|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]


<br>'''FREEDMEN - ALABAMA''' <br>Slaves are sometimes mentioned in deeds (see "[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Land_and_Property Land and Property]"), wills (see "[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Probate_Records Probate Records]"), tax records (see "[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Taxation Taxation]"), and court order books (see "[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Court_Records Court Records]") under their owner’s name. A few parish registers (see "[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Church_Records Church Records]") list slaves who attended church with their masters.<br>
Other FamilySearch collections not included:


=== Reconstruction Era (1868-1877)  ===
*{{RecordSearch|2575789|United States Freedmen's Bureau Miscellaneous Records,1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States Freedmen's Bureau Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*{{RecordSearch|2721171|United States Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Freedmen - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*{{RecordSearch|2333770|Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872}} at FamilySearch; images — [[Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*{{RecordSearch|2427901|''United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872''}} at FamilySearch; images — [[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - ALABAMA" in the Subjects search bar to find.


*Reconstruction in Alabama: [http://www.lwfaah.net/alabama/reconstruction.htm &nbsp;Alabama's First Lawmakers]  
Visit the [[African American Freedmen's Bureau Records]] page to learn more about utilizing these records.<br>
*Reconstruction in Alabama: [http://www.alabamamoments.state.al.us/sec24.html A Quick Summary]


=== Jim Crow Era (1859-1964)  ===
===School Records===


*[http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/insidesouth.cgi?state=Alabama Jim Crow Laws: &nbsp;Alabama]
===Slavery Records===
*[http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1248 Segregation (Jim Crow)], Encycopedia of Alabama
One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
*[http://www.archives.state.al.us/ahei/Jim_Crow_Lived_in_Alabama_in_the_late_1800s_Feb_2011.pdf Title of Lesson: Jim Crow Lived in Alabama in the late 1800s]


=== Biographies  ===
The Library of Congress has an online exhibit called [http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam015.html the African-American Mosaic] which has photographs and slave narratives of former slaves in Alabama.


Several biographical dictionaries, compendia, and histories may contain information you need, for example:
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/723107 State Slavery Statues. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1989 FS Library 22  microfiche Alabama - 6118902]


''Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790–1950.'' Alexandria, Virginia: Chadwyck-Healy, 1980. (On 1070 Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F509200&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D fiche beginning with 6049870.]) This publication is sometimes referred to as "The Black Biography Project." Three of the sources included in this collection are:
===Vital Records===
Records of African Americans may be listed as "colored" in birth, marriage and death records. See [[Alabama Birth, Marriage, and Death Records|Alabama Birth, Marriage, and Death Records]] for those records


<br>''Bothe, Charles Octavius. The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their Leaders and Their Work.'' Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Alabama Publishing, 1895. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F509200&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D fiche 6078965]&nbsp;[set of 3].) This book contains biographies, birth dates, parents’ names, and sometimes pictures. It also provides information on associations and state conventions.
====Birth====


<br>Mixon, Winfield Henri. ''History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama, with Biographical Sketches''. Selma, Alabama: A.M.E. Church Sunday School Union, 1902. (Family History Library [https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F509200&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D fiche 6079113]&nbsp;[set of 3].) This book provides pictures, church minutes and history, and speeches. There is no index.  
====Marriage====
The [http://sites.rootsweb.com/~alaag/AlAfAm-Marriages/ Alabama African American Marriages Project] has indexed a large selection of African American marriages in Alabama ranging from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The index is organized by county.


<br>Moorman, Joseph H. and E. L. Barrett. ''Leaders of the Colored Race in Alabama.'' Mobile, Alabama: News Publishing, [198–?]. (Family History Library&nbsp;[https://www.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.familysearch.org%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F509200&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D fiche 6079115] [set of 2].) This source contains biographical sketches with birth dates, educational information, a history of each minister’s service, and a history of churches. It includes an index.  
FamilySearch has digitized Alabama Colored Marriage books. These can be found in the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1743384 Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950] collection as well on the FamilySearch Catalog on each county page.


=== Military ===
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.


[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama_Military_Records Military records ]of Alabama<br>
*{{RecordSearch|1414908|United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872}} at FamilySearch — [[United States Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1231 U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867] Ancestry ($)


===== Civil War<br>  =====
====Death====
The [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2543 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 ($)] collection is an index of Alabama death certificates.  The index includes the deceased's name, age, birth place, death date and place, burial date and place, race, marital status, gender, residences, parents, and parents' birth places.


1862: Over 10,000 Alabama freedmen served as Union Soldiers<br>World War II (1941-1945)
====Divorce====


*''Combat Connected Naval Causalities, World War II, by States''. Two Volumes. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946. (Family History Library .) This source is alphabetically arranged by state, then within the state by dead, missing, wounded, Prisoner of War (POW), died or killed while a POW, and POWs released.
===Voting Records===
*Tuskegee Airmen [http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/ tuskegeeairmen.org] An estimated 16,000 to 19,000 airmen including mechanics, parachute riggers and support staff were involved.
*For photos of Tuskegee Airmen [http://www.americanprofile.com/tuskegee americanprofile.com/tuskegee]


=== Bibliography  ===
*[https://digital.archives.alabama.gov/digital/collection/voter1867 Alabama 1867 Voter Registration Records Database. Alabama Department of Archives and History.]
*Carolyn M. Rowe, comp. '' 1867 Voting Registration, Walker County, Alabama.'' (1995)


*Taylor, Frazine K.''Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama A Resource Guide.&nbsp;''Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. 2008.&nbsp;
==Archives and Libraries==
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=GhHb4IspnsgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=African-American+genealogy&lr=#v=onepage&q=&f=false Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama] by Frazine K. Taylor (Google Books)


=== Slave Narratives  ===
'''Alabama Department of Archives and History'''<br>
P.O. Box 300100<br>
624 Washington Ave.<br>
Montgomery, AL 36130<br>
Phone: 334-242-4364<br>
[http://www.archives.alabama.gov/ Website]<br><br>
'''J.F. Drake Memorial Learning Resources Center'''<br>
Alabama A & M University<br>
Box 489<br>
Normal, AL 35762<br>
Phone: 205-851-5760<br>
[https://alabamam.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/# Website]<br><br>
'''Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research'''<br>
Samford University Library<br>
Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive<br>
Birmingham, AL 35229<br>
Phone: 205-726-2748<br>
[http://samford.libguides.com/ighr Website]<br><br>
'''Birmingham Public Library: Department of Archives & Manuscripts'''<br>
Birmingham Public Library<br>
2100 Park Place<br>
Birmingham, Alabama USA 35203 <br>
Phone: 205-226-3631<br>
Email: [mailto:jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us]<br>
[http://www.birminghamarchives.org/SubjectGuideSuggestedReadin.htm Website]


*The African-American Mosaic: &nbsp;[http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam015.html Ex Slave Narratives<br>]
==Societies==


=== Societies  ===
'''Birmingham African American Genealogy Group, Inc.'''<br>
P.O. Box 12011<br>
Birmingham, AL 35202<br>
Email: [mailto:info@baagginc.org info@baagginc.org]<br>
[http://www.baagginc.org/ Website]<br>
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/112773048747207 Facebook]<br><br>
'''Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society'''<br>
P.O. Box 971<br>
Selma, AL 36702<br>
Phone: 205-726-2748<br>
[https://www.facebook.com/bbaaghs Facebook]


*[http://www.bbaaghs.org/records.html Online Records] of Black Belt African American Genealogical Historical Society, Inc.
==References==
<references />


=== Websites  ===
{{African American|African American}}


*[http://www.genealogycenter.info/africanamerican/results_afram.php?subject=al African American Gateway:] &nbsp;Alabama (Allen County Public Library)
{{Alabama|Alabama}}
*Samford University: &nbsp;[http://samford.libguides.com/content.php?pid=48940&sid=360072 Primary Sources/Websites]<br>
*[http://www.alabamagenealogy.org/aa.htm Alabama African American Genealogy Research]&nbsp;- A comprehensive list of genealogy resources for Alabama
*[http://www.africanaheritage.com/Larrys_Alabama_Archive.asp Larry's Alabama Archive] - Larry E. Caver Jr's Collection of Alabama records.
*[http://www.lib.alasu.edu/archives/research/genealogy/ African American Genealogy Resources Page] - Alabama State University


[[Category:Alabama]] [[Category:African_Americans|Alabama]]
[[Category:Alabama, United States]]  
[[Category:African American Records]]

Latest revision as of 11:58, 30 January 2025

Alabama Wiki Topics
Alabama flag.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
Alabama Background
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Resources for African American research fall into two periods: pre-and post-Civil War. Post-Civil War research consists of consulting the same record types you would use to research non–African Americans. Pre-Civil War records consist of slave importation declarations, plantation records, emancipation records, apprenticeship bonds for freedmen, Alabama hiring practices, census records, plantation owners’ family records, church and cemetery records, military records, and Alabama court records.

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

Record Collections

Digital Archives

  • AfriGeneas
  • Alabama Department of Archives and History
  • Birmingham Public Library: Collections and Research
  • Samford University: Primary Sources
  • Larry's Alabama Archive - Larry E. Caver Jr's Collection of Alabama records
  • Access Genealogy: Alabama African American Records
  • Black Belt African American Genealogical Historical Society: Online Records
    • Lists of Sources
  • African American Genealogy Resources Page - Alabama State University
  • Alabama African American Genealogy Research - A list of Alabama genealogy resources, including records and databases
  • African American Gateway: Alabama (Allen County Public Library)

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

    • Research Strategy[edit | edit source]

    Researching African Americans is often more challenging than researching other groups of people. Start with the present and then work back, one generation at a time. When starting out, first interview relatives, especially older relatives, and survey the records already gathered by others. Oral tradition is an important step because relatives may provide both information on recent generations and clues on where to search next. Additionally, relatives may have journals, newspaper clippings, vital certificates, or other such records of ancestors that may provide essential information and clues. Some crucial records to search for are birth certificates, death certificates, census records, and cemetery records and tombstones. The most difficult parts of African American research are slavery and the decades that followed it. One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. [1]

    Research guides:

    • Burroughs, Tony. Black Roots: A Beginner's Guide to Tracing the African-American Family Tree. (New York: Fireside, 2001).
    • Taylor, Frazine K. Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama: A Resource Guide. (Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. 2008). FS book 976.1 D27t.

    Historys[edit | edit source]

    For a comprehensive history of slavery in Alabama, see:

    To learn more about the Reconstruction Era (1868-1877), visit:

    To learn more about the Jim Crow Era (1859-1964), visit:

    Resources[edit | edit source]

    Biographies[edit | edit source]

    Several biographical dictionaries, compendia, and histories may contain information you need, for example:

    • Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790–1950. (Alexandria, Virginia: Chadwyck-Healy, 1980). FS Library fiche 6049870 (first of 1070 films.) This publication is sometimes referred to as "The Black Biography Project." Three of the sources included in this collection are:
    • Boothe, Charles Octavius. The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their Leaders and Their Work. (Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Alabama Publishing, 1895). FS Library fiche 6078965 [set of 3]. This book contains biographies, birth dates, parents’ names, and sometimes pictures. It also provides information on associations and state conventions.
    • Mixon, Winfield Henri. History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama, with Biographical Sketches. (Selma, Alabama: A.M.E. Church Sunday School Union, 1902). FamilySearch Library FS Library fiche 6079113 [set of 3]. This book provides pictures, church minutes and history, and speeches. There is no index.
    • Moorman, Joseph H. and E. L. Barrett. Leaders of the Colored Race in Alabama. Mobile, Alabama: News Publishing, [198–?]. FS Library fiche 6079115 [set of 2]. This source contains biographical sketches with birth dates, educational information, a history of each minister’s service, and a history of churches. It includes an index.

    Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

    Census Records[edit | edit source]

    The 1866 Alabama State Census lists African Americans. The census is divided into two sections: "White" and "Colored." The census lists the head of household, number of family members in each age category (males and females separated), and family total. The 1866 census is found on Ancestry in the Alabama State Census, 1820-1866 database. See 1866 Census for more information.

    Church Records[edit | edit source]

    A few parish registers list slaves who attended church with their masters (see Church Records).

    To learn more about historic African American churches in Alabama, see The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their leaders and their work. Booth, Charles Octavius. Birmingham: Alabama Pub. Co., 1895. (available on Archive.org)

    Two churches important to African American history are:

    Emancipation Records[edit | edit source]

    Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

    Genealogies[edit | edit source]

    Land and Property[edit | edit source]

    Slaves are sometimes mentioned in deeds (see Land and Property).

    Plantation[edit | edit source]

    Some plantation records mention slaves. The FamilySearch Library has many plantation records on microfilm. These records are described in a series of booklets by Kenneth M. Stampp. Guides for Series A–M are available at the FamilySearch Library:

    • Stampp, Kenneth M., ed. A Guide to Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War: Series A–M, Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library. (Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986). FS Catalog book 975 H2sm. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of most of the records described in the guide. Alabama plantation records are scattered throughout.

    For example, the booklet for Series F describes records of many plantations in Alabama and other states of the Deep South:

    Law and Legislation[edit | edit source]

    Obituaries[edit | edit source]

    Oral Histories[edit | edit source]

    Other Records[edit | edit source]

    • Dreams of Africa in Alabama: the slave ship Clotilda and the story of the last Africans brought to America. By Sylviane A. Diouf. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, c2007. FS book 976.1 F2d.

    Military Records[edit | edit source]

    Civil War
    Over 10,000 Alabama freedmen served as Union Soldiers as well as in the Confederate Army.

    A record was made of men of African descent who served in the Confederate Army:

    • Alabama. Department of Archives and History. Negroes in the Confederate Army, 1860–1907. (FamilySearch Library film 1653243 item 4.) This source lists the name of the soldier and his duty. It may indicate the name of the slave owner, the date of pay, master’s place of residence, where the soldier served in the military, and his military expenses.

    World War II
    A record was made of naval casualties by state during the war:

    • Combat Connected Naval Causalities, World War II, by States. Two Volumes. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946. FS Catalog book 973 M3dc This source is alphabetically arranged by state, then within the state by dead, missing, wounded, Prisoner of War (POW), died or killed while a POW, and POWs released.

    The Tuskegee Airmen were America's first black military aviator group and served in the U.S. army between 1941 and 1946.[2]


    See also Alabama Military Records

    Newspapers[edit | edit source]

    Probate Records[edit | edit source]

    Slaves are sometimes mentioned in wills (see Probate Records).

    Garrett-Nelson, LaBrenda. Gleaning Information about Enslaved Ancestors from Probate Files NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 23- 27 FS Library 973 D25ngs

    Reconstruction Records[edit | edit source]

    Freedman's Bank[edit | edit source]

    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.

    Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:

    Alabama had a branch of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company in Huntsville and Mobile. In each city depositors are listed by account number. The records are in:

    • Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Huntsville, Alabama), Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1865–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. FS Library film 928571
    • Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Mobile, Alabama). Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1867–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. FS Library film 928572
    Example of a Freedman's Bank record.

    Freedmen's Bureau[edit | edit source]

    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.[3] 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.

    To find additional Freedmen's Bureau records:

    Other FamilySearch collections not included:

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

    School Records[edit | edit source]

    Slavery Records[edit | edit source]

    One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

    The Library of Congress has an online exhibit called the African-American Mosaic which has photographs and slave narratives of former slaves in Alabama.

    Vital Records[edit | edit source]

    Records of African Americans may be listed as "colored" in birth, marriage and death records. See Alabama Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for those records

    Birth[edit | edit source]

    Marriage[edit | edit source]

    The Alabama African American Marriages Project has indexed a large selection of African American marriages in Alabama ranging from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The index is organized by county.

    FamilySearch has digitized Alabama Colored Marriage books. These can be found in the Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950 collection as well on the FamilySearch Catalog on each county page.

    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.

    Death[edit | edit source]

    The Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 ($) collection is an index of Alabama death certificates. The index includes the deceased's name, age, birth place, death date and place, burial date and place, race, marital status, gender, residences, parents, and parents' birth places.

    Divorce[edit | edit source]

    Voting Records[edit | edit source]

    Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]

    Alabama Department of Archives and History
    P.O. Box 300100
    624 Washington Ave.
    Montgomery, AL 36130
    Phone: 334-242-4364
    Website

    J.F. Drake Memorial Learning Resources Center
    Alabama A & M University
    Box 489
    Normal, AL 35762
    Phone: 205-851-5760
    Website

    Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research
    Samford University Library
    Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive
    Birmingham, AL 35229
    Phone: 205-726-2748
    Website

    Birmingham Public Library: Department of Archives & Manuscripts
    Birmingham Public Library
    2100 Park Place
    Birmingham, Alabama USA 35203
    Phone: 205-226-3631
    Email: jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us
    Website

    Societies[edit | edit source]

    Birmingham African American Genealogy Group, Inc.
    P.O. Box 12011
    Birmingham, AL 35202
    Email: info@baagginc.org
    Website
    Facebook

    Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society
    P.O. Box 971
    Selma, AL 36702
    Phone: 205-726-2748
    Facebook

    References[edit | edit source]

    1. ↑ Armstrong, Elizabeth. "We are family: Piecing together the past." The Christian Science Monitor, 20 November 2002. https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1120/p16s01-lign.html (accessed 27 September 2018).
    2. ↑ Nancy Henderson, "Tuskegee Airmen," on American Profile, http://americanprofile.com/articles/tuskegee-airmen/, accessed 11 May 2018.
    3. ↑ "African American Records: Freedmen's Bureau," "African American Heritage," National Archives, accessed 11 May 2018.
    v • d• e
    Links to African American Research-related articles
    Topics
    Repositories
    Allen County Public Library · FamilySearch Library · Library of Congress · National Archives I · National Archives Regional Branches · National Underground Railroad Freedom Center · Birmingham Civil Rights Institute · Black Archives of Mid-America · Duke Univeristy Rubenstein Library · FamilySearch Centers · Godfrey Memorial Library · Kalamazoo College Black History Mobile Museum · New England Historic Genealogical Society · Newberry Library · John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg · Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture · Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum · University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Libraries · University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center · University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library
    States


    v • d• e
    Links to Alabama-related articles
    Topics
    Counties
    Extinct Co.
    Major
     Repositories
    Migration
     Routes

    This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

    To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

    Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=African_American_Resources_for_Alabama&oldid=5768990"