African American Resources for Vermont

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Online Resources

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

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

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

Historys

Historic Roots - African-American History

African American Heritage Trail

Bandel, Betty. Satisfaction Brought it Back - In Vermont History News - Vol. 30 (Nov./Dec. 1979) ; p 91-92 F46.V5

Bandel, Betty. Social History in the Land Records. - In Vermont History News - Vol 30 (Sept./Oct. 1979);p.72-73 F46.V5

Davis, Sharon Carbonti. Vermont's Adopted Sons and Daughters. - In Vermont History. Vol. 31 (Apr. 1963); p. 122-127 F46. V55

Resources

Funeral Homes

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

Obituaries

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

Military Records

• James Fuller. Men of color, To arms! : Vermont African-Americans in the Civil War. Lincoln, Nebraska : University Press, c2001. FS Library 974.3 M2fj

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.

Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:

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

Freedmen's Bureau

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist 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. 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 Freedmen's Bureau records:

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

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

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

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