How to Find Native American or Slave Ancestry From Records
The task of finding family roots is formidable for Native Americans and African-Americans. Although it involves a fervent search for family and historical identity, many of the resources readily available to other ethnic groups just don't exist for them. While difficult, finding slave or Native American ancestry isn't impossible. Their are powerful search options readily available on the Internet that can get potential geneologists heading into the right direction. Since one out of ten African-Americans was already free when the Civil war broke out in 1861, records for this period can hold information that will assist many Black Americans. Other government records feature information about various Native American tribes and cultures.
Instructions
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getting started
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Utilize online seach engines that highlight Native American and African slave ancestry. Perform genealogical research in libraries, courthouses and family historians. Some original records regarding ancestry may not be listed online.
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Contact the websites that use search engines and request to be added to their mailing lists. Join the news groups available on the sites. Inquire about others who are researching the same surnames. Understand how the sites work. Search the U.S. Free Population Schedules of the 1860 census regardless of ethnicity.
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Don't have unrealistic expectations. Finding the slave ship from Africa that brought your ancestors to America probably won't happen. And various tribial areas inhabited by Native Americans changed drastically over the years due in part to government policies and reservation requirements. Begin with a present-day search, then work back into the past. Research records of white families as well. There is a strong possibility that your ancestor came from mixed ancestry.
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Plantation records are private business records owned by descendants of plantation owners. These records aren't available to the public. They can only be provided voluntarily. Other period records are available in library archives, and universities that collect private papers or records. The U.S. Library of Congress also has some listings of tribal records and slave plantation records.
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Search plantation records on microfilm in "Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War" written by Kenneth Stampp. It holds more than 400 rolls of microfilm from eleven repositories in sevens states.
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