How to Trace African-American Ancestry
Genealogy is the study of families or the history of a particular family. For blacks, it is often more difficult a search than for their white counterparts. Black researchers often need to research other families as well. From 1619-1869, often the only record of a black person's existence was the notes of his slave owner. According to RootsWeb, at least one out of every19 blacks was already free in 1861 when the Civil War broke out.
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Instructions
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Talk to family members. Review family records, including family bibles.
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Search census records, tracing your family as far back as you can. Note the neighbors. Search the will abstracts. Search the will abstracts of the slaveowners.
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Search your local county's birth, death and marriage records as far back as you can. Records concerning slaves were often not kept or only the slaveowner kept them. Some counties did keep useful records. Chester County, Pennsylvania, has made accessible the Fugitive Slave Records, 1820-1839, Indentured Servants & Apprentice Records, 1700-1855 and Negro Servant Returns, 1788-1821.
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Learn the old slave songs. In Louisana, slaves passed down their collective history from one generation to the next through folklore and song.
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Join one of the African American genealogy societies, including the national African American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS).
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Seek out resources like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- the Mormons. Within their Family History Library is a whole section dedicated to African American Family History Resources. Among them is the Freedman's Bank Records which includes information from the post-Civil War era specifically on African Americans..
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References
Resources
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