Genealogy-at-a-Glance: African American Genealogy Research was written by Michael Halt. This addition to the series examines African American history and related records from the Civil War to the Great Migration. While free African Americans appear in census records from the very beginning. Unfortunately, slaves did not appear in the censuses. This makes tracking slave ancestors a little more difficult. This guide takes the researcher through some of the best research options and ideas to searching one’s African American roots.
Like all the at-a-Glance sheets, this one begins with some “Quick Facts.” Some of the interesting facts found on this sheet include:
- In the 2000 census, African Americans accounted for 12.3 percent of the U.S. population.
- In the last census before slavery was abolished, 1860, there were 488,000 free African Americans living equally between slaveholding and non-slaveholding states.
Also, like all the Genealogy At A Glance sheets, this guide is a four-page, full-color limited brochure meant to be easily stored and sized to take with you when conducting related research. And, like each At A Glance, the top of the first page provides Contents and Quick Facts. Facts in this guide indicate that grave markers can be dated, to some degree, by the material used to make the marker. For example, “1660s-1850s – Tombstones were made from sedimentary rock, such as sandstone or limestone.”
Contents for this guide:
The Great Migration
Basic Research Resources
- Oral History
- Federal Census Records
- State and County Records
Reconstruction-era Record Sources
- The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (“Freedmen’s Bureau”)
- The Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company (“Freedman’s Bank”)
- Southern Claims Commission Records
- Voter Registration Lists in the South
Civil War Record Resources
- Compiled Military Service Records
- Civil War Pension Files
Free African Americans in the North and South
- The Abolition of Slavery in the North
- Records Related to Free African Americans
- in the Antebellum Period
Researching Enslaved Ancestors
- Federal Census Slave Schedules
- Common Record Groups Relating to Slaves
Online Resources
Further Reading
Additional tips and further references add to the contents of most sections.
Order Genealogy-at-a-Glance: African American Genealogy Research from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC2476, Price: $8.77.