African American Resources for New York

United State] [[Image:Gotoarrow.pn] [[New York Genealogy|New York [[Image:Gotoarrow.pn] [[African_American_Resources_for_New_York|African American Resource]

A list of resource for researching African American ancestors who lived in New York.

Archives and Libraries
[http://legacy.www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html Schomburg Center for Research in Black Cultur 515 Malcolm X Boulevard New York, NY 10037-1801 (212) 491-2200

Cornell University  Ithaca, NY 14853 [http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ Carl A. Knoch Librar Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections [http://dlxs.library.cornell.edu/m/mayantislavery/ Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collectio

Estate Records
Estate papers, 1817 of Brush, Ichabod, d. 1809. Mentions James Williams. Queens Borough Public Library Long Island Division 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, N.Y. 11432

Wilson and Jane Rantus papers, ca. 1830-1890Largely bills submitted by individuals and the village and town government. Letters written to Wilson Rantus from Thomas Hamilton, pioneer black journalist, 1854-1861. Other items include insurance policies for private homes, and estate papers.

Genealogy
"Genealogical History of Black Families of Orange County, New York" by Robert W. Brennan

Revolutionary War

 * [http://www.archives.com/Patriots Patriots of Colo. Free database at Archives.com. Includes details about 50 black New Yorkers in the Revolutionary War.

Civil War

 * "[http://www.worldcat.org/title/honoring-new-yorks-forgotten-soldiers-african-americans-of-the-civil-war-with-research-examples-a-z-a-case-study-in-historiographic-genealogy/oclc/40384130&referer=brief_results Honoring New York’s Forgotten SoldiersAfrican-Americans of the Civil War: With Research Examples A-Z: A Case Study in Historiographic Genealogy" by Harry Bradshaw Matthews

Railroad
Inventory of the Blacks in the Railroad Industry Collection, 1946-1954

Slavery
African American slavery was common in New York during the colonial period. Hoff prepared a guide for tracing African American colonists:


 * Hoff, Henry B. "Researching African-American Families in New Netherland and Colonial New York and New Jersey," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 136, No. 2 (Apr. 2005):83-95. Digital version at [http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/public-elibrary New York Family Histor ($);.

A law passed 29 March 1799 declared that "any child born of a slave after the 4th of July next shall be deemed to be born free." Owners discovered a loophole to keep these children enslaved by registering them in certain counties. Such lists have been located and published for the [[Castleton, New York#African_Americans|Town of Castleto] (Richmond County), [[Kings (Brooklyn) County, New York#African_Americans|Kings Count], and [[New York (Manhattan) County, New York#African_Americans|New York Count].

Several lists of manumitted slaves have been discovered and published:


 * 1659-1846 - O'Neill, Terri Bradshaw. "Manumissions and Certificates of Freedom in the New York Secretary of State Deeds," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 139, No. 1 (Jan. 2008):72-73. Digital version at [http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/public-elibrary New York Family Histor ($);.


 * 1700s-1810s - Eichholz, Alice and James M. Rose. "New York State Manumissions," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Masters' Surnames A-B: Vol. 108, No. 4 (Oct. 1977):221-225; Masters' Surnames C-D: Vol. 109, No. 1 (Jan. 1978):22-24; Masters' Surnames E-I: Vol. 109, No. 2 (Apr. 1978):71-74; Masters' Surnames J-N: Vol. 109, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):145-149; Masters' Surnames O-S: Vol. 109, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):229-233; Masters' Surnames T-Z: Vol. 110, No. 1 (Jan. 1979):39-42. Digital version at [http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/public-elibrary New York Family Histor ($);.


 * "A History of Negro Slavery in New York" by Edgar J. Mcmanus.


 * "The Free Negro in New York City in the Era before the Civil War" by Rhoda Golden Freeman


 * "[http://www.worldcat.org/title/voices-from-the-front-line-new-yorks-african-american-statesmen-of-the-underground-railroad-freedom-trail-and-the-united-states-colored-troops-organized-in-the-empire-state-1863-1865-roll-call-men-of-the-20th-usct-and-26th-usct-introductory-essay-and-research-guide/oclc/46767205&referer=brief_results Voices from the front line New York's African American statesmen of the Underground Railroad Freedom Trail: and the United States Colored Troops organized in the Empire State, 1863-1865: roll call, men of the 20th USCT and 26th USCT: introductory essay and research guide" by Harry Bradshaw.

Web Resources

 * [http://www.wnylrc.org/orgMain.asp?storyid=182&orgid=235 African-American Heritage in Buffalo &amp; Erie Count
 * African American History of Western New York
 * [http://www.nyhistory.com/aanylh/ Afro-Americans in New York Life and Histor
 * [http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/PDFs/Life_Stories.pdf Life Stories: Profiles of Black New Yorkers During Slavery and Emancipatio
 * [http://www.inmotionaame.org/home.cfm The African-American Migration Experienc, Schomburg Center of Research in Black Culture
 * [http://www.iraas.com/ Harlem Histor
 * [http://dlxs.library.cornell.edu/m/mayantislavery/ Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collectio, Cornell University
 * [http://digital.nypl.org/schomburg/writers_aa19/main.html African American Women Writers of the 19th Centur
 * [http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/moore/aboutCharlesMoore.shtml Powerful Days in Black and Whit: The Photographs of Charles Moore
 * [http://www.hrvh.org/exhibit/aa07/ Hudson River Valley Heritag Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley