Illinois ethnic group records

United States Illinois  Minorities



Records and histories of minorities and ethnic groups may provide clues to immigrant origins, migration information and previous residences. See United States Minorities for further sources on ethnic, racial, and religious groups.

You can find information on minority groups in most of the same records as other groups. Start your research in the same resources you would search for non-minority groups. The records listed in this section provide information about specific groups in Illinois.

African Americans
Some African-Americans may be listed in the comprehensive index of servitude and emancipation records at the Illinois State Archives. These records are also available in IRAD depositories. See also the following sources:


 * Tregillis, Helen Cox, comp. River Roads to Freedom: Fugitive Slave Notices and Sheriff Notices Found in Illinois Sources. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1988. (Family History Library book .) The information was obtained from newspaper microfilm available at the Illinois State Historical Library.
 * Hodges, Carl G., and Helene H. Levene, comps. Illinois Negro Historymakers. Chicago: Illinois Emancipation Centennial Commission, 1964. (Family History Library book no.155; film, item 5).

Some sources for early settlers of Kaskaskia and other French areas of Illinois are described in the "History" section.

For further information, see: Illinois African Americans.

Online Resources:


 * Illinois State Archives Servitude and Emancipation Records Database (1722–1863) includes names of African American servants, slaves, or free persons from selected governmental records. A full description of this database can be found here.
 * African-American Genealogy (Newberry Library)
 * Illinois State Archives: African-American Records
 * Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature
 * Mapping the Stacks: A guide to Black Chicago's Hidden Archives

Czech and Slovak Americans
The Paul M Nemecek Research Library of the Czech &amp; Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois (CSAGSI) offers an extensive ethnic collection, especially for Chicago and Cook County.


 * The CSAGSI Library is in the T.G. Masaryk School 5701 22nd Place Cicero, IL 60804

German Americans
If searching for German origins of ancestors who came to Chicago, the records of the German Aid Society of Chicago (Deutsche Gesellschaft) may be the key. Records from 1878-1977 include surviving applications and case histories and are housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago.


 * University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288) 601 S. Morgan St. Chicago, IL 60607-7113 www.uic.edu/index.html (312) 996-7000


 * Otto, Ronald L. ed. Illinois German-Americana Genealogical Sources. Two Volumes. Quincy, Illinois: Illinois Chapter, Palatines to America, 1990–92. (Family History Library Book ).

Lithuanian Americans

 * Death Notices From Lithuanian Newspapers, 1900–1979. Chicago, Illinois: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture; Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979. (Family History Library film –179). This is a microfilm of a card file of obituaries from Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and several states. Other countries are also included. It is not available at Family History Centers.

Polish Americans
During World War I, soldiers for the Polish Army in France, commonly called Haller’s Army, were recruited among Poles living in the U.S. Two forms that contain genealogical information were filled out by the recruits. Form A contains the volunteer’s name, address, and marital status; the number of children he had; how his family would be supported if he was accepted into service; whether or not he was a U.S. citizen; his age, physical description, and signature; the recruiting station; and the date. Form C contains additional information, such as the volunteer’s date and place of birth; the address of his closest relative in America and in Poland; his previous military service; and remarks. All volumes of the collection are available through:


 * PGS of America ATTN: Haller’s Army Request 984 N. Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, IL 60622 Internet: http://www.pgsa.org/

A name index is on the Internet at:


 * "Haller’s Army Index." In Polish Genealogical Society of America. Chicago, Illinois: PGSA, 1998 [cited 17 July 1999]. Available at www.pgsa.org/haller.htm. You can search by surname and first name. The index shows the volunteer’s surname and given name, the town and state where he volunteered, his form (A or C described above, or L, that is, loose papers), and page number.

A microfilm copy of Form A records only is:


 * United States (with Some from Ontario, Canada) Recruits for the Polish Army in France, 1917–1919


 * States Represented most Frequently are New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware, Nebraska &amp; Kansas (for Complete Breakdown See Film Inventory). Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1995. (On 11 FHL films beginning with 1993525, items 1–4). The forms are in Polish, but at the beginning of each film is a blank form printed in English. The records are not organized by locality, and Illinois recruits are represented on almost every film. There is, however, an alphabetical list of volunteers for each item.

Swedish Americans
Located at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, the Swenson Swedish Immigration Center has one of the largest collections of Swedish research materials available. An index of their holdings can be searched online which will help you prepare for your actual research visit. Their friendly, helpful staff are always willing to help you whether in person or via an email request for information. Swedish Immigration and genealogical research are their primary goals. A quarterly publication, Swedish American Genealogist has been digitized and is available online. The SAG also sponsors workshops both locally and elsewhere. This is a must-see website for the genealogist with Swedish ancestors, particularly those who immigrated to Illinois.

Multiple Ethnic Groups
A brief history of ethnic groups and a bibliography of literature on German, French, British, Irish, Scandinavian, and Swiss immigrants can also be found in Mark Wyman’s Immigration History and Ethnicity in Illinois, mentioned in the "Emigration and Immigration" section.

Ethnic organizations and societies may suggest additional avenues of research for specific ethnic groups. Addresses and information for ethnic societies can be found in:


 * Wynar, Lubomyr Roman. Encyclopedic Directory of Ethnic Organizations in the United States. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1975. (Family History Library book ).

See also United States Minorities for additional resources.

Other records and histories of ethnic, racial, and religious groups in Illinois can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:


 * ILLINOIS- MINORITIES
 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- MINORITIES

Additional resources may also be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Subject Search (on microfiche only) under:


 * AFRO-AMERICANS- ILLINOIS
 * JEWS- ILLINOIS