African American Resources for Mississippi

African American Online Genealogy Records

Online Resources
1820-1951 Mississippi, U.S., State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951 at Ancestry index & images ($), includes narratives of former slaves 1861-1872 United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872 at FamilySearch  1865-1874 Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874 1861-1869  Access Genealogy: Mississippi African American Genealogy African American Digital Bookshelf - a growing list of digital books on FamilySearch and other websites Discover Freedmen - this site searches all of the Freedmen's Bureau record collections on FamilySearch altogether (and redirects there) MDAH: Freedmen's Bureau Index Mississippi Department of Archives and History</li> Mississippi Digital Library</li> Registers of Marriages of Freedmen</li> University of Southern Mississippi Archives: Digital Archives</li>
 * 1863-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Research Strategy

 * Anne L. Webster, comp. African Americans : a Mississippi source book.Carrollton, Mississippi : The Pioneer Newspaper, c2001. FS Library 976.2 F27we

History

 * BlackPast.org: Mississippi
 * Freedom Now: An Archival Project of Tougaloo College and Brown University
 * Hawes, Ruth B. "Slavery in Mississippi". The Sewanee Review 21 no. 2 (April 1913): 223-234.
 * Sewell, George Alexander. Mississippi Black history makers. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1977.
 * Christie, Walter. A race apart: parliament and race separatism, the story. Auckland, New Zealand: Wyvern Press, 1998.
 * Sewell, George Alexander. Mississippi Black history makers. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1977.
 * Christie, Walter. A race apart: parliament and race separatism, the story. Auckland, New Zealand: Wyvern Press, 1998.

Biographies

 * BlackPast.org: Mississippi

Plantation

 * Plantations on the Mississippi River : from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858 FS Library Map 976 E7p
 * Sankofagen: Mississippi plantations and slave labor sites
 * Adams County, Gove Plantation, Account book, 1854

Law and Legislation

 * Paul Finkelman, editorial advisor,  State slavery statutes : guide to the microfiche collection Frederick, Maryland : University Pub. of America, c1989 FS Library 975 F23s
 * State slavery statutes - Mississippi, ca. ca. 1799-1865 (31 fiche) FS Library 6118910

Oral Histories

 * Mississippi, ex-slave narratives : NARA, RG 60, 1936-1942
 * George P. Rawick, general editor ; Jan Hillegas, Ken Lawrence, editors, The American slave : A composite autobiography. 30 Volumes. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Pub. Co., 1971-1977 FS Library 973 F2aa

Military Records

 * African American Military History Museum

Newspapers

 * Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery
 * 1823-1849 Mississippi, Wilkinson County Newspaper Slave Ads, 1823-1849 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Probate Records
Garrett-Nelson, LaBrenda. Gleaning Information about Enslaved Ancestors from Probate Files NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 23 –27. FS Library 973 D25ngs

Freedman’s Bank
An excellent source is the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (visit the African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records page to learn more). This company was created to assist African American soldiers of the Civil War and freed slaves. Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company signature cards or registers from 3 March 1865 to 25 July 1874 may list the name of the depositor, date of entry, age, birthplace, residence, complexion, name of employer or occupation, wife or husband’s name, death information, children’s names, name of father and mother, brothers’ and sisters’ names, remarks, and signature. Early books sometimes contained the name of the former master or mistress and the name of the plantation. Copies of death certificates were sometimes attached to the entries. The collection is organized alphabetically by state, then city where the bank was located, then date the account was established, then account number.

Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:


 * United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874
 * U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1871 ($)

Freedmen's Bureau
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist former slaves in the southern United States. The Bureau created a wide variety of records extremely valuable to genealogists. Such documents include censuses, marriage records, and medical records. These records often include full names, former masters and plantations, and current residences. For 1865 and 1866, the section on abandoned and confiscated lands includes the names of the owners of the plantations or homes that were abandoned, confiscated, or leased. It gives the county and location, a description of the house, the number of acres owned, and the number of cabins of former slaves. These films do not appear to contain the names of former slaves.

To find Freedmen's Bureau records:


 * DiscoverFreedmen - the search on this site will utilize all of the Freedmen's Bureau records on FamilySearch, including:
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1972 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection

Other FamilySearch collections not included:


 * 1863-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865-1872 Images only. These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information.
 * More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - MISSISSIPPI" in the Subjects search bar to find.

Visit the African American Freedmen's Bureau Records page to learn more about utilizing these records.

Slavery Records

 * Mississippi, Wilkinson County Newspaper Slave Ads, 1823-1849

Marriage

 * Registers of Marriages of Freedmen

The Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872) was created by the US government to assist former slaves in the southern United States. One of their responsibilities was to record the marriages (past and present) of the former slaves. These records can be found in the collections below and include the lists of marriages that occurred previously, marriage certificates, and marriage licenses. The information contained on the records may include the name of the husband and wife/groom and bride, age, occupation, residence, year or date of marriage, by whom, number of children, and remarks.


 * United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
 * U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867

Archives and Libraries
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum 222 North St Suite 2205 Jackson, MS 39201 Phone: 601-576-6800

African American Military History Museum 305 E. 6th Street Hattiesburg, Mississippi Phone: 601-450-1942