United States Cultural Groups

United States Minorities

It is important to learn the history of the ethnic, racial, and religious groups your ancestors belonged to. For example, you might study a history of the Irish in New York or Huguenot immigration to the United States. Some people have American Indian ancestors. Many people came to America as indentured servants or as slaves. This historical background can help you identify where your ancestors lived and when they lived there, where they migrated, the types of records they might be listed in, and other information to help you understand your family's history.

Minorities usually appear in the same records as other Americans, so search for members of minority groups in the same records you would search for anyone else. Then search for additional records of a particular minority.

For most minorities in the United States, some unique records and resources are available. These include histories, newspapers, and periodicals (such as The Swedish-American Historical Quarterly). In addition, various local and national societies have been organized to gather, preserve, and share the cultural contributions and histories of many groups. Some examples are the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in Philadelphia and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Minorities and States
Information about minorities in the respective states will be found under pages entitled [state] Minorities or under [state] Ethnic Group Records, as in Idaho Minorities or Illinois Ethnic Group Records.

Maps

 * Map Showing the Distribution of the Slave Population of the Southern States of the United States. Compiled from the Census of 1860, Drawn by E. Hergesheimer, Engr. by Th. Leonhardt. Published by Henry S. Grahm, 1860. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.