African American Resources for Alabama

Introduction
Resources for African American research fall into two periods: pre-and post-Civil War. Post-Civil War research consists of consulting the same record types you would use to research non–African Americans. Pre-Civil War records consist of slave importation declarations, plantation records, emancipation records, apprenticeship bonds for freedmen, Alabama hiring practices, census records, plantation owners’ family records, church and cemetery records, military records, and Alabama court records.

Online Resources
Record Collections Digital Archives Lists of Sources Digital Books
 * Discover Freedmen - this site searches all of the Freedmen's Bureau record collections on FamilySearch altogether (and redirects there)
 * Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874
 * United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
 * U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867 ($)
 * U.S., Southeast Coastwise Inward and Outward Slave Manifests, 1790-1860 ($)
 * Alabama Deaths 1908-1974
 * Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 ($)
 * Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 Images only.
 * AfriGeneas
 * Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * Birmingham Public Library: Collections and Research
 * Samford University: Primary Sources
 * Larry's Alabama Archive - Larry E. Caver Jr's Collection of Alabama records
 * Access Genealogy: Alabama African American Records
 * Black Belt African American Genealogical Historical Society: Online Records
 * African American Genealogy Resources Page - Alabama State University
 * Alabama African American Genealogy Research - A list of Alabama genealogy resources, including records and databases
 * African American Gateway: Alabama (Allen County Public Library)
 * Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama by Frazine K. Taylor (Google Books)

Research Strategy
Researching African Americans is often more challenging than researching other groups of people. Start with the present and then work back, one generation at a time. When starting out, first interview relatives, especially older relatives, and survey the records already gathered by others. Oral tradition is an important step because relatives may provide both information on recent generations and clues on where to search next. Additionally, relatives may have journals, newspaper clippings, vital certificates, or other such records of ancestors that may provide essential information and clues. Some crucial records to search for are birth certificates, death certificates, census records, and cemetery records and tombstones. The most difficult parts of African American research are slavery and the decades that followed it. One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Research guides:
 * Burroughs, Tony. Black Roots: A Beginner's Guide to Tracing the African-American Family Tree. New York: Fireside, 2001.
 * Taylor, Frazine K.Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama: A Resource Guide.Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. 2008.

History
For a comprehensive history of slavery in Alabama, see:
 * Sellers, James Benson. Slavery in Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1950, 1994. (Available at the Family History Library, call no. 976.1 F2s) This 426 page book includes a bibliography, on pages 399–409.

To learn more about the Reconstruction Era (1868-1877), visit:
 * Alabama's First Lawmakers
 * A Quick Summary

To learn more about the Jim Crow Era (1859-1964), visit:
 * Jim Crow Laws: Alabama
 * Segregation (Jim Crow), Encyclopedia of Alabama
 * Title of Lesson: Jim Crow Lived in Alabama in the late 1800s

Biographies
Several biographical dictionaries, compendia, and histories may contain information you need, for example:


 * Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790–1950. Alexandria, Virginia: Chadwyck-Healy, 1980. This publication is sometimes referred to as "The Black Biography Project." Three of the sources included in this collection are:


 * Bothe, Charles Octavius. The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their Leaders and Their Work. Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Alabama Publishing, 1895. [set of 3]. This book contains biographies, birth dates, parents’ names, and sometimes pictures. It also provides information on associations and state conventions.


 * Mixon, Winfield Henri. History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama, with Biographical Sketches. Selma, Alabama: A.M.E. Church Sunday School Union, 1902. (Family History Library [set of 3]. This book provides pictures, church minutes and history, and speeches. There is no index.


 * Moorman, Joseph H. and E. L. Barrett. Leaders of the Colored Race in Alabama. Mobile, Alabama: News Publishing, [198–?]. [set of 2]. This source contains biographical sketches with birth dates, educational information, a history of each minister’s service, and a history of churches. It includes an index.

Census Records
The 1866 Alabama State Census lists African Americans. The census is divided into two sections: "White" and "Colored." The census lists the head of household, number of family members in each age category (males and females separated), and family total. The 1866 census is found on Ancestry in the Alabama State Census, 1820-1866 database. See 1866 Census for more information.

Church Records
A few parish registers list slaves who attended church with their masters (see Church Records).

To learn more about historic African American churches in Alabama, see The Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their leaders and their work. Booth, Charles Octavius. Birmingham: Alabama Pub. Co., 1895. (available on Archive.org)

Two churches important to African American history are:
 * St.Bartley Primitive Baptist Church Huntsville (1808- )
 * Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Montgomery (1883- )

Land and Property
Slaves are sometimes mentioned in deeds (see Land and Property).

Plantation
Some plantation records mention slaves. The Family History Library has many plantation records on microfilm. These records are described in a series of booklets by Kenneth M. Stampp. Guides for Series A–M are available at the Family History Library:


 * Stampp, Kenneth M., ed. A Guide to Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War: Series A–M, Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library. Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986. The Family History Library has microfilms of most of the records described in the guide. Alabama plantation records are scattered throughout.

For example, the booklet for Series F describes records of many plantations in Alabama and other states of the Deep South:


 * Records of Ante-bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution Through the Civil War: Series F, Selections from the Manuscript Department, Duke University Library. Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1986–1987.

Military Records
Civil War Over 10,000 Alabama freedmen served as Union Soldiers as well as in the Confederate Army.

A record was made of men of African descent who served in the Confederate Army:
 * Alabama. Department of Archives and History. Negroes in the Confederate Army, 1860–1907. (Family History Library film 1653243 item 4.) This source lists the name of the soldier and his duty. It may indicate the name of the slave owner, the date of pay, master’s place of residence, where the soldier served in the military, and his military expenses.

World War II A record was made of naval casualties by state during the war: The Tuskegee Airmen were America's first black military aviator group and served in the U.S. army between 1941 and 1946. See also Alabama Military Records
 * Combat Connected Naval Causalities, World War II, by States. Two Volumes. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946. This source is alphabetically arranged by state, then within the state by dead, missing, wounded, Prisoner of War (POW), died or killed while a POW, and POWs released.
 * Tuskegee Airmen - An estimated 16,000 to 19,000 airmen including mechanics, parachute riggers, and support staff were involved.
 * For photos of Tuskegee Airmen visit American Profile - Tuskegee Airmen

Probate Records
Slaves are sometimes mentioned in wills (see Probate Records).

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 ($)

Alabama had a branch of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company in Huntsville and Mobile. In each city depositors are listed by account number. The records are in:


 * Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Huntsville, Alabama), Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1865–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969.
 * Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (Mobile, Alabama). Registers of Signatures of Depositors, 1867–1874. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0816. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969.



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:

Other FamilySearch collections not included:
 * DiscoverFreedmen - the search on this site will utilize all of the Freedmen's Bureau records on FamilySearch, including:
 * Images only.
 * Images only. These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information.
 * More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - ALABAMA" in the Subjects search bar to find.
 * Images only. These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information.
 * More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - ALABAMA" 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
One reason that researching slaves is more difficult than researching other groups of people is because slaves did not have surnames, so the only way to identify them was by who the owner was. Later, segregated schools, inexplicable surnames, and a lack of written or signed contracts became obstacles for genealogists who researched African Americans. Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, almost 250,000 of the 4 million slaves in the southern states were freemen. However, these freemen did not leave much of a paper trail because of fear, illiteracy, and a lack of money. Many had settled in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

The Library of Congress has an online exhibit called the African-American Mosaic which has photographs and slave narratives of former slaves in Alabama.

Vital Records
Records of African Americans may be listed as "colored" in birth, marriage and death records. See Alabama Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for those records

Marriage
The Alabama African American Marriages Project has indexed a large selection of African American marriages in Alabama ranging from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The index is organized by county.

FamilySearch has digitized Alabama Colored Marriage books. These can be found in the Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950 collection as well on the FamilySearch Catalog on each county page.

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

Death
The Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 ($) collection is an index of Alabama death certificates. The index includes the deceased's name, age, birth place, death date and place, burial date and place, race, marital status, gender, residences, parents, and parents' birth places.

Archives and Libraries
Alabama Department of Archives and History P.O. Box 300100 / 624 Washington Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130 Phone: (334) 242-4435 Website: Alabama Department of Archives and History

J.F. Drake Memorial Learning Resources Center Alabama A & M University Box 489 Normal, AL 35762 Phone: (205) 851-5760 Website: J.F. Drake Memorial LRC

Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research Samford University Library Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive Birmingham, AL 35229 Phone: 205-726-2748 Website: IGHR

Birmingham Public Library: Department of Archives & Manuscripts Birmingham Public Library 2100 Park Place Birmingham, Alabama USA 35203 Phone:(205) 226-3631 E-mail: jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us Website: Department of Archives & Manuscripts

Societies
Black Belt African American Genealogical Historical Society Website: BBAAGHS