African American Genealogy

African American Online Genealogy Records Ask the FamilySearch Community

State African American Pages

 * African American Digital Bookshelf


 * Southern States Slavery and Bondage Collections from the FamilySearch Catalog.


 * North Carolina Slavery and Bondage Collections from the FamilySearch Catalog


 * State Slavery Statutes. 354 microfiche. Bethesda, Maryland:University Publications of America, 1989. FS Library fiche 6118902-6118916.

National Archives
Publications
 * Federal Records that Identify Former Slaves and Slave Owners
 * American Slavery, Civil Records.
 * American Slavery, Congressional Records
 * American Slavery, Military Records.
 * American Slavery, Judicial Records
 * Black Studies: a selected catalog of National Archives Microfilm publications Rev ed.. Washington: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 2007 FS Library 973 A3bs 2007
 * Debra L. Newman, comp, Black History: a guide to civilian records in the National Archives Washington: NARA, 1984 FS Library Images
 * Lisha B. Penn, comp., 'Records of military agencies relating to African Americans from post – World War I period to the Korean War. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2000. FS Library images 973 J53r v.105 rev ed. 2006 Reference Information Paper
 * Joseph B. Ross, comp. ‘’Tabular analysis of the records of the US colored troops and their predecessor units in the National Archives of the United States.’’ Washington, DC: NARA, 1973
 * Reginald Washington, comp. Black Family Research. Records of Post-Civil War Federal Agencies at the National Archives. Washington: NARA, 2006 Reference information Paper 108 FS Library 973 F27wr

How to do African American Genealogy Research

 * Quick Guide to African American Records
 * Search for resources in the FamilySearch Learning Center
 * How to start African American Research
 * African American Online Genealogy Records

Did you know?



 * The first Africans in English America arrived in 1619, a year before the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620. They arrived enslaved but that would not become their fate, and are found in the colonial records as free people of color.
 * Americans of African ancestry are the most common ancestry in the following states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
 * The Freedman's Bank and the Freedmen's Bureau were separate organizations, from different federal departments. Their records are housed in separate National Archives record groups.
 * Ten percent of the African American population was free before the Civil War.
 * Only 15 percent of formerly enslaved people used the surname of a former slaveholder.
 * From 1865 to 1875 many African Americans changed their surname.
 * Over 3,600 free African Americans owned slaves in 1830.

Keys to success in African American research
You will find the most success researching African American ancestors if you begin with yourself, and follow oral history as well as historical records such as birth, marriage, and death certificates to document the previous generations.

Use the US Census to research your family groups. Many times, you may have difficulty in documenting an ancestor.If you research the collateral lines (aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins), you will discover more about your common ancestor and have a wealth of resources to explore.See United States Basic Search Strategies.

In the beginning, you may use the same type of genealogical records other groups use to identify ancestors. For this reason there is no need to duplicate state resources here. Consult the state and county articles on the FamilySearch Wiki first until you exhaust them. See Finding Records for Your Ancestors, Part A-African American 1870 to Present. You will find records become somewhat scarce as you move back in time.

Once you notice you are no longer able to find your ancestors on the records most commonly used by others, return here and choose the state above where your ancestor lived to discover records not commonly used in genealogy research.