African American Genealogy
Genealogical Research Checklist
Additional records to check as you complete the genealogical research process include:
- Slave schedules on the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Federal Census
- Cohabitation records
- Private collections such as plantation records
- Slave papers
- Oral histories
Additional factors to consider as you do your research:
- Nations of origins – African, European, Native American?
- Citizenship status – enslaved or free?
- Type of marriage – civil, religious or slave custom?
- Source of surname
- Census schedules – enslaved people listed only by age, sex and name of owner from 1790 – 1860; names first recorded in 1870
- Property ownership – did your ancestors own any property?
- Enslaved ancestors
If you are researching an enslaved ancestor, much of the information you need may be in records related to your ancestor’s enslaver. After slavery, records for Black people still may not be easy to find for a number of different reasons. Adding to the complexity, many Black people have racially mixed backgrounds, including African, white, and American Indian ancestry.
External Resources
Orange County NC Enslaved Persons Records
An index by name of over 4,000 enslaved people who are mentioned in the old Deed Books of Orange County, North Carolina.
Afro-American History and Genealogical Society (AAHGS)
A national organization with local affiliate chapters, including the Triangle region of North Carolina. AAHGS “is dedicated to the study and research of African American history and genealogy, and promotes the documentation of African Americans in American history and the preservation of African American family histories worldwide.”
US Black Heritage Project
This project is a sub-project of the United States Project and the Global Black Heritage Project. Mission:
- To collect in one place information and resources to assist in building and documenting African-American Genealogies.
- To create the largest online public database of connected African-American family.
- To bring together WikiTreers interested in connecting African-American families to the Global Family Tree.
- To improve the profiles of the people who emigrated and the people who were forced to emigrate from Africa to North America, specifically the United States, as well as improving profiles of their descendants.
- To provide and maintain a logical and organized structure to help individuals identify their ancestors and celebrate their history.”
US Black Heritage Family Builders
“Genealogy volunteers with experience researching African-American families are now offering to build a family tree for anyone with Black heritage for free, without any obligation, and with privacy protections.”
Freedmen’s Bureau Records
The United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was created by Congress in 1865 to assist in the political and social reconstruction of post-war Southern states and to help formerly enslaved people make the transition from slavery to freedom and citizenship. In the process, the Bureau created millions of records that contain the names of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved individuals and Southern white refugees.
Introduction to African American Genealogy
Webinar from the State Library of North Carolina.
Books Related to Getting Started in African-American Genealogy
Black Genesis: A Resource Book for African-American Genealogy.
Rose, James M. & Alice Eichholz. 2003
929.108 ROSE
Black Roots: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree.
Burroughs, Tony. 2001
929.108 BURROUGHS
A Genealogist’s Guide to Discovering your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record your Unique Heritage.
Smith, Franklin Carter & Emily Anne Croom. 2003
929.108 SMITH
See also: call number 929.108 for other books about African-American genealogy research.
Durham County Library has many other books on getting started in genealogy and on the various aspects of genealogical research. See call numbers 929.1, 929.107, and 929.108 on the fourth floor of the Main Library.