Genealogy information for African American.

African American has the following 28 books:

a genealogists guide to discovering your african-american ancestors Tracing African-American ancestry can be uniquely challenging. This guide helps you overcome the obstacles and pitfalls of this specialized research by offering a proven, three-part approach to uncovering this distinctive lineage. Section One covers post-Civil War era to present, showing you how to access and utilize sources ranging from census records and vital documents to oral histories. Section Two provides comprehensive coverage of pre-Civil War research. Since this is where many genealogists both beginning and advanced experience the most difficulty, the authors carefully demonstrate how to use information compiled in Part One to lead you to documentation specifically related to the pre-Civil War era, such as slave records and documents regarding slave-owning families. It also shows how to research the 11% of African Americans who were free at this time in American history. Part Three offers detailed case studies of three African-American families and how these research tactics yielded substantial information regarding their lineage. Throughout the book, you will find forms, examples, outlines, maps and other aids that help you save time and document your research accurately
by Franklin Carter Smith and Emily Anne Croom

a legal history of slavery in the united states This book aims to provide a comprehensive and coherent treatment of the laws of slavery. Terms and conditions of slavery were less uniform than is generally realized, and variant forms of servitude for many years and hereditary servants to the age of 30. Covers the slave trade, the fugitive slave controversy and the special status of slavery in the District of Columbia.
by Robert B. Shaw

abstract of account information of freedmans savings and trust, new orleans, louisiana 1866-1869 The Freedmans Savings and Trust catered to the African American population of the Reconstruction-Era South, and many of its depositors were former slaves. Data pertaining to plantations and former owners can be found in many records, as well as the names of spouses and family members, age, place of birth, residence, date of account application, occupations and military service if any. The entries are listed in the same order that they appear in the original documents.
by Linell H. Hardy

african american genealogy a bibliography and guide to sources Practical advice on tracing African American roots. Includes many essential, as well as obscure, sources to solve genealogical puzzles and lists of microfilmed southern plantation records.
by Curt Bryan Witcher

black america series: charlotte, north carolina As in many cities in the early 20th-century South, the African-American citizens of Charlotte created their own society that mirrored the larger white community. Yet, black Charlotte was always self-sustaining, with its own schools, library, and businesses. Second Ward High School (1923-1969) was the areas first high school for blacks, and although the school and much of its surroundings have since been razed, the photo archive at the Second Ward Alumni House Museum helps keep alive the memories of the school and the entire black community. Authors Ely, Drain, and Rogers have compiled this intriguing pictorial history, which includes images and keepsakes from both the museum archive and private collections, to celebrate Charlottes African-American citizens and the rich heritage they possess.
by Vermelle Diamond Ely, Grace Hoey Drain and Amy Rogers

black confederates and afro-yankees in civil war virginia On the eve of the Civil War, more African-Americans lived in Virginia than in any other state, and they were active participants in the single most dynamic event to shape the American consciousness. This book is the first comprehensive study of Civil War Afro-Virginian history and culture. Through it we witness every aspect of black life: slave and free; rural and urban; homefront and battlefield; at work on plantations, but also in munitions factories in Richmond; as wartime Union spies and as soldiers in the Confederate army.
by Ervin L. Jordan, Jr.

black genesis: a resource book for african-american genealogy, 2nd edition When Black Genesis was originally published in 1978, it was the first book to provide researchers with information on resources and a methodology specific to African-American genealogy. Now, owing to the unprecedented growth of interest in the subject, this landmark publication has been completely updated and is once again the premier guide to African-American genealogy. The 2nd edition of Black Genesis provides guidance not only to the same basic resources presented in the original edition but also to a substantial amount of additional material. The original goal, however, remains the same--to introduce the novice and professional researcher to African-American genealogical research methods and resources. Some 100 pages larger than the first edition, the 2nd edition of Black Genesis boasts a new format that makes locating resources pertaining to slaves and free blacks in the United States easier than ever. Part I provides an overview of general research principles and methodology, while Part II contains a rundown of specific resources for all fifty states, Canada, and the West Indies. Under each location, the information is organized by the following categories: Important Dates, State Archives, Census Records, State and County Records, Cemetery and Church Records, Military Records, Newspapers, Manuscript Sources (personal papers, slave records, and diaries), Internet Resources, Research Contacts, and Bibliography. Resources described include research guides, published genealogies, community studies on African-American families and, most importantly, original research material that can be found in national, state, county, and city archives, and in historical societies and libraries. Author James M. Rose, Ph.D., is the holder of the first doctorate in the United States in African-American Genealogy, as well as the author of a number of books on African-American genealogy. In the 1970s he served as a research consultant with Alex Haley and, with co-author Alice Eichholz, founded the Ethnic Genealogy Research Center at Queens College (N.Y.). Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., C.G., is the Director of Lifelong Learning at Union Institute & University, a nationally known researcher, an author and lecturer in family history, and the editor of Ancestrys Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
by James M. Rose, Ph.D. and Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., C.G.

black indian genealogy research: african-american ancestors among the five civilized tribes In 1907 the Indian Territory became the State of Oklahoma. To qualify for the payments and land allotments et aside for the Five Civilized Tribes, the former slaves of these nations had to apply for official enrollment, thus producing testimonies of immense value to todays genealogist. Ms. Walton-Raji shows where to find and how to use the Indian Freedman Records, discusses Black Indians and Tri-Racial groups from the Upper South, and has added two lists of family names: Freedmen Surnames from the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, and Surnames of Tri-Racial families of the South.
by Angela Y. Walton-Raji

cd: african americans in the 1870 census Contains an alphabetical index of approximately 660,000 African American individuals who were enumerated in the 1870 federal census returns. Areas represented include Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the counties containing the cities of Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, and St. Louis. Records indexed may not be comprehensive for the time and region covered.

cd: an index to signatures of deposit for the freedmans savings and loan bank, 1865-1869, for the state of mississippi: columbia, natchez and vicksburg (mississippi) An Index to the Signatures of Deposit for the Freedmans Savings and Loan Bank, 1865-1869, for the State of Mississippi: Columbia, Natchez and Vicksburg by Nettie Nesbary, Betty Craft, Lettie Sabbs & Karen Massey. Now available on CD-ROM! This book indexes records of the Freedmans Savings and Loan Bank, which was begun after the Civil War to provide black Union troops with a place to deposit their wages and bounties. It consists of three indices of Registers of Signatures of Depositors, one for each of the three branch offices in Mississippi: Columbia, Natchez and Vicksburg. More than 7,000 African Americans can be located within these indices. Each entry includes account number, surname, given name, place of birth, place of residence, race, and a notation as to whether more information is available in the original record. The actual Registers of Signatures of Deposit for the Freedmans Savings and Loan Bank may also include the following information: date of entry, place raised, age, complexion, name of spouse, names of children, name of father, name of mother, names of brothers and sisters, and more. The compilers of this index are members of the African American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago and have been researching Mississippi families for ten years. They are active in several national, state and local societies and have been published in several genealogical journals. The book is presented as graphic images, so the user sees the works just as they were originally published. They are intended to look and function very much like "real" books, i.e., the user looks for entries of interest in the table of contents or index, and then turns to the page cited and scans it for the desired information. Numerous electronic bookmarks have been added which make it easy to navigate through the book.
by Nettie Nesbary, Betty Craft, Lettie Sabbs and Karen Massey

cd: indiana african heritage Contains the following three volumes: “Forgotten Hoosiers: African Heritage in Orange County, Indiana” (1994)--This well-researched book presents the story of pioneers of color, primarily from North Carolina and Virginia, who bought land in Orange County. Fifteen chapters cover the founding the Lick Creek Settlement, plus abstracts of land, marriages, wills, estates, indentures and apprenticeships, and certificates of freedom records (1823-1851). This volume also provides information about the "Register of Negroes and Mulattos," the twenty soldiers who fought with the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War; pioneer religion and churches; cemeteries and burying grounds; early Indiana education, and a wealth of genealogical data. There are four appendices including U.S. Census populations, 1820-1910. Tables, charts and maps enhance the book and an index helps locate people and places. “Indiana Negro Register 1852-1865” (1994)--This volume is a compilation of fifteen "Registers of Negroes and Mulattoes" (1852-1865). For the first time these registers have been made available in one publication, fully indexed, with documentation. An important source of African American history, this book contains a wealth of genealogical information. Counties represented in the collection are: Bartholomew, Floyd, Franklin, Gibson, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Martin, Ohio, Orange, Switzerland, and Washington. Each entry includes: name, age, description, place of birth, residence, names of witnesses, and date registered. “Reclaiming African Heritage at Salem, Indiana” (1995)--This book chronicles the development of racially segregated communities and is an excellent study of free African Americans from Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia who settled in Washington County, Indiana: their locations; names of initial members, taxpayers, and landowners; certificates of freedom; Negro Register; marriages; and burials. The book gives a summary of African and European history in early Indiana and includes discussions on the question of slavery, churches, education, local soldiers with the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War, family histories, the Underground Railroad, and Indianas secret societies. A wealth of tables, charts, maps, miscellaneous documents, newspaper articles, an everyname index, and eight appendices including U. S. Census abstracts (1820-1860) make information readily accessible.
by Coy D. Robbins

cd: people of color: black genealogical records and abstracts from missouri sources, volumes 1 & 2 Now on CD-ROM! Missouri became a state in 1821, with the stipulation that free blacks could not be prevented from entering or remaining in the state. Since many other slave states restricted freed slaves and free blacks from staying within their borders, they migrated to Missouri. "Finding source material that offers practical value to Missourians of African ancestry is the largest, single obstacle in researching their family history." Volume One includes information on individuals from the late 1700s to this century. Sources include: the Roster of the 56th Regiment U.S.C.T. Infantry; slave schedules of Maries, Dunklin, Chariton, and Reynolds counties; church and school records; burial records of Ste. Genevieve, Cooper, and Iron counties; plantation records of Saline and Montgomery counties; black marriages of Callaway and Morgan counties; county and circuit court records of Howard, Callaway, and Boone counties; cemetery records of 18 counties; runaway notices from the Missouri Intelligencer; Acts by the Twelfth General Assembly; and Contraband Negroes, Tipton Post, (Moniteau Co.) 1862. A brief summary of the laws and statutes affecting both free blacks and slaves has also been included. Volume Two gives information from the 1800s to this century. The chapters are compiled from the following material: census records; military enlistments; marriage records of Nodaway, Jefferson, Miller, Dade, Cooper and Audrain counties; cemetery records of 18 counties; slave schedules of Cole and Osage counties; burial records of Greene, Oregon, Livingston, Callaway and Barton counties; church records; territorial records; transfers; sales; hires; and compensation claims. The volume concludes with a Resolution by the first Session of the Tenth General Assembly, which regards slavery. Both volumes are excellent research tools. GRAPHIC IMAGE CD-ROM
by Teresa Blattner

cd: slave narratives The moving stories of more than 2,300 of these tenacious men and women who narrated to researchers in twenty-six states. Compiled under the direction of the Works Progress Administration from 1936 to 1938.

confronting the odds: african american entrepreneurship in cleveland, ohio A thought-provoking and prescriptive analysis of minority entrepreneurship on the local level. An interest in the history of African American entrepreneurship has produced a number of studies of economic development on the national level, but very few have examined this growth at the local level. Confronting the Odds was written to bridge that gap. Bessie House Soremekum provides a historical analysis of black entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio, from the early 1800s to the present day. Soremekums statistical analysis of the factors that contributed to the success of African American businesses in Cleveland is supported by extensive research, and her policy recommendations about how entrepreneurship could be stimulated through public and private programs are thought provoking.
by Bessie House-Soremekun

created to be free: a historical novel about one american family This is the life story of a tenacious young black runaway from North Carolina who during the Civil War enlisted in an all white volunteer regiment from western Pennsylvania in 1861 and garrisoned in Plymouth, North Carolina in 1863.
by Juanita Patience Moss

finding your african american ancestors, a beginners guide Contains Thackerys chapter from The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy on African American research, his Guide to African American Research at The Newberry Library, case studies, bibliography of sources and a guide to African American Internet resources.
by David T. Thackery

free some day: the african-american families of monticello Although Thomas Jefferson, author of the words "All men are created equal," was a lifelong enemy of the institution of slavery, he considered over six hundred human beings his legal possessions over the course of his long life. Building on Stantons highly acclaimed Slavery at Monticello, this fascinating work highlights the stories of six enslaved families who lived and worked at Monticello and provides general information on events and issues that affected the entire African-American community.
by Lucia Stanton

guide to african american resources at the pennsylvania state archives An easy to use reference book for identifying and locating information, in both manuscript and in print, on African Americans available at the Pennsylvania State Archives. This guide book, although comprehensive in scope, represents only a sampling of the many record and manuscript groups and special collections containing information on the African American experience in the Commonwealth. The survey includes brief descriptions of individual record and manuscript groups and examples of the types of information they contain. Also included are photographs of individuals, documents, and buildings associated with Pennsylvanias African Americans.
by Ruth E. Hodge

history of the colored race in america Containing also their ancient and modern life in Africa, modes of living, employments, customs, habits, social life, etc. The origin and development of slavery in the Old World, and its introduction on the American continent; the slave trade; slavery, and its abolition in Europe and America. The Civil War, emancipation, education and advancement of the colored race, their civil and political rights. - Wm. T. Alexander. A sweeping history that moves across two continents and several hundred years with the purpose of educating 19th century African Americans about their past and encouraging them to press for their continuing advancement in political, intellectual, and social rights.
by Alexander

root & branch: african americans in new york and east jersey, 1613-1863 In this remarkable book, Graham Hodges presents a comprehensive history of African Americans in New York City and its rural environs from the arrival of the first Arfircan-a sailor marooned on Manhattan Island in 1613 to the bloody Draft Riots of 1863. Throughout, he explores the intertwined themes of freedom and servitude, city and countryside, and work, religion, and resistance that shaped black life in the region through two and a half centuries. Hodges chronicles the lives of the first free black settlers in the dutch-ruled city, gradual slide into enslavement after the british takeover, the fierce era of slavery, and the painfully slow process of emancipation. He pays particular attention to the black religious experience in all its complexity and to the vibrant slave culture that was shaped on the streets and in the taverns. Together, Hodges shows, these two potent forces helped fuel the kong and arduous pilgrimage to liberty.
by Graham Russell Hodges

slave ancestral research: its something else Written as the authors research was conducted, the text provides not only a fascinating account of one particular search, but also gives hints and guidelines on how to search for slave ancestors and their slave owners. It explains the information to be found in libraries, courthouses, cemeteries, and other archives, as well as identifying the records generated by slave-holding families and how to find slave holding families. This book contains over one hundred documents which illustrate how the author found the names of her slave ancestors and the surnames of the slave owners. Slave lists are included from four Georgia counties: Warren, Baldwin, Talbot, and Taylor.
by Mary L. Jackson Fears

slave genealogy: a research guide with case studies This excellent research guide provides a very clear discussion of slave genealogy with emphasis on the non-plantation slaves, and vividly demonstrates-with three case studies drawn from the records of Wayne County, Kentucky-the research methods and types of analysis that must be employed, and the importance of researching both owners and slaves. The text is carefully documented. The case studies are supported by various charts and diagrams, and numerous extracts from original sources which clearly illustrate the methodology and major types of records used. Any genealogist will find this volume fascinating and informative reading.
by David H. Streets

slavery and the american west: the eclipse of manifest destiny and the coming of the civil war Tracing the sectionalization of American politics in the 1840s and the 1850s, the book gives a comprehensive study of how slavery and territorial expansion intersected as causes of the Civil War. Specifically, the argument for the common heritage of the American Revolution bound Americans together until disputes over the extension of slavery into the territories led northerners and southerners to increasingly divergent understandings of the Revolutions legacy. Chapters discussed are John Tyler and Territorial Expanison and Jacksonian Politics, Miltons Devil with Slavery Restrictions and the Revolutionary Heritage for 1820-1846, Washington Redux and the Whig Party and Politics of slavery 1846-1848, and the Tower of Babel and Social Ideology and the Crisis of Territorial Organization 1849-1850.
by Michael A. Morrison

the african american experience: personal and social activism in the 19th and 20th centuries The end of the Civil War brought with it legal freedom for former slaves in the text of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. With freedom came the expectation for equal rights to suffrage, citizenship, education, social services, work opportunities, and public access-everything that had been denied blacks prior to 1865. But the actuality of these rights for the multitude of Americas people of African descent was not gained without a struggle. This volume explores the efforts made by Americans to bring the 1865 promise of freedom and equality to fruition, and examples of the results of those efforts. The essays are arranged in a roughly chronological order, beginning in the late nineteenth century with southern blacks migrating into the Midwest in search of better lives. Maryland is the focus of several articles in which members of organized societies effect positive changes in conditions for African Americans in the early twentieth century. Documentary photography books were also popular during this time and those publications that focused on African Americans portray a people still struggling for their due, sometimes in the most abject of social conditions. Two biographical pieces look at women who promoted social activism by example over the years of the mid-twentieth century. This collection ends in the late twentieth century with a comparison of two contemporary poets and a historiographical piece on African American music in education. Whether working in groups or alone, in conjunction with whites or without their help, African Americans have contributed much to the history of the United States and its endeavors towards improved civil rights for all citizens.
by HB Papers

the history of the black population of amherst, massachusetts, 1728-1870 The first section of this book presents an essay on Amherst, Massachusetts rich black history from 1728 through 1870, addressing such topics as slavery, church life, education, legal rights, and other issues affecting the community. The second section provides a register listing all known black residents for the period.
by James Avery Smith

the life of benjamin banneker: the first african-american man of science. 2nd ed. Story of an African American scientist and his life through Maryland in 1731. His travels continue to Washington, D. C. and his achievements in the creation of almanacs. By 1790s, his almanac work influenced daily life in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. By 1791 his writings with Thomas Jefferson pertained to the treatment of blacks. His antislavery writings are among his most important life accomplishments. Also included: Baltimore County, Maryland; Richard Gist; Ellicott mills (brothers George and Andrew Ellicott); surveying; clocks; the lunar eclipse of June 1792, and much more.
by Silvio A. Bedini

the negro in virginia Slavery is as basic a part of Virginia history as George Washington, who was accompanied at Valley Forge and Yorktown by his slave William Lee, and Thomas Jefferson, who directed his slaves to cut 30 feet off a mountaintop for the site of Monticello. Slavery in the Old Dominion began in 1619, when a Spanish frigate was captured and its cargo of Negroes brought to Jamestown. The issue was always troubling to men of conscience. As Patrick Henry wrote, "Every thinking honest man rejects it in speculation, how few in practice?...I am drawn along by ye general inconvenience of living without them [slaves]; I will not, I cannot justify it." Yet it was the contrasting view that consistently won out, here expressed by Thomas Dew of the College of William and Mary in 1832: "A worthy advantage of slavery is the increased amount of labor performed by savages when reduced to servitude....It may be truly affirmed that the taming of man, and rendering him fit for labor, is more important than the taming and using of inferior animals." Virginia Negroes experienced slavery as field laborers, as skilled craftsmen, as house servants--even as breeding stock for slave states in the Deep South. Despite being subject to the whip, many fought willingly and valiantly in our nations wars. In 1935, the Virginia Writers Project began collecting data for a history of Negroes in the Old Dominion through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Depression. Published in 1940 as The Negro in Virginia, it was regarded as a "classic of its kind" and a "model for the other histories that need to be written." As one magazine put it, "The product of many hands, Negro and white, is so brilliantly edited that it reads as though it might be the individual work of a singularly competent historian." Modern readers will be surprised at how relevant it remains today.
by WPA

twenty families of color in massachusetts, 1742-1998 In this collection of biographical and genealogical sketches, the author paints a vibrant picture of the diverse and complex African American experience in Massachusetts. Includes subjects of many different vocations and walks of life -- early feminists, doctors, lawyers, educators, journalists, artists, musicians, athletes, farmers, barbers, porters, and laborers. Contains stories of men who served their country in the French and Indian War to the Persian Gulf War, a fifer at Bunker Hill to a Tuskegee airman. Vital records, federal and state censuses, town histories, court, cemetery, educational and military records, newspapers, photographs, and interviews with hundreds of living descendants add life and substance to these portraits.
by Franklin A. Dorman