Never before has there been more reason for African-ancestored genealogists and family historians to celebrate Black History Month! Not since Alex Haley’s landmark book, Roots, was published in 1976 and the subsequent blockbuster television series has there been such an interest in researching African and African American ancestors.
Now, well into the twenty-first century, the awareness of the existence of records many people had thought weren’t available or in accessible is heightened. Technology has enabled vast amounts of data to be made available as digitized images or through electronic indexes that point to the repositories where original or microfilmed records are housed.
In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let’s explore some of the record types that are available electronically at Ancestry.com that can help further your research if you are of African American ancestry.
[ADN Editor’s Note: **Asterisked databases can be accessed free throughout February 2006 when accessed through the African American Research Center. Users will be required to log in or complete a free registration.]
**U.S. Federal Census Slave SchedulesThe federal government’s first official attempt to determine the full extent of slavery in the United States began with the 1850 census Slave Schedules and was repeated in 1860. These documents were completed in addition to the standard population schedules and were used to determine the geographical concentrations of slavery (and it wasn’t only in the South), slave population densities and living conditions, and social conditions. These documents offer tremendous possibilities for the researcher. They are digitized and, even though names changed over time, family groups and ages can be invaluable in tracing ancestors beyond the period of the American Civil War.
**Slave Narratives The Slave Narratives database at Ancestry.com is an unparalleled collection of the reminiscences of former slaves. It consists of more than 20,000 pages of type-scripted interviews with approximately 3,500 former slaves, collected over a ten-year period between 1929 and 1939. The database is searchable by name, state, category, keyword, and a special thesaurus-style filter that interprets like words. Perhaps some of the most compelling insights into the lives of persons who endured life in slavery can be found in this collection of records.
**Freedman's Bank Records, 1865 to 1874 The Freedman's Savings and Trust Company was incorporated in 1865 by an act signed by President Lincoln. The purpose of the company was to create an institution where former slaves and their dependents could place and save their money. Ultimately there were thirty-seven branch offices in seventeen states with approximately 70,000 depositors and deposits of more than $57 million. However, in 1874, as a result of mismanagement, fraud, and other situations, the Freedman's Bank closed.
[ Next Page ] - Click Here