Are you interested in researching your African-American family tree, but don’t know where to start? It’s a common concern among those who are beginners in this area of genealogy. People wonder how far back they will actually be able to get, due to lack of records in the era of slavery. However, there are a few important things to remember. One, not every African-American in the 1800’s was a slave; some of them were free people of color, and plenty of records exist about them. Two, records of slaves were often meticulously kept by southern slave owners; this was not always the case, but it did happen in many cases, especially with people who owned large numbers of slaves. Three, there is always DNA to help you trace your roots back farther than you ever imagined, and usually with a few real surprises along the way...