Getting Started In African American Family History Research hero
Number of video playback
2
Getting Started In African American Family History Research hero
Getting Started In African American Family History Research
Want to learn more about your family’s past, but don’t know how to begin? These modules will provide you with the first steps in tracing your African American roots. We will look at common challenges and myths, key records and resources, and strategies for making real headway in your research. Our instructors will also share how to utilize the 10 Million Names Project—a collaborative endeavor dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America between the 1500s and 1865.
Section 1 - Getting Started
Module 1 - First Steps in Your Family History Research
Presented by: Cynthia Evans
Running Time: 19:03
Section 1, Modules 1-3 Handout
Other Materials:
Other research templates, questionnaires for family, and more
Module 2 - Furthering the Search
Module 3 - Myths in African American Genealogy
Section 2 - Records, Resources, and Repositories
Module 4 - Go-To Records
Presented by: Danielle Rose
Running Time: 25:55
Module 5 - Resources to Aid Your Search
Module 6 - Repositories: Online and Onsite
Section 3: Strategies & Case Studies
Module 7 - Breaking Down the 1870 Brick Wall
Module 8 - Research Examples
Presented by: Jonathan Hill
Running Time: 3:59
Case Study 1: Warren Woodland of Maryland
Research Questions:
- Was Warren Woodland enslaved?
- Who was he enslaved by?
Section 3, Modules 7-8 Handout
Presented by: Jonathan Hill
Running Time: 4:46
Case Study 2: Edward Lewis of Louisiana
Research Questions:
- Who were Edward Lewis's parents?
- Did he have any siblings or extended family?
Section 3, Modules 7-8 Handout
Presented by: Jonathan Hill
Running Time: 17:21
Case Study 3: Susan Marshall of Kentucky
Research Questions:
- What is Susan Marshall's maiden name?
- Who was her father?
- Was her father born enslaved?
- Where was her father born?
Section 3, Modules 7-8 Handout
Presented by: Jonathan Hill
Running Time: 4:57
Case Study 4: Sarah Thomasson of Georgia
Research Question:
- What can be learned about Sarah Thomasson's parents?
Section 3, Modules 7-8 Handout
Presented by: Cynthia Evans
Running Time: 17:51
Case Study 5: Jeremiah J. Hamilton of Texas
Research Question:
- What happens to Jeremiah J. Hamilton after 1905?
Section 3, Modules 7-8 Handout
Presented by: Jonathan Hill
Running Time: 7:43
Case Study 6: Finding Freemen's Bureau Records
Other Resources
Online Lecture: Black Families of Revolutionary-Era Plymouth, MA
Online Lecture: Finding Enslaved African American Ancestors in New England
Online Lecture: Introducing the 10 Million Names Project
Online Lecture: Researching Black Patriots and Loyalists During the Revolutionary Era
Online Lecture: Researching Black Soldiers in the Civil War
Publication: Black Families in Hampden County, Massachusetts, 1650-1865
Publication: Growing Up with the Country: Family, Race, and Nation After the Civil War
Publication: Portable Genealogist: African American Resources
Publication: Twenty Families of Color in Massachusetts, 1742-1998
Research Guide: African American Genealogy
