Finding Calvin: Following My Enslaved Ancestor Through Multiple Owners – A Case Study

Despite the fact that their marriages were not legally recognized before 1865, enslaved couples were uniting in "quasi-marital" relationships, and were cohabitating as husband and wife, as evidenced by many extant documents created during and after the end of America’s Civil War. In this presentation, we explore examples of documents that provide evidence of these relationships, and sources for finding them.

What exactly are the 1850 and 1860 United States Slave Schedules and what is their value to researchers? A closer look at this enumeration of “slave inhabitants” will streamline interpretation of these records and will help define the do's and don’ts of working with them.

Before 1865, free blacks, as well as runaway and emancipated slaves, migrated or escaped to northern states (and Canada), hoping for a “better life” with more opportunities. In this presentation, we explore some of the reasons for this movement and review some of the many helpful records left by these antebellum northern migrants.

Using DNA analysis, combined with documentary research and with only one hint of family lore, the presenter has found the family of her enslaved great-grandfather.

Uncovering the genealogy of the formerly enslaved can be challenging; but, sometimes, the information is left in first-hand accounts, commonly known as "Slave Narratives.” From books, to projects set up to learn about life during slavery, researchers can find an abundance of genealogical and other information about enslaved families, their…

This lecture will discuss how to get started in African American research. The objective of this presentation will be to research either a free person of color or a formerly enslaved African American and identify the last enslaver. It will introduce Reconstruction Era records such as: The Freedmen’s Bureau records, Freedmen’s Bank Records, Southern Claims Commission records, military records, census records, voter’s registration, newspapers, and vital records. It will also cover methodology for 1870 African American brick wall problems.

Following the Civil War, when nearly 200,000 African American men served, the U.S. Army established 4 African American infantry (later modified to 2) and 2 cavalry regiments in 1868. They initially served in the West but fought in the Spanish American War and the two World Wars in segregated units. It was not until 1948 that Executive Order 9981 integrated the military. What was life like for these soldiers? Where do you find service and pension records?

This lecture will discuss how to get started in African American research. The objective of this lecture is to demonstrate what comprehensive African American research looks like from 1870 to the present. It will discuss sources such as: census, vital, and military records; the WPA slave narratives; newspapers; and city directories. It will also cover basic genealogical methodology.

Nine African Americans — two women and seven children — were posed amid a laundry day setting in a rare Civil War-era photograph. The handwritten caption identified them only as “Felix Richards Slaves” and the location as Volusia, near Alexandria, Va. Could their true identities be established? In this case study, historian and genealogist Amy Bertsch discusses a variety of sources, including probate records, a chancery suit, Civil War pension applications, and the former enslaver’s federal compensation claim, she used to identify the individuals in the photo, which is now at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She explores how these records can yield new discoveries for family historians and she also demonstrates the importance of researching the enslaver’s family when conducting African American family research.