InfoGuides: Genealogy: African American Research

Books

Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors by Franklin Carter Smith; Emily Anne Croom
Call Number: 929.108 S647g
The book provides a three-part approach to researching family history. Part 1 covers the post-Civil War era to the present, showing readers how to search census records and oral histories. Part 2 focuses on pre-Civil War research, and part 3 offers case studies of how three African American families traced their ancestry.
Got Proof! by Michael Nolden Henderson; Anita Rochelle; Tony Burroughs
Call Number: G La 929.2 H496.4g
Michael Henderson recounts his research process in locating his 18th century Louisiana Creole and slave ancestors. His journey is full of the revelations and surprises that you too will find in your own research.
African American Family's Guide to Tracing Our Roots, The by Barksdale-Hall, Roland
Call Number: 929.108 B256a
This book explains how to begin tracing your African American roots. It also provides information on searching for freed persons, looking for African connections, finding healing through storytelling, restoring the family, and joining genealogical and/or lineage societies.
Finding a Place Called Home by Dee Parmer Woodtor
Call Number: G 929.108 W898.5f
Woodtor takes us back, step-by-step, to explain methods for searching and interpreting records, such as marriage, birth, and death certificates, as well as census reports, slave schedules, church records, and Freedmen's Bureau information. Moreover, Woodtor provides information on taking inventory of family members, using the Internet for genealogical purposes, and tracing Caribbean ancestry.

African American Records Collections

Resources for African American Genealogy

Available through the East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Port of New Orleans Inbound Slave Manifests: These records are arranged by year of arrival, and first names of slaves are often given. They are not indexed.

Selected Antebellum and Postbellum Plantation Records, Louisiana: Includes some plantation records from Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. These microfilm records are not indexed, although finding aids are available to assist your research.

1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules of the U. S. Census: Names of slave owners are given in these records, along with the gender and ages of their slaves. The names of the slaves are not given. They are arranged by State and County or Parish. A few indexes exist in book form or on the Internet.

Various Records from the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Land: Includes Registers of Signatures of Depositions in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874; Indexes to Deposit Ledgers in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Co., Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the States of Mississippi and Louisiana's Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1869; Records of the Superintendent of Education for the State of Louisiana, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1864-1869. These records are not indexed.

U. S. Census Records for 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940: A wealth of information about each individual in the household may be found in these census records, including names, ages, state or country of birth, and occupations. Although censuses are not arranged alphabetically by name, we have indexes with which you can locate records.

World War I Draft Registration Cards, Louisiana: Between the years 1917 and 1918, all males aged 18-45 were required to register. These forms are arranged alphabetically by name within the parish where the individual registered.

Websites for African American Research

AfriGeneas
AfriGeneas is a site devoted to African American genealogy, to researching African Ancestry in the Americas in particular and to genealogical research and resources in general. It is also an African Ancestry research community featuring the AfriGeneas mail list, the AfriGeneas message boards and daily and weekly genealogy chats.
The Digital Library on American Slavery - Race and Slavery Petitions Project
Research probate records from Southern States in which slaves are mentioned by name and often by family association.
The USF African Heritage Project
This website states that its mission is to rediscover precious records that document the names and lives of former slaves, freedpersons and their descendants, and share those records.
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy
Dr. Gwendolyn Hall's database of slave records from Pointe Coupee and surrounding areas
NOPL Index to Slave Emancipation Petitions, 1814-1843
A name index to slave emancipation petitions held in the New Orleans Public Library's City Archives
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
Keep up with AAHGS news and apply for membership in a local chapter here.
African American Heritage
The National Archives guide to African American research
African American Genealogy
FamilySearch's wiki guide to African American research using their online records collections
African American Lives 2
Information about the PBS series
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
This database has information on over 35,000 slave voyages.

Class Presentation on Resources for African American Genealogy

Resources for African American Genealogy
This annotated presentation covers research techniques that can help you locate African American ancestors before 1870. If you would like to take this class in-person at the Main Library, please call (225) 231-3751 for more information.

Ancestry Databases (Links only work in-library)

Louisiana Freed Slave Records Database, 1719-1820
Information on over 4,000 Louisiana slaves emancipated between 1719-1820.

Laws Impacting Louisiana's 19th Century People of Color

1808 Digest
The Digest of the Civil Laws now in Force in the Territory of Orleans was enacted on March 31, 1808. The original French and the English translation can be viewed separately or together on the same screen.
1825 Civil Code
1865 Black Codes