African Americans - Reference Reports
Records created by post-Civil War Federal agencies are perhaps some of the most important records available for the study of African American genealogy. Reconstruction-era Federal records document the black family's struggle for freedom and equality and provide insight into the Federal government's policies towards the nearly four million African Americans freed at the close of the American Civil War. The records help bridge the gap for the transitional period from slavery to freedom. African American Reference Reports describe research strategies for some of the most frequently used records relating to African American genealogy, including service in the United States Colored Troops (USCT), Buffalo soldiers, District of Columbia emancipation records, the Freedmen's Bureau, Freedman's Bank, and WPA Slave Narratives.
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Census
- African-Americans and the Federal Census, 1790-1930
- Federal Census Records for the District of Columbia Relating to Slavery, 1800-1860
- Finding Patients and Staff at the Freedmen's Hospital, Washington, DC, the Federal Census, 1870-1930
Freedmen's Bureau Records, 1865-1872
By State
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland and Delaware
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874
Military Service
Slavery
- WPA Slave Narratives. 1939-1938
- Federal Court and Commission Records Relating to Slavery in the District of Columbia, 1820-1863
- Federal Census Records for the District of Columbia Relating to Slavery, 1800-1860
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