Starting Your African American Family History Research
Use an Ancestor Chart to make notes on what you already know about your family
be mindful of what you know (i.e., have evidence or personal experience/confirmation of), and what you "know" (i.e., have always heard/thought to be true, but have no evidence for)
Review the chart to note where there are pieces missing
start with yourself and work your way back, add dates and locations where possible
the closest information/ancestor gap to yourself is where you should begin
keep in mind that names in records (especially the US census) may use alternate spellings, phonetic spellings, may be mildly (or, sometimes, heavily) misspelled, or a nickname could be used
Start your research: online where you can, on location where you need to, and with family, associates, and neighbors (known as the "FAN club") where available
African American Family history research can usually be traced back to the Civil War using typical resources and methods, like vital records, US Censuses, and online tools like Ancestry, Heritage Quest, and Fold3
pre-Civil War, your research journey will depend on whether your ancestor was enslaved or a free person of color
if enslaved, it's very important to try to determine the enslaver's name and location: look for wills, court records, deeds, or private papers, where any enslaved people in the household may be mentioned by name; also look for cohabitation records or military records
if FPOC, look for your ancestor in manumission records, church records, military records, apprentice records, and Freedmen's records
Figure out your brick walls and make a plan to tackle them one by one
if your research comes to a halt and you've exhausted your known resources and research options, contact us at the NC Government and Heritage Library at slnc.reference@ncdcr.gov
while it's tempting to search for every ancestor you're looking for in every resource you consult all at the same time, when you hit a brick wall it's much easier to tackle one person at a time and track all leads followed and sources consulted
A Massive Open Online Course on starting genealogical research from the State Library of North Carolina’s Government and Heritage Library and Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library
List collateral relatives (blood relatives who are not direct ancestors, such as siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews) on a Family Group Sheet
