AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESEARCH |
Help Needed!
I would like to create a page specific for research in African-Americans who lived inMuscogee County. Please, please share with us any documents that you haveregarding your ancestors who lived in Muscogee County. There are multiple sources, i.e. newspaper abstracts, wills, deeds, inventories of estates, which make mention of slaves or freedmen. Suggestions are always welcome! Excellent and very, very thorough intro to courthouse records by David Paterson.This especially applies to Upson County, and he gives many examples including names of slaves so you just might be lucky!! Ex-Slave Marriages to 1876 Ex-Slave Marriages 1875-1877 Case Study - Determining MaternityDavid E. Paterson provides some guide lines for determining maternity through available records. He has done a case study on the Alpheus Beall's slaves showing how to apply the data found on various records. Although this deals with a Slave Owner in Upson County, you could gain insightto apply to your own research. EARLY COUNTY FREEDMAN'S BUREAUMichael Dennis' Letter to the Freemen's Bureau, November 30, 1865 with Introduction by David E. Paterson . Although this deals with Early County information, it is helpful as a "how to find information in the Freedman's Bureau Files" document, and also provides insights into Plantation Life. Porterdale Cemetery - Columbus (African-American) City Cemetery City Cemetery Records, including Porterdale.
Documents FIRST STOP!
Georgia's Slave Population in Legal Records
by David E. Paterson
After the Civil War, licenses were issued to African Americans and are usually in a separate book. They often contain former slave owner when available. This is probably still available in the Muscogee County Courthouse.
During these brief years Form A- Marriage Licenses were used and you may find them in the Courthouse in a bundle. These contain the parent's name, age of bride and groom, etc.
David was recently awarded the "Award for Excellence in ResearchUsing the Holdings of an Archives" category.
Tom Blake's slave data includes largest slave holders in 1860, and matching surnames inthe 1870 Census for many southeastern counties.http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Eajac/
Best Place for Links, Newsletter, Database
This site Afrigeneas Home Pageshould be book marked and explored for all the best, and up-to-date material on African American Research. [Note: they ask for a donation - I'm not endorsing the site, just letting youknow something is available.] Placing Your Query
It is helpful to fellow-researchers if you mention that you are looking for an African-American ancestor. This points them in the right direction to share information.
Place it on the Afrigeneas Home Page
Afrigeneas forums. If you find others, please let me know.
African Americans have played a great role in our military since the beginning. The following are a few of sites with the history of African Americans in war. Possibly help understand why ancestors were in one place but settled in others.
Revolutionary War
JamestownCivil War
Dispatchers Navy - UnionWorld War I
African-Americans and WWIWorld War II
PatriotismVietnam
NamThe revised edition of "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy" (Salt Lake City:Ancestry, 1997) includes a very useful chapter entitled "Tracking African American Family History." Includes types of records and what information you might find there and where to locate them. The Bibliography is also excellent.
African-American Family Research" Part 1
by Roseanne Hogan, Ph.D.
(Ancestry Magazine, Mar/Apr 1996, Vol. 14, No. 2)
African-American Family Research" Part 2
by Roseanne Hogan, Ph.D.
(Ancestry Magazine, Jul/Aug 1996, Vol. 14, No. 4)
The Challenge of African American Research" (above)
by Curt B. Witcher, FUGA
(Ancestry Magazine, Sep/Oct 1997, Vol. 15, No. 5)
The Freedman's Savings & Trust Co. and African American Genealogical Research"
by Reginald Washington
(Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration Summer1997, vol. 29, no. 2)
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Page last updated: Saturday, 21 July, 2017 23:45:04 EST
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