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AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY: THE BEGINNING STEPS
Presented by:
Tamika Strong
Genealogist and Librarian
Griffin-Spalding County Library
March 18, 2017
WORKSHIP OBJECTIVES
• To assist attendees in learning the first steps in
tracing their genealogy and documenting their
family history.
• To provide attendees an overview of some
challenges that African American researchers face
in researching their family history.
Questions for you
Do you have a library card?
Do you know about PINES?
Do you know about GALILEO?
Did you know that you can access a version of Ancestry for free?
STEP #1A: PREPARE FOR THE JOURNEY
Do not apply a 21st century mindset to a 19th or
20th century situation. Try to keep things in
their historical context.
Be prepared for the Good, the Bad, the Ugly,
and the Unbelievable.
Accept History for what it is.
STEP #1A: PREPARE FOR THE JOURNEY
• Be understanding and respectful of the feelings of
others.
Be discerning in the sharing of information.
Some of the things you will learn may be hard to
take, so don’t be afraid to set it aside for a while
until you’re ready to pick it up again.
STEP #1B – SET A GOAL
KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
oDetermine what you want to learn about your family.
oEstablish a long term and a short term goal.
oWrite them down the goals. Post them in your workspace.
oTry to stay focus on them.
Research Goals
oShort Term
oExample: Find census records for
maternal grandmother.
oLong Term
oExample: Trace maternal family
line to 1870.
STEP #2: GETTING STARTED
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU KNOW
oWrite down everything you know.
oNames including nicknames, aliases, etc.
oDates – Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death
oPlaces where the family lived
oSchools attended, places worked, places where
family were buried, etc.
Conduct the
Self Interview
STEP #2: Getting Started
Write Down what you know
oUse Forms to organize information about
family.
oPedigree Charts
oFamily Group Sheet(s)
PEDIGREE CHART
• Captures your direct ancestors, parents,
grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-
grandparents, etc.
• You are #1 on the chart.
• Your father’s line starts with #2.
• Your mother’s line starts with #3.
PEDIGREE CHART cont.
oMen are even numbers – 2, 4, 6, etc.
oWomen are odd numbers – 3, 5, 7, etc.
oWomen are placed on the chart under the
maiden name. If unknown then leave blank.
Your Turn
Fill out Your Pedigree
Chart
FAMILY GROUP SHEETS
oCaptures the family units – parents and
children.
oCreate a Family Group Sheet for every couple
or mother-father pair.
Your Turn
Fill out Your Family
Group Sheet
STEP #3A:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY ARTIFACTS
Divorce Decrees
Funeral Programs
Obituaries (From Newspapers
or Funeral Programs)
Death Certificates
Cemetery/Burial Information
Newspaper Clippings
Family Stories / Oral
History
Family Bibles
Family Trees / Genealogies
Family Papers
Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates or
Licenses
STEP #3A:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY ARTIFACTS
School Records
Business Records
Awards / Certificates
Old Personal Phone Books
Citizenship Records
Court Records
Pictures
Wills
Military Records
Land Deeds
Yearbooks
Organization
Memberships
Church Information
STEP #3A:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY ARTIFACTS
oLook for Genealogy in “Strange” places.
oTattoos
STEP #3A:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY ARTIFACTS
oLook for Genealogy in “Strange” places.
oMemorial T-Shirts
STEP #3A:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY ARTIFACTS
• Look for Genealogy in “Strange” places.
• Memorial Car Vinyls
STEP #3B:FAMILY RESOURCES
COLLECT FAMILY HISTORY
oDetermine if your family has a family historian or someone
who knows a lot of your family’s history.
oInterview relatives, especially the elders
oRecord the interview if possible, audio or video
oAsk to make copies of pictures, funeral programs, obituaries,
etc.
oBe prepared - some people may be unwilling to share
information or materials.
Mock Interview
Family Traditions
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Records
oStart from the present and work backwards starting with yourself.
oHappens every tens years from 1790
o1890 Census – lost to water damage due to a fire; some parts survived.
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Records
oInformation recorded in the census varied from each census year.
oSpecial Schedules were included during certain
census years, i.e. Slave Schedules in 1850 and 1860
Census.
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Records
oThere are State and Federal Census Records.
o For example, Alabama has a 1866 State Census.
o1870 Census – first time most African Americans were listed by name in the Federal Census.
o1880 Census – showed family relationships for the first time.
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Records
o1900 Census – included birth month and date
o1940 Census
oReleased April 2012
oFully indexed by August of 2012
oDenotes informant with an asterisk.
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Records
oAncestry.com $$
oAncestry Library Edition
oOnly available for use inside of libraries and archives
oFamilysearch.org
oHeritageQuest
o Available through GALILEO; Can access from home
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oLook at the individual’s birth date. That will determine which censuses the person should be included.
oExample: Maggie Bell Printup (1928 – 2000)
oShould be able to find her in the
o 1940 Census
o 1930 Census
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oExample: Maggie Bell Printup (1928 – 2000)
o1940 Census
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oExample: Maggie Bell Printup (1928 – 2000)
o1930 Census
Step #4:Census Research
Find Your Folks in the Census
oCensus Search Tips
oStart from the latest census and work backwards.
oUse multiple sites to search the census.
oAlways look at the original document, not just the
transcription.
oRemember to look at the neighbors; sometimes they
are family members.
oAges may not be accurate.
STEP #4:CENSUS RESEARCH
FINDYOUR FOLKS IN THE CENSUS
oCensus Search Tips (cont.)
oBe mindful of Nicknames or name abbreviations, i.e. Jno
– John, Maggie – Margaret; Mag – Maggie
oBe creative with the spellings of names, i.e.
Calloway/Callaway.
o Use wildcards for searching –
oAsterisk (*) for multiple letters, i.e. Cal*
oQuestion mark (?) for a single letter, i.e. Call?way
STEP #5: OTHER RESOURCES – RECORD TYPES
oCensus Records
oMilitary Records
oVital Records (Birth,
Marriage, Divorce, Death)
oSchool Records
oYearbooks
oCity Directories
oCemeteries
oNewspapers
oCounty Histories
oTown Histories
oFuneral Programs
oLand and Property
Records
oBusiness Records
oCourt Records
oProbate
African American
Genealogy
STEP #6:
REMEMBER THE TIME
oGain a general understanding of the history of African
Americans during the time periods you are researching.
o 1619: First Africans arrived at Jamestown
o 1619 – 1865: A Time of Enslavement and Freedom
o 1865 – 1965: The Fight for Freedom and Civil Rights
o 1965 – present: The Fight Continues
oThis is a over simplification of the History of People of
African Descent in America.
STEP #6: REMEMBER THE TIME
o Learn about the environment in which the ancestors lived.
o County & Town Histories
o Coverage in the Local Newspaper
o Print and online materials about African Americans in the
geographic area.
o Remember!
o Try to keep the information you learn in its historical context.
o There is a possibility that a resource may not mention the
presence of people of color, i.e. some county histories.
STEP #7:LEARN THE LINGO
oBiracial
oMixed
oQuadroon (1/4th Black)
oOctaroon (1/8th Black)
oPerson of Color
oAfro American
oBlack American
oAfrican American
oColored – C; Col; *
oAfrican
oSlave
oNegro
oNegress
oNigra
oN****r
oMulatto
oBlack
STEP #8: KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
Get familiar with the historical African American neighborhoods,
institutions, organizations, resources and accomplishments.
o Neighborhoods – historic and current.
o Institutions – Schools, Hospitals
o Individuals
o Churches
o Cemeteries
o Funeral Homes
o Organizations
o Businesses / Business District
oB
oM
oNeg
oColored
oC
oCol
o*
Identify the clues in the resources.
• Terms and Abbreviations
STEP #8: KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
STEP #8: Know Where to Look
Identify the clues in the resources.
oChanges to the Document
oClipped Edges
oWorld War I Draft Card (Registration Cards A and B)
Source: “United States World War I Draft Records.” FamilySearch Wiki. https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_World_War_I_Draft_Records. Link to Draft Card A - http://c.ancestry.com/pdf/trees/charts/DraftCardA.pdf
STEP #7: KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
Find the section of the resources that contain information about African Americans.
oTable of Contents
oCheck Index
oLook for terminology used for African Americans, i.e.
colored, black, negro, mulatto, slave, etc.
oBack of the Book
STEP #7: KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
Find the section of the resources that contain information about African Americans.
oColored Section
oAJC Example of Colored Obits
oColored Book
oMarriage and Tax Books
Research Tips
o Select a single surname, individual, or family unit to focus on.
o Set a research goal.
o Complete and update Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets to reflect new information.
o Create and keep a research log or journal to track your progress.
o Get organized and stay organized.
o Make copies, either paper or electronic, of the original documents so you will have a copy.
Research Tips cont.
oEvaluate and interpret the information you have collected.
oTake small steps…don’t overwhelm yourself. Genealogy is a lifelong hobby!
oGet organized and stay organized!!!!
oLearn as you go using webinars, classes, attending genealogy group meetings, etc.
oRemember to have fun!!!
HAVE FUN!!!!!
Source: http://www.roadkilltshirts.com/Assets/ProductImages/PS_1081_SHOOK_TREE.jpg
PRESENTER INFORMATION
Tamika Maddox Strong
Librarian, Genealogist, Future Archivist
