Afro-American Research in The Family History Guide

On this holiday in the United States, we pay tribute to a great leader for human rights: Dr. Martin Luther King. His legacy is still being felt in the lives of countless people around the world.

On a separate note, many Black people in the United States and abroad have discovered the power of family history to connect generations and discover the often untold stories of their past. While genealogy research for Black families can still prove to be challenging, advances in DNA research and diligent efforts of genealogists have opened many doors that were previously closed, or even unknown.

Projects in The Family History Guide

The Family History Guide features a wide assortment of resources for African American research, as well as QUIKLinks to record collections. Here is a brief summary of what you’ll find, Goal by Goal, in Project 9: African American …

Goal 1: Get Started—Research basics, tips and techniques to use, and additional resources. Links to nine articles, 10 videos, and two websites.
Goal 2: Record Sources—How to find record sources, exploring vital and census records, exploring newspapers for research clues, and learning about other record types. Links to 18 articles, five videos, and four websites.
Goal 3: Library and Other Resources—Finding resources in libraries and archives, and tips for additional resources to use. Links to seven articles, four videos, and three websites.
Goal 4: Slavery Resources—Learning about records and databases that document slaves, learning about the Freedmen’s Bank and Bureau, and learning about the National Underground Railroad. Links to 21 articles, 12 videos, and nine websites.
Goal 5: Break through Barriers—Learning about challenges and methods for breakthroughs, and tracing slave ancestors before the Civil War. Links to seven articles, six videos, and one website.

The Vault

There are links to many additional helpful articles and videos about African American research in the Vault section of The Family History Guide.