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.

Click on the title to view a PDF version of the reference report.

Census

• African-Americans and the Federal Census, 1790-1930
• Ethnic Studies
• 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

Civil Rights

• Electronic Records - Reference Report on Civil Rights Records
• Civil Rights in Post-World War II Era

Education

• Brown v. Board of Education

Employment/Labor

• Electronic Records - Federal Civilian Employees
• Resources on Federal Civilian Employees

Freedmen's Bureau Records, 1865-1872

• Administrative Records
• Pre-Bureau Records, 1863-1865

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

• Freedmen's Bank (General)
• District of Columbia

Genealogy

• Black Family Research - Post-Civil War Federal Agencies
• Electronic Records for Genealogy
• Resources for Genealogists
• Using Civilian Records for Genealogy Research

Housing

• Electronic Records on Housing and Mortgages
• Land Entry Files of the General Land Office

Military Service

• African American in the US Army, 1866-1890: Buffalo Soldiers and Black Infantrymen
• Buffalo Soldiers
• United States Colored Troops (USCT) During the Civil War, 1860-1866

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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