Resources for Documenting the Atlantic Slave Trade in Charleston
One of the biggest research challenges for African American genealogy is documenting enslaved ancestors who were brought from Africa to the Americas in the Atlantic Slave Trade. More than 40% of those who were forced from Africa to the shores of North America arrived...
Revisiting One More Days Journey: The Story of a Family and a People
I remember finding out One More Days Journey: The Story of a Family and a People, by Dr. Allen B. Ballard existed from a family reunion while I was living in Joliet, Illinois. I visited the library to discover they had the book that would lead me and my family to South Carolina.
Was Your Ancestor One of Freedom’s Lawmakers?
I ordered this book to document my great great grandfather, Beverly Vance (1832-1899) years ago. The author of the book states that he included black officeholders during Reconstruction. If you have researched African Americans for any period of time you recognize how hard it is to find records to document them. I proudly found a short paragraph in the directory:
A Deed Documents Father and Daughter
Last week I shared, “How Using a Timeline Can Help You in Your Research.” I used the census and city directories to make out a timeline for Robert Lee Vance (1858 – ). He was born in Abbeville County, SC. After the death of his father, he moved his family first to Citrus County, FL and then to Columbia, SC. I wanted next to reveal more about his life in Columbia, SC.
African American Genealogy: How Using a Timeline Helps in Your Research
Last week, I shared how I knew Robert Lee Vance (1858 – ) was the brother of Rev. Lafayette Franklin Vance in African American Genealogy: Tracking Lee Vance, Brother of Rev. Lafayette Franklin Vance. I had also found him living in Columbia, SC with his family. This week I want to show you the timeline that I have been using for him. We will add to this timeline next week:
African American Genealogy: Tracking Lee Vance, Brother of Rev. Lafayette Franklin Vance
We have a hard time tracking family of ancestors because some left the place they were living in droves due to persecutions or the search for jobs to take care of their families. One such person was Lee Vance of Abbeville County, South Carolina. He appeared on the 1870 Census and 1880 Census for Abbeville County as an elder child of Beverly and Matilda Dunlap Vance. Lee Vance was listed as third oldest in the household of Vance’s in 1880:
African American Genealogy: Finding an Ancestor’s Parents with Only Her Married Name
Have you ever gotten stuck searching a female ancestor in African American genealogy because you did not know the name she used before she was married? Well if you remember Martha Vance (1884-1978) in Emory W. Vance, Sr. is Among the Richland County, SC Grantor Deeds,...
African American Genealogy: Researching From a Bill of Sale for Enslaved Ancestors
We had a lively discussion on last Tuesday's episode of BlackProGen LIVE! "Biology of a Document: From Analysis to Plan," about getting the most from the documents we have gathered in our African American genealogy research. The episode focused on analyzing each...
What is a “fi fa,” and Why is it Important for African American Genealogy?
Historic newspapers are an important resource for African American genealogy. Runaway slave ads, jailor's notices of captured runaway freedom seekers, notices of estate sales, private sales and sheriff's sales that include the names of enslaved ancestors are all...
African American Genealogy: When the Pieces Come Together – Guyton Family Bible, Oakley Plantation, Berkeley, SC
One of the biggest challenges in African American genealogy is the sometimes sparse body of documents we have to work in. We’ve been working for years to digitize documents in the Lowcountry, first as Lowcountry Africana, and now as the IAAM Center for Family History. Along the way, many archives, organizations and individuals have worked at our side to scan, digitize and index records that are significant for African American genealogy. Today, we experienced some of the fruits of our friends’ and colleague’s efforts when some pieces of a puzzle fell into place.
African American Genealogy: Are You Working the Cemetery for Pre-1870 Clues?
Greenwood, South Carolina has African American cemeteries that are properly cared for, but unfortunately there are several that have people born before 1870 buried in them. They are at risk of becoming illegible. Researching these internments has brought great joy to me. In many cases, I have started with the gravestone, the first evidence that the person existed.
Has FamilySearch Digitized the Records You Need? Here’s How to Check
FamilySearch recently announced that they had added the 2 billionth record to their free online databases of digitized historical documents. The records giant currently adds over 300 million new images a year to their online holdings. A world of free resources for...
Look for Tax Records to Help You Identify More About Your South Carolina Ancestor
Tax records help us reveal more about an ancestor, especially in between census years. When you cannot find an ancestor in the census or when records are scarce, try tax records to prove residence or if an ancestor was over 21. To find tax records for South...
African American Genealogy: Look Carefully for Clues on the Census That Will Help You Trace Back
We have been looking for George Chappelle ( -1925) in pre-1870 documentation. If you read last week’s post "Can Historical Newspapers Help Me Determine My Freedman Ancestors?" you will remember how Jan Mitchell-McDermott has been helping me find records for the...
The FamilySearch Learning Center: Free Research Tutorial Videos
Did you know that FamilySearch has a Learning Center that offers hours of free instructional videos presented by recognized experts, to help you sharpen your research skills? The Learning Center offers lessons on research strategies, researching in specific locations,...
Part 1: Finding Extended Family
You can increase the chances of finding more information if you research your ancestor’s descendants to find living family members. You may benefit from what they know. You can use the process outlined in the next few blog posts to find extended family.
Part 2: Finding Extended Family
In our last post, we began the journey of discovering extended family by searching for Arthur (Atall, Arthol, Athol) Blake and his wife on the 1900 through the 1920 Censuses. We left you with the challenge of finding them on the 1930 and 1940 Censuses. If you...