Discover Your Family’s Legacy with Experts in African-American Genealogy
Trace the stories of your ancestors—through slavery, freedom, migration, and resilience. Our professional genealogists specialize in the complex and powerful work of uncovering African-American family histories, including the stories of both enslaved people and free African Americans living before Emancipation.
Understanding African-American Genealogy
African-American genealogy is shaped by both the legacy of slavery and the enduring presence of free African Americans across the centuries. While many ancestors were held in bondage, others lived as free people of color before 1865—owning property, running businesses, and building families that left behind rich paper trails.
Key Historical Milestones:
1619–1865: Enslavement & Resistance
Millions of African Americans were enslaved, with names often omitted from official documents. Yet records like wills, estate inventories, bills of sale, and tax rolls can provide critical connections. Others resisted or escaped slavery, and their paths are recorded in court cases, petitions, and even local newspapers.
Free People of Color During Slavery
From the early 1700s onward, thousands of African Americans lived as free individuals—especially in places like Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana, and northern cities. These individuals appear in:
Free Negro registers
Manumission papers
Land deeds and tax lists
Apprenticeship and court records
Church membership rolls and marriage bonds
1865–1870: Emancipation & Reconstruction
The post-Civil War period introduced new records through the Freedmen’s Bureau, Freedman’s Bank, and Black churches. These documents can offer family relationships, employment data, and migration details.
1870 Census & Beyond
The 1870 Census—first to list formerly enslaved African Americans by name—is often the launching point for modern research, followed by records tied to schools, military service, and urban growth during the Great Migration.
Our Research Approach
Our genealogists are trained to recognize and reconstruct both enslaved and free African-American family lines with sensitivity and rigor. We explore:
Estate & Probate Inventories – to identify enslaved individuals by name or age.
Deeds & Legal Filings – where free people of color appear as landowners, witnesses, or litigants.
Church Archives – where early baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded for both enslaved and free persons.
Free Negro Registries – often required by law in southern states to track individuals living outside of bondage.
Census Schedules & Community Mapping – to identify kinship patterns and neighbors over time.
Whether your ancestors were enslaved, free, or both across generations, we are equipped to help you uncover their stories.
Where We Research
We work in archives large and small to uncover overlooked histories:
National Archives (NARA)
State archives across the South and Mid-Atlantic
County courthouse records (deeds, wills, court dockets)
Black church and cemetery registries
University and HBCU manuscript collections
Special collections of free Black communities like those in Prince George's County (MD), New Orleans (LA), and Edgefield (SC)
What You Can Discover
Ancestral names and documented family connections
Plantation and county locations tied to your lineage
Free people of color who owned land, appeared in court, or registered their status
Marriages, church records, and school attendance
Testimony from Civil War pension files and community petitions
DNA-validated connections to cousins and common ancestors
Client Stories
"Our family was always told we were free before the Civil War, but we had no proof. Trace found manumission papers from 1810 in Maryland and land deeds that matched our family name. It was emotional validation." — Denise T., Baltimore, MD
"They traced my enslaved ancestor from Mississippi to Alabama and found a Civil War pension file that included four pages of handwritten testimony. It changed how I saw our family history." — Marcus D., Chicago, IL
How do you trace free African Americans before the Civil War?
We use registers of free people of color, court filings, tax lists, land deeds, and church records—many of which are specific to the localities where free Black communities were active.
Can I trace enslaved ancestors before 1870?
Though difficult, it is possible in some cases. We use probate records, estate papers, slave schedules, and Freedmen’s Bureau documents to reconstruct family relationships before the census era.
What if I have both enslaved and free ancestors?
That’s very common. We create comprehensive trees that document both sides of your lineage with accuracy and care.
