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African American Genealogy
American Revolutionary War Genealogy
Native American Genealogy

African American Genealogy

Here are some sources that may help with African American Genealogy:

• Church Records and Census Records Church records can be compared to slave census schedules to find and double check for names and families. Federal Census Records before 1850 list the heads of free black households by name, but only numbered the slaves. The 1850 Census was the first census to name all persons in free households. Some church records will show membership of slaves before the Civil War. Such records can give vital clues to the identity of slaves, who were not named on census records.
• Local Census and County Records State census records, school census records, town census records, deeds, bills of sale, marriage records, county will books and probate records sometimes lists names of slaves, and other genealogy information.
• City Directories City directories, both before and after the Civil War, included African American residents. These can offer detailed information.
• State Government Records Petitions can be a source of genealogical information. Some blacks petitioned their state, asking for special help. (For example, a law was passed in the Republic of Texas in 1840, requiring all free blacks to leave by 1842. Some blacks petitioned the Republic, and were allowed to stay.)
• Court Records Records in county courthouses or federal district courthouses can contain genealogy. Such records include court docket books, court minute books, and court case files in the court clerk's office. Federal court records more than thirty years old are moved to the National Archives which serve that court's state.
• Voter Registrations Southern voter registrations after the Civil War, made between 1867 and 1869, may be the first public records of former slaves. They can tell where a person was born. Many surviving registers are kept in state archives. Some states might have the lists on microfilm and available for interlibrary loan.
• Registers of Slaves or Free Negroes Before the Civil War, some states required free blacks to have a certificate. Some state required slave registration. Such records can be found in some county courthouses, state libraries, archives, or historical societies.

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American Revolutionary War Genealogy

Here are some sources that may help with American Revolutionary War Genealogy:

• The 1840 Federal Census form included a space to list Revolutionary War pensioners, and their ages. This Military Services column appears on the second page, after the slave columns. Note: Not all the pensioners on that list were in the Revolution. Some will be too young, so check the age. You might have to contact the particular state to find how you can get the records--more on that below.
• Federal military records begin with the Revolution. The eastern states have militia records from the colonial period, and many have been published. Many eastern states also have Revolutionary War records. Most of the records fall into 2 groups: compiled service records and veterans' benefits.
• The National Archives has microfilmed numerous compiled service records for soldiers who served between 1775 and the early 1900's. These films are for sale or rent, from the American Genealogical Lending Library, or the Family History Library. Their addresses are: American Genealogical Lending Library, P.O. Box 244, Bountiful, UT 84011 (phone: 801-298-5358); Family History Library, 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150.

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Native American Genealogy

Here are some sources that may help with Native American Genealogy:

• Nontribal Indians in Federal Census Records Indians who did not live in a tribal situation were considered to be part of the general population, and were often included in census records. Indians who mingled with the whites sometimes appear on census records. In 1880, the Census Bureau took a special census of Indians on reservations. In 1900 and 1910, the census included a special Indian schedule to include Indians both on and off the reservations.
• Tribal Indians The records of Indians who stayed in tribes are divided into two categories: (1) the Five Civilized Tribes, and (2) the Indians who were wards of the federal government. Most records were processed through the Office of Indian Affairs (OIA), which was established in 1824. That office became the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1947. In addition to BIA records, more records were made when Indians confronted areas of federal jurisdiction, such as the army and courts. Also, some tribes sided with the Confederates during the Civil War. Records of all those activities are kept in the National Archives or its regional branches. Many are available on microfilm or for rent or purchase. For more information, you can contact the American Genealogical Lending Library, P.O. Box 244, Bountiful, UT 84011 (phone: 801-298-5358), or the Family History Library, 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150.

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