African American Genealogy online research is much more difficult due to the scant nature of record keeping for African American’s prior to the Civil War. This is the reason for creating a separate section for African Americans much like we have for Native Americans who’s research can also be hampered by the available records. The links below provide an accurate reflection of what is available to be searched for African American genealogy.
Conducting successful African American genealogical research can be a challenging adventure. In recent years, the challenge has been lessened and the adventure heightened by the growing body of publications relating to this ethnic group. Special-interest groups and genealogical societies nationwide are publishing key guides, new bibliographies, and important how-to books. Before delving into published sources, however, it is always important to pause long enough to organize one’s own personal papers and review standard research methodology.
Searching for African American families involves two distinct research approaches. These approaches correspond to the distinct change in the legal status of African Americans in the United States before and after the Civil War. Genealogical techniques used to track slave families before the war are necessarily quite different than those used for white or free African Americans; however, research conducted on African Americans after the war usually involves the same types of records as those used for whites.
- National Archives
- Archives
- Societies
- Biography
- Pvt. Edmund Bowie (hosted by Willie L. Robinson)
- Free Biography Resources (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- A B Bi C Ch Cr D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Mississippi African American Cemeteries
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Access Genealogy’s Cemetery Records
The most complete coverage of Cemetery records available on the web. They are broken down by county. We do know know if there are African Americans in these cemeteries, so you should browse them for ancestors also.
- Mississippi African American Census Records
- Hosted at Christine’s Genealogy Website
- 1860 Noxubee County, Mississippi Mortality Schedule
- 1870 Noxubee County, Mississippi Mortality Schedule
- 1860 Noxubee County, Mississippi Slave Census
- 1886 Natchez Census (hosted at Natchezbelle)
- Access Genealogy’s Census Records
Providing the most complete coverage of census records available on the web. We’ve broken the list down by county, and take a careful look at the index page where we explain which records are missing from the census data and may never be recovered. - Church Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Court Records
- History
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Slaveholders and African Americans 1860-1870
- Disposition of Slaves of Elias Spencer (hosted at MS GenWeb African- American Resources )
- 1850 Scott County, Mississippi Slave Schedule (hosted at Rootsweb)
- Slave Data Collection (hosted at Afrigeneas)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Adams County Mississippi Slave Record Book
- Mailing Lists
- Military Records
- Military Records (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- World War I Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- World War II Records
- Mississippi World War II Army – Air Corps Casualty List
- Mississippi World War II Navy – Marines Casualty List
- African Americans in World War II
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- African-American Civil War Soldiers & Sailors (hosted at Solders and Sailors System)
- Black Confederate Pensioners, Marshall County (hosted at Marshall County Mississippi USGenWeb)
- Military Records (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- Surnames
- African-American Surnames Database (hosted at Afrigeneas)
- Vital Records
I am trying to find information on my ancestors Harriet Johnson or Henrietta Richardson who had a son, Eugene Crockett with Benjamin Crockett in 1894. I am trying to find information on who Benjamin Crockett’s parents were or who Harriet Johnson’s parents were. I think that their parents may have been slaves and I appreciate any help someone can lend in pointing to me where I can get an obituary for Benjamin Crockett (Wilkerson/Amite County) and Harriet Johnson (name could be Henrietta Richardson as which is listed in the 1930 and 1940 census report). I am just trying to find any information that would give me an idea of who their parents were and what state they were born in. Right now Wilkerson/Amite County is where I place them both because my grandfather, Eugene Crockett was born in Centerville, MS. Any help you can provide is appreciated. Carlos Benjamin Crockett (neworleanstaxpayer@yahoo.com)
Rankin County is not shown in the list of counties. Rankin County was established in 1838, and a large population of former slaves lived in Rankin on the 1870 census.