Resources
- Federal censuses dating from 1870 through 1920 are open to the public. Only free men, black and white, were listed in the federal census. Prior to 1870 slaves were not listed, so other sources must be used for identification.
- The Freedmen's Bureau was established to help former slaves. Marriages that had taken place during slavery were recorded there. Also a banking system was set up, and deposit records are available to the researcher. Microfilms of those records are available at the Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, Ohio and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of Utah.
- Probate and chancery court records are good sources for identifying slaves.
If a person died and left a will, slaves that were passed on to heirs were identified by first name. If no will was left (died intestate), an inventory of the deceased's property was made, perhaps listing negroes by first name.
In both of these instances you should look for groups of names that you recognize as belonging to one family.
- Family bibles can provide a wealth of information.
- Old photographs are good, especially if they identify the people in the pictures and the dates the pictures were taken.
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