10 Top Web Sites for African American Genealogy

Records which document the names of slaves, freed persons, and their descendants are being sought out and placed online by a number of organizations, including Afrigeneas and the USF Africana Heritage Project, offering a unique opportunity for those researching their African American roots. Individuals have done some outstanding work as well, such as Paul Heinegg who shares the entire body of his published work on free African Americans of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware, and Tom Blake who has spent many years identifying the largest slaveholders on the 1860 cenus and matching those surnames to African American households in the 1870 census. Beyond that, a growing number of slave narratives, oral histories and photos document the history and heritage of African Americans. While there are many excellent resources not included here, these 10 Top Web Sites for African American Genealogy are a good place to start.