African American Family History Step By Step

1870 is an important date for African American research because the majority of African Americans living in the United States prior to the Civil War were slaves. The 1870 federal census is the first one to list all blacks by name. To get your African-American ancestors back to that date you should research your ancestors in the standard genealogical records - records such as cemeteries, wills, census, vital records, social security records, school records, tax records, military records, voter records, newspapers, etc. There are also a number of post-Civil War records which specifically document thousands of African Americans, including the Freedman's Bureau Records and the records of the Southern Claim Commission.

Additional Resources:
How to Begin & Create Your First Family Tree
Beginner's Guide to the U.S. Census
Top 10 Search Tips for Census Success