African American Genealogy- The how to guide to get you started

Hello readers! My name is Miss Knowledge. I am going to take you step by step on how to create and research your family tree. I started this project about seven years ago. But due to the the lack of records for African Americans it has proven to be a very difficult task. One of the biggest road blocks is getting census information during America's slavery time. Because slaves were considered property and not citizens, they were never named on census records during this period in history. Now after alot of research I have come up with some solutions as well as helpful links to guide you through this rewarding experience. I feel it is important to know your family history in order to have a legacy to pass on to the next generation. So if you are ready, let's get started!

Organization is the key with anything you want to research. I recommend that you obtain a notebook or index cards. I prefer index cards because they can be easily categorized. You can also download a program for storing your info. I use My-Legacy which allows me to add and change things as I find out new things. Your first biggest tool is talking with family members. Ask questions about your ancestors. Take detailed notes(including surnames, dates, and places). Your next biggest tool is utilizing your search bar in your browser. Using different phrases in the search engine broadens your search results. For instance putting the surname of your ancestors in the search bar is good, however putting that plus a date, place, or event would narrow things down a bit. Before you start to actually use the search engine, try jotting down key words that come to mind that pertains to your history. When you feel you have enough key words start putting them in one by one. As you come across sites that might be of interest, bookmark them. Right now you want to concentrate on just gathering the information. You want as many sites as possible. I suggest at least twenty different sites to start with. Remember this is not an easy task! There are some helpful links in the link section. Another important tool is your message boards. Some sites provide message boards where you can communicate with other people and possibly learn some very useful information. When you are ready to post on a message board be clear as to what information you have and what you are looking to find out. Do not just limit yourself to the African American sites. Remember our ancestors were once slaves. So by going to all sites you can possibly communicate with someone who is a direct descendant of your ancestors' slave owner. They can provide information that a census will not provide. Online cemeteries is also an excellent source of information. And of course online newspapers, obituaries, and libraries. The social security death index is a huge tool in assisting in your research. A few of the sites offer this. Marriage, death, criminal, and birth record are accessible on some sites as well. Now there is a charge for some of these services. But most sites allow some free services. Some sites offer all services for free. Now when searching through online census records remember since African Americans were not listed during a certain time, you have to be a little creative. For instance, let's say Sally Johnson is your great grandmother but was born a slave. Now on one census record you see Charles Johnson owned slave girl age 13. On another ten years later you see Sally Johnson age 23 living with such and such, you might have just found the name of your great grandmothers slave owner. Also remember that after slavery was abolished most slaves took the surname of their ancestors. So with this bit of information you then could go to a Johnson surname message board and post a request for any information on Charles Johnson who lived in this location at this time that owned slaves during this period. Just because you are researching your own tree does not mean you limit yourself to just your bloodline. Also know that when posting a message on a board it may take someone minutes, days, or even months to respond. I truly suggest you create an email account just for your genealogy research. That is the way most will respond to your posts. This is a long and tedious journey for some, but in the end you will produce great information that you can then share with the rest of your family! I wish you all the luck in your journey in time.