Did all descendants of African Americans come from West Africa in the slavery days?

Question

As an African American teen, I sometimes feel inadequate because i personally feel i don't have a deep culture. Europeans and show off their Irish or Italian heritage, Asians can rep being Chinese or from Vietnam, and Latinos are proud to be Mexican or Venezuelan. I can't do that because i dont know what country my ancestors came from. I don't know if they're from Togo or even Cote d'ivoire. I would love to know if it's even possible to trace back your lineage that far. If it is, how do i go about it?

Answer 1

As a African American woman, I think you should focus on your most recent history rather than anything older than the last 200-300 years. The other groups your refer to actually show pride in their most recent heritage, rather than anything older. Also, you are a part of a rich and unique culture, created by your ancestors in this country. Think of the influences Africans in American have had on the entire world (really how many Chinese people can quickly identify a Venezuelan icon, but everyone know matter where they are from knows MLK or Michael Jordan). Also, as a group, African Americans have had a higher impact on all aspects of life in this country. From science to philosophy; sociology to modern music, African Americans are consider innovators and leaders. I suggest you consider how rich your culture rather than how far you can trace it back. I hope that helps.

Answer 2

No. Since some people who were sold as slaves were prisoners from various wars all around Africa it is possible to have relatives from anywhere. Also, remember, the Africans had trade networks, so they could have someone from another Continent marry an African.

Also, if you believe the current DNA theory of the matriarch, we are all African if we go back far enough. (In fact, if you go back even further, some believe all life is created from a common source, by the Creator.)

There is nothing wrong with not feeling a strong ethnic identity. Not everyone does.

The suggestion of using the censuses, the newspaper advertisements, and other records will help if your family is willing to tell you enough to get you started looking. Not all families are willing to talk about the past. It helps to ask questions with a photograph album and a notepad when talking to your elders. You never know what they will remember which will help you while looking at a picture.

If there are no pictures, maybe you should draw one and ask who it looks like in your family. (I am aware people who were victims of floods and tornadoes may have lost all the family pictures.)

If you can trace back to the slave times, you may be able to get back to what ship people came on. Then you may find records are available in Africa. (Warning, having someone checking this for you may cost a lot of money.)

Some of us, who are descended from Slave traders - can not find any provable information on where that branch of the family came from past 1773.

Those of us descended from Slave traders - the worst thing to deal with, relatives selling humans - would love to help make up for the horrible treatment that our ancestors did to your ancestors.

Answer 3

All descendants of African Americans aren't from West African slaves, although a good percentage are. There is some very interesting research going on, involving DNA testing, that can help pinpoint exactly where your ancestors did live. But the thing that matters most is where you are now, not where some of your genetic material came from generations ago. If you are American, be proud of that. And just between the two of us (Shhhh! it's a secret) most Americans aren't pure anything. They're almost all a mixture of something and they're just playing games when they go out and celebrate St. Patrick's day, or shout and scream about winning the World Cup in Soccer, or hold a Munich style beer fest. You can celebrate being whatever you want, but most of all, be proud of being who you are.

Answer 4

There are some universities that are doing a lot of genetic mapping and can do DNA tests that can be traced back to your country. You should go to the PBS website and find the show they did featuring Prominant African American where they did just that. see the links below. It was a facinating show. Several of them were very suprised about what they learned about their roots.

Mae Jamison learned that she has some chinese heritage, which shocked her (even though you can see the features in her face).

Henry Lewis Gates found out that he is genetically 50% white...stil, even though all of his relative going back several generations were considered black (or *****, depending on the era)!

Quincy Jones thought his grand mother was native american mixed, but he is all african and white.

Whoopie is all African.

Oprah and Chris Tucker are African and Native American. Chris even went to africa to an area his ancestors were from. I don't remember the other stories.

I know there is historic information that shows the slave trader routes from different African Countries and the ports where they stopped and/or sold slaves. I think certain ports tended to get slaves from certain countries, but don't quote me. Try some of the links I put in the Source section.

Answer 5

Living in America basically means that at some time in your families future it will be difficult to trace your ancestors origins. With all the mixing of nationalities and races, Americans are evolving into their own unique group of people. I think it's great and what we really need to do is forget the hyphen in the ethnic background and just put down we are Americans. Sounds a bit far out but believe it or not it will happen one day.

Answer 6

No, sadly Africans kidnapped each other from all over the continent, from egypt, ethiopia to south africa to Morocco and marched (often to death) to the trade sites on the west coasts of africa. It was a bloody, brutual trade and disgusting of everyone who abused these poor innocent peoples. From their African cousins to the europeans, asians and americans who bought them and treated them no better than any other bought good.

If I wanted to trace my heritage, I would START with the American Census Bureau and go back as far as I could. Even Slaves I believe were listed. Also, you may want to contact some of the Black Universities as they may contain or collect records of sales and histories of these kinds. Good luck and I hope you discover everything you want!

Answer 7

Hon You should be able to trace that on the internet. ..But I am not sure I would want to know... If my great anscestors were Brought here as slaves and sold or traded, like livestock!!!Good luck to you though...

Answer 8

You're facing the same problem that many caucasian Americans have as well. So many of them are such mutts that they don't have much of a heritage at all. Don't worry about it, you're not alone. :)

Answer 9

no.some come from south america(like the Olmacs).

Answer 10

No not all of them.