Why can't i find what i am looking for on my Ancestors. I need to no much as i do now i love my family the one that are living and the the ones that has gone to heaven. I have most of their names but i want to no more who were their parents and great parents.I need to find a good website to go to the ones i have went to shows me all the white names which is no problem but i need to no more about my black Ancestors Please help me msbeepbeepfinest@yahoo.com
2007-09-11 06:06:54 · 5 answers · asked by msbeepbeepfinest 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
>> Why can't i find my Black Ancestors From Toomsboro Ga?
Because the d@mn crackers didn't even give the slaves the courtesy of a last name, and the US Census bureau, in it's wisdom, didn't ask for slaves' names. It was 1870 before most Blacks were listed on the census. They'd been listing white women and white children since 1850; before that is was just free white men who were heads of households, and the occassional white woman who was an HofH.
Your local LDS church's family history center may have access to census images back to 1870, and to a CD of Freemdan's Bank records.
This may help:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp?page=home/welcome/site_resources.asp
As others have said, you may have to look off-line. I wish you well. You do not have an easy task.
2007-09-11 08:50:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
As Ted Pack notes, the US Census started listing freed slaves in 1870. Your local public library should have a government document section that has US Census records available on microfilm. The library may also have access to web sites like Ancestry.com as well for its patrons.
In the mean time, the Latter Day Saint web site http://www.familysearch.org may have data on your family. The web site is a public service provided by the Mormon Church.
You might also write to individual county seats requesting birth and marriage records. Be forewarned, however, that many black and white Southerners living in rural areas didn't have their births recorded until the 1940s.
Finally, if you can post some family names and possible birth and death dates, I or another poster will be glad to try and look them up for you on Ancestry.com. Good luck!
2007-09-11 12:39:01 · answer #2 · answered by Ellie Evans-Thyme 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An old coworker of mine decided to trace her family history, and the trail went cold. She eventually hit upon checking out property records for the pre-Reconstruction era -- not just homes and land but slaves -- and there she found more information.
The internet is wonderful but you may end up deciding to take a trip to Toomsboro or wherever such records exist (maybe the state capital?). Be sure to contact people before you go so as to optimize your time. I'm sure you aren't the first person who's done this!
Good luck in your search.
2007-09-11 06:32:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Might be a good idea to take a trip there if possible, and try to talk to some of the oldtimers. Being from the south, I know this sounds bad, but try checking in on some of the slavery sale records. There might be some at the county courthouse there. If nothing else, you might be able to find out what tribe your ancestors were from.
2007-09-13 08:38:44 · answer #4 · answered by topo8032003 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am afraid it is hard to trace African American heritage beyond 150 years, due to slavery. Untill after the civil war southern blacks didn't even have a last name. After the civil war they simply took the names of figures they have heard of (Jefferson, Washington) or the last name of their old master.
Its unfortunate but its history.
2007-09-11 06:14:19 · answer #5 · answered by Todd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋