You are browsing archives for

Category: Slave Research

Slave Research in Bibles

August 10, 2014Written by Robyn

Slave Research in bibles might sound counter-intuitive, but this post illustrates why it should not. The Tennessee State Archives and Library (TSLA) just finished digitizing and uploading hundred of bibles in their collection. The files are organized by surname. I hope that more genealogists will submit copies of family information from their family bibles. Aside from that, there […]

1 Comment

Freedmens Bureau Labor Contracts

July 18, 2014Written by Robyn

Familysearch is quickly digitizing Freedmens Bureau Records. Labor Contracts are one of the first categories of records that researchers should search within these valuable records. I posted awhile ago a suggested process to follow while searching these exasperating records. Background and Importance Labor Contracts are very valuable because they were often made between slaveowners and their former enslaved […]

Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research, Slaveowner Research

Lemos Slaves Reunited

June 11, 2014Written by Robyn

I had to share this heartwarming episode. I found this 1882 article about collateral ancestors of mine: RobynI am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. I have been a researcher, writer, and teacher for over twenty years. This blog is where I share family history strategies, resources, tips and advice […]

General Research, Newspapers, Reconstruction Era Research, Slave Research

Freedmens Bureau Records Online

April 27, 2014Written by Robyn

FamilySearch is digitizing Freedmens Bureau records at a furious pace. I lost my mind when I found out that they had uploaded the Field Office records for Maryland. My entire week is shot! Look at what they have thus far: I did a post on researching Freedmens Bureau records sometime ago. The National Archives (NARA) […]

Online Research, Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research

3 Comments

Freedmans Bank Records, Part 2

April 6, 2014Written by Robyn

I’m continuing my tour through the voluminous information that can be discovered about our ancestors in Freedman’s Bank Records. Last week was the first post in this series. I encourage everyone to take another look by *browsing* through these records. I’ll show examples in this series of all the things we can find. By browsing, […]

Online Research, Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research

Freedmans Bank Records, Part 1

March 29, 2014Written by Robyn

The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company is better known as the Freedman’s Bank. Their records are among the most popular for those researching African-American roots. Background Established by Congress in 1865, the Bank was primarily designed for use by the nation’s recently freed four and a half million formerly enslaved people. It eventually grew to […]

African-American Genealogy, African-American History, Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research

1 Comment

The Crown Jewel: Black Civil War Pension...

January 31, 2014Written by Robyn

In this third and final post, I’d like to share a few more items illustrating the riches that can be found in civil war pension records. Take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 of this topic if you missed it. Whites Providing Testimony I was surprised at the number of former slaveowners (and […]

Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research

The Crown Jewel: Civil War Pensions, Par...

January 5, 2014Written by Robyn

In Part 1 of this post, we looked at examples of the riches contained in civil war pension records. Let’s see more examples of how the lives of enslaved people are illuminated before, during and after the war. The name of the slaveowner is sometimes mentioned in pension files. This name can be very hard […]

Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research, Slaveowner Research

2 Comments

The Crown Jewel: Black Civil War Soldier...

December 12, 2013Written by Robyn

Civil War Pensions remain the crown jewel of genealogy research for those with enslaved ancestors. The first-hand descriptions of their lives in the testimonies, both before, during and after the war still take my breath away. Though I have no direct ancestors that served, I have some collateral ancestors who did. I also make it […]

Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research, Slaveowner Research

The Terror of Reconstruction

October 21, 2013Written by Robyn

The image above is a famous Thomas Nast drawing illustrating Andrew Johnson’s veto of the Freedmens Bureau in 1866. It shows him kicking the “Bureau” and little black people falling out. The drawing may be a funny caricature, but what black people were experiencing was no laughing matter. Violence: The Order of the Day Often […]

African-American History, Reconstruction Era Research, Records, Resources and Tools, Slave Research

Professional portrait created with Chat GPT using original photographs of the author

I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years.

Reclaiming Kin teaches the skills, tools, and resources behind sound family history research, including the complexities of researching American slavery, for genealogists at every level.

Join my mailing list below to receive my posts and get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips!

(Media Note: If you quote a post, please credit me by name, Robyn N. Smith.)

Join my free mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars.

Fruit of the Earth: Using Deed Records to Uncover Your Ancestors
20 June 2026, 1-3:30 PM, EST
Join me as I present one of my most popular webinars! Deed records are one of genealogy’s most trusted and voluminous record sets. But the legal jargon can be confusing, and besides, what if your ancestor didn’t own land? Come and learn how to use deed records in new and exciting ways and unlock brick walls about your family and the communities in which they lived. This lecture also includes content about researching potential slaveholders in deeds and African-Americans after emancipation.

The first hour will be an introduction to using deeds. After a short break, in the second hour Robyn will demonstrate how to use FamilySearch to find and research deeds. Attendees will also receive a link to re-watch this webinar for three months in about a week. This event is $10. Zoom only utilizes Paypal,which will let you use a credit card). If you want to pay by Zelle or check, please email me at msualumni33 at gmail dot com, with "REGISTRATION" in caps in the subject line.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND SAVE YOUR SEAT!

[PAST] Workshop: Using AI to Write Your Family Story,
July 11th, July 18th, July 25th, 6 p.m. EST
Do you want to preserve all the research you’ve done for future generations, but aren’t sure how to begin writing? If so, this workshop is for you. I will show you a way to get past all that by using the power of AI to give us a starting point. This workshop will require hands-on, real-time engagement from you. At the conclusion of this workshop, you will have an article about your family. Please read carefully the requirements for this workshop before registering. The workshop is $75. Zoom only uses Paypal registration and it will also let you use a credit card. If you want to pay by Zelle or check, please email me at msualumni33 at gmail dot com, with "REGISTRATION" in caps in the subject line.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND RESERVE YOUR SEAT!

[PAST] Proving Identity, Not Matching Names, 7 September 2024, 2-3:45 pm EST: Genealogical sources are full of people living in the same place with the same name as our ancestor. How can we distinguish our ancestor among others of the same name? We can’t rely on just names; we’ve got to prove identity. Join me as I discuss strategies and present guidelines for ensuring that we've got the right person.

As always, attendees will receive a link to re-watch this webinar for three months; it takes me about a week to get that link out. This event is $15. Zoom only utilizes Paypal and will let you use a credit card, or you can Cash App me at $msualumni33, but please email me with CASH APP in the Subject line so I can know who to add. Please register early; several people couldn't get in when trying to register on the day of the webinar.
CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT!

[PAST] Beyond the Search Box: Finding Family Relationships, 3 August 2024, 2-3:45 pm EST: While online databases have been a boon to genealogists over the past decades, they can obscure the analysis all researchers must do. In this session, Robyn illustrates how turning our focus away from the computer and focusing on the sources and evidence we have can lead to uncovering family relationships.

Attendees will receive a link to re-watch this webinar for three months in about a week. This event is $15. Zoom only utilizes Paypal, but if you would like to send me a check please email me using the contact form below. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND SAVE YOUR SEAT!

I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 .

I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. There are 15 tables, blank and editable for you to populate, as well as samples of using each. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here.

Checking...

Ouch! There was a server error.
Retry »

Sending message...

I love to hear from my readers. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

"While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers.

For descendants, I would add the substantial emotional impact of seeing an ancestor's name attached to a dollar value, or being valued in a list with silverware and cattle. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy is recovering the stories of those caught in its grasp who could not in their own time leave their own witness."

-Robyn

Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-2

"The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past."
-William Faulkner

"Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one"
- Jane Howard

"Friends are God's apologies for relations."
-Hugh Kingsmill

"No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?"
-Elbert Hubbard

"Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts."
-Unknown

"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!"
-Unknown

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)"
-George Burns

"Where does the family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. No superior alternative has yet been found."
-Winston Churchill

"The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never ever introduce yourself to had life not done it for you."
-Kendall Hailey

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people."
-Thich Nhat Hanh