As I have researched more and more enslaved ancestors, I have become more immersed in researching the history of slavery. I have learned so much. Most genealogists are not professional historians. But we can benefit from being familiar with some of the evolution in slavery studies. I encourage anyone researching enslaved people to read at […]
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Category: Slave Research
The Last Slave
Everyone researching enslaved ancestors eventually reaches the last slave. They find their ancestor in an an inventory or will or other official document. Usually, that’s as far as it goes. My ancestor Martha provides a good example. William Warfield In the 1860 Howard County, Maryland household of William R. Warfield, my great-great-grandmother Martha Simpson was […]
The Criticality of the 1870 Census
When researching African-Americans, the criticality of the 1870 census cannot be understated. That year is called the “Brick Wall” for good reason. Considered personal property, enslaved people were not enumerated by name before 1870 (free blacks were). Most African-Americans were enslaved prior to the Civil War. Since most former slaves remained near where they had […]
Martha Simpson: Right Under My Nose
I am in a state of genealogic shock. I’ve found another family line of free blacks that no one knew about in our family. My ancestor Martha Simpson was the wife of Levi Prather. I’ve been working hard to unravel the complicated slave relationships in the Prather family of Montgomery County, Maryland. So, I hadn’t yet […]
The Schomburg and Black Migrations
The Domestic Slave Trade transported over 1 million people to the Deep South and West. This internal trade separated families on an even larger scale than did the African Slave Trade a century earlier. We can learn more about this trade at the Schomburg’s Migrations website. It also includes information about all of the other migrations […]
Tracking Mason Garrard Through Slavery
I have succeeded in extending Mason Garrard’s history back just a little further. Mason is my 4th great-grandfather. He was enslaved by William Garrard. I discussed that find in the previous post. Daniel Garrard Now I know that Daniel Garrard was the father of the slaveowner William Garrard. This is a classic case of enslaved […]
Finding the Garrard Slaveholder
Finding the Garrard slaveowner for my great-grandmother Mary Garrett is a fascinating case for study. She married John Wesley Holt and they settled in Hardin County, TN and raised a large family. Mary was from neighboring Decatur County. Her mother’s death certificate (also named Mary) identified her parents as Mason and Rachel Garrett. The 1870/1880 […]
Droppin’ Dime: Civil War Pension Records
Everyone knows court records are my favorite genealogical record, but a close second are civil war pensions. The depositions from former slaves are one of the few places you’ll find first person accounts of their lives. Applicants had to prove their marriages, children, birthdates, and service. For many former slaves, this was a difficult task. […]
Mind of the Slaveowner: Runaway Ads
Runaway Ads for enslaved people throughout Maryland are available online at the Maryland State Archives’ Legacy of Slavery database. The ads tell us much about the mind of the slaveowner. Here are some of my observations: 1) Slaveowners knew a surprising amount of information about enslaved families. This also speaks to the extended kinship communities that […]
A White Father: Direct Evidence
My friend Aaron has made an incredible find that I wanted to share because it is such a rarity. Many people researching former slaves have encountered interracial children in their family trees. Enslaved women frequently had children with white men. Enslaved women did not own their own bodies and were commonly sexually abused. Sometimes the […]