Alabama Archives – Access Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Walter Calloway

Walter Calloway was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1848. Calloway and his mother and brother were purchased by John Calloway, who owned a plantation ten miles south of Montgomery, Alabama. By the time he was ten years old, Walter Calloway was doing a grown man’s work. The white overseer used a black hand to administer the whippings; Calloway recalls seeing one thirteen-year-old girl whipped almost to death. Calloway also tells of worshipping in a brush arbor, the outbreak of the Civil War, and federal troops ransacking the plantation at war’s end. He is pictured sitting on the front steps of his home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked for the city street department for twenty-five years.

Slave Narrative of Charity Anderson

Charity Anderson, 101 years old, lived near Mobile, Alabama at the time she was interviewed. She was born at Belle’s Landing, in Monroe County, Alabama. Her master operated a wood yard that supplied fuel to river boats. Anderson was a house slave. She recalls that her master treated all his slaves well, but she also remembered seeing slaves torn up by dogs and whipped unmercifully.

The Occupation Of Alabama And Mississippi By The English

History of Alabama and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period

In the mid-18th century, France ceded its North American territories to Spain and Britain, dividing the land along the Mississippi River and beyond. The secret treaty gave Spain the western side, including New Orleans and other regions up to the river’s sources, while Britain received Canadian lands, Mobile, and east of the Mississippi, forming East and West Florida. West Florida’s northern boundary was later extended to include parts of present-day Alabama and Mississippi, with the Illinois province encompassing the Northern regions. British rule brought organizational changes, with the establishment of English law, encouragement of migration from Britain and the American colonies, and various governors ruling the territory, with Peter Chester being notably esteemed. The French population endured, avoiding the excessive lifestyle of the English that led to a health crisis in Mobile in 1765. West Florida faced natural disasters, like hurricanes, and political issues, culminating in resistance to a three-year legislative term, resulting in a lack of representation. Pensacola thrived architecturally, and nearby Georgia saw land treaties with indigenous tribes to settle debts, though they led to conflict and resettlements. Britain’s southern colonies remained heavily militarized, with slavery ongoing, and the introduction of new crops and trading practices.

Bossu’s Visit To The French Forts Upon The Alabama And Tombigby Rivers

In the mid-1700s, Captain Bossu, a French Marine, embarks on a voyage from New Orleans to Fort Toulouse, home to the Alabama and Creek Indians. After a 50-day journey, he arrives to a warm reception by Montberaut, the fort’s esteemed commandant, who shares his successful strategies for maintaining good relationships with the neighboring tribes. During Bossu’s stay, he observes the Creeks’ peace and prosperity, evidenced by their generosity and eloquence.

The fort experiences tumultuous events, including a mother threatened with execution for her son’s crime, but the son bravely surrenders to save her. Later, Bossu is present for the pompous arrival and negotiation efforts with the young Emperor of Coweta, witnessed by Bossu and the French officers.

Fort Toulouse sees various commandants following the whims of colonial governance. Bossu eventually transitions to Fort “Tombecbe” under orders, facing an alligator encounter and foraging ventures along the way. The narrative celebrates the vibrant culture and environment of pre-colonial Alabama, contrasted against its transformation under American expansionism.

As European conflicts spill into colonial territories, France loses its hold on Louisiana in the face of British victory, signified by commanding officers transferring posts to British control. The French finally evacuate, with the Chevalier Lavnoue disposing of all military assets at Fort Toulouse before departing for Mobile, marking the end of French dominion in the region.

Alabama Funeral Home Records

This page links to known Alabama Funeral Records whether they be available online or offline. Funeral records are an invaluable source of genealogical information that can provide insight into the lives and deaths of our ancestors. They offer a wealth of details on the deceased and their family, including their names, ages, dates of death, causes of death, and other key information. While funeral records can be found in a variety of places, genealogists must be careful when interpreting the information they contain, paying close attention to accuracy and cultural context. By using funeral records in their research, genealogists can gain a deeper understanding of their ancestors and build a more complete picture of their family history.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants

This article helps you access the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants for free. Following two simple steps, one to search, and the other to browse the actual microfilms, you can quickly find your ancestors Revolutionary War pension record, or Bounty-Land record and download the images. During 1800-1900 the United States issued more than 80,000 pensions and bounty-land-warrants to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, their spouse, or their children. Was your ancestor one of them?

Marriage Records of Shelby County, Alabama – 1885-1905

This is a series of record extracts which Don Thompson published by the Shelby County Historical Society in Columbiana, Alabama. While the series covers the years of 1824-1905, only the years of 1885-1905 are currently included online.

Baylor & Shortridge Receipt Book, 1822-1835

These are written notations of court judgements from Baylor & Shortridge Attorneys and cover the years of 1822-1835. Baylor & Shortridge were attorneys in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Hiram Shortridge was born in Kentucky and moved to Tuscaloosa in 1822.Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1793, and arrived in Tuscaloosa in 1822. Together these two men created the firm of Baylor & Shortridge. Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor was whom Baylor University was named after.

Alabama Online Historical Newspapers

Historically, there have been over 2300 newspapers published in Alabama. This list represents those Alabama online historical newspapers which have been digitally copied. At present, there is limited free online access for digital newspapers which have been published in Alabama. Whether this is due from lack of available copies, or other reasons, is not known. Perhaps it reflects a lack of a central repository for historical Alabama newspapers? We can only hope that the amount available will continue to increase. You will find over 500 Alabama newspapers are online at Newspapers.com. They are linked below with a $ sign to … Read more

Bessemer High School Yearbooks

1925 The Kalista, Bessemer High School Yearbook, Bessemer, Alabama

The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection includes 12 volumes of yearbooks from Bessemer High School in Bessemer Alabama. These yearbooks cover the years of 1925-1963, and are not all inclusive. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks below, by year published, oldest to newest. All 12 of these yearbooks, can be read, and/or their individual pages downloaded from the following links for free! 1925 The Kallista 1926 The Kallista 1944 The Kallista 1948 The Kallista 1949 The Kallista 1954 The Kallista 1955 The Kallista 1956 The Kallista 1957 The Kallista 1958 The Kallista 1959 The … Read more

Bessemer Academy Yearbooks, Bessemer, Alabama

1973 Reflections, Bessemer Academy, Bessemer, Alabama

The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection includes 27 volumes of yearbooks from Bessemer Academy in Bessemer Alabama. These yearbooks cover the years of 1972-2006, and are not all inclusive. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks below, by year published, oldest to newest. All 27 of these yearbooks, can be read, and/or their individual pages downloaded from the following links for free! 1972 Rebels 1973 Reflections 1974 Reflections 1975 Reflections 1976 Reflections 1980 Reflections 1981 Reflections 1982 Reflections 1983 Reflections 1985 Reflections 1986 Reflections 1988 Reflections 1989 Reflections 1990 Reflections 1991 Reflections 1995 Reflections 1996 … Read more

Berry High School, Birmingham, Alabama Yearbooks

1966 Caravel, Berry High School Yearbook, Birmingham, Alabama

The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection includes 10 volumes of yearbooks from Berry High School in Birmingham Alabama. These yearbooks cover the years of 1966-1986, and are not all inclusive. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks below, by year published, oldest to newest. All 10 of these yearbooks, can be read, and/or their individual pages downloaded from the following links for free! 1966 Caravel 1967 Caravel 1968 Caravel 1969 Caravel 1970 Caravel 1971 Caravel 1975 Caravel 1976 Caravel 1984 Caravel 1986 Caravel

Banks High School, Birmingham, Alabama Yearbooks

1959 Contrails, Banks High School Yearbook, Birmingham Alabama

The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection includes 23 volumes of yearbooks from Banks High School in Birmingham Alabama. These yearbooks cover the years of 1959-1989, and are not all inclusive. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks below, by year published, oldest to newest. All 29 of these yearbooks, can be read, and/or their individual pages downloaded from the following links for free!

Autauga County, Alabama Biographies

A list of biographies available online for Autauga County Alabama past residents.

United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955

3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.

Chronicling America Historical Newspapers

Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and territories.

Alabama Mortality Census Records

1850 Madison County Alabama Mortality Schedule optimized

The 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1885 censuses included inquiries about persons who had died in the twelve months immediately preceding the enumeration. The 1850, 1960, 1870, and 1880 mortality census for Alabama all survived. Mortality schedules list deaths from 1 June through 31 May of 1849–50, 1859–60, 1869–70, 1879–80, and 1884–85. They provide nationwide, state-by-state death registers that predate the recording of vital statistics in most states. While deaths are under-reported, the mortality schedules remain an invaluable source of information.

Henry County Alabama Biographies

These 59 people who once resided in Henry County, Alabama, have had biographical details published online or in book form. Please click on their names to view the biographies available for each of them. Aycock, William B. Baker, Joseph Beach, Henry M. Bradley, William E. Capps, William Jefferson Crawford, A. C. Crawford, James R. Crawford, James W. Darby, John Isaac Dawsey, John F. Dawsey, Thomas J. Drewry, John W. Espy, John Jolly Espy, Joseph S. Espy, Thomas M. Forrester, B. A. Foster, John Webb Fowler, J. L., Dr. Gordon, Alexander C. Helton, James Herring, Bright W. Holley, Francis M. Irwin, … Read more

Alabama World War 2 Casualties – Army, Air Force

This database contains War Department casualties (Army and Army Air Force personnel) from World War II for Alabama. Information provided includes serial number, rank and type of casualty. The birthplace or residence of the deceased is not indicated. An introduction explaining how the list was compiled, a statistical tabulation, and the descriptions of the types of casualties incurred are also included.

Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898

These township plat maps began with the Public Lands Survey in the United States initiated by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785, and this collection includes maps for all or parts of Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Maps were prepared from survey field notes taken by deputy surveyors and can include physical details and man-made improvements. They also indicate township and section lines, section numbers, acreage of holdings, and sometimes names of landholders.