African American Genealogy online research is much more difficult due to the scant nature of record keeping for African American’s prior to the Civil War. This is the reason for creating a separate section for African Americans much like we have for Native Americans who’s research can also be hampered by the available records. The links below provide an accurate reflection of what is available to be searched for African American genealogy.
Conducting successful African American genealogical research can be a challenging adventure. In recent years, the challenge has been lessened and the adventure heightened by the growing body of publications relating to this ethnic group. Special-interest groups and genealogical societies nationwide are publishing key guides, new bibliographies, and important how-to books. Before delving into published sources, however, it is always important to pause long enough to organize one’s own personal papers and review standard research methodology.
Searching for African American families involves two distinct research approaches. These approaches correspond to the distinct change in the legal status of African Americans in the United States before and after the Civil War. Genealogical techniques used to track slave families before the war are necessarily quite different than those used for white or free African Americans; however, research conducted on African Americans after the war usually involves the same types of records as those used for whites.
- National Archives
- Archives
- Societies
- Biography
- Free Biography Resources (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- A B Bi C Ch Cr D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- African-American Pioneers of Henry County (hosted at Henry County Genealogical Services)
- Free Biography Resources (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- African American Cemeteries
- Access Genealogy’s Cemetery Records
The most complete coverage of Cemetery records available on the web. They are broken down by county. We do know know if there are African Americans in these cemeteries, so you should browse them for ancestors also. - Clark County
- Hosted at Clark County USGenWeb
- African-American Cemetery near Daisy Hill Cemetery
- Briar Hill Cemetery , Slave and Free Blacks Cemetery
- Daisy Hill Cemetery
- Henry County
- Orange County
- Lick Creek Cemetery (hosted at Orange County Indiana INGenWeb)
- Access Genealogy’s Cemetery Records
- African American Census Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Access Genealogy’s Census Records
Providing the most complete coverage of census records available on the web. We’ve broken the list down by county, and take a careful look at the index page where we explain which records are missing from the census data and may never be recovered. - Henry County
- Owen County
- Parke County
- Church Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Court Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- The Will of Samuel Bundy, 1797 – 1858 (hosted at Henry County Genealogical Services)
- Registry of Negroes and Mulattos, 1853-54,Vigo County, Indiana (hosted at Indiana State Archives)
- History
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- Mailing Lists
- Maps and Land
- Military Records
- Military Records (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- World War I Records
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- World War II Records
- Indiana World War II Army – Air Corps Casualty List
- Indiana World War II Navy – Marines Casualty List
- Hosted at Ancestry.com
- African-American Civil War Soldiers & Sailors (hosted at Solders and Sailors System)
- Henry County Colored Soldiers in the Civil War (hosted at Henry County Genealogical Services)
- Military Records (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
- Miscellaneous
- Civil Rights in Henry County, 1872 (hosted at Henry County Genealogical Services)
- Essential Steps For African American Research (hosted at Afrigeneas)
- Obituaries
- Mrs. Pleasant Poindexter, 1779-1891 (hosted at Henry County Genealogical Services)
- Surnames
- Vital Records