If you are of African American descent it is quite difficult to trace back your family tree, as there are limited records for African-American genealogy. Most African-Americans were descended from slaves who were brought to the US in the 18th and 19th Century. They were regarded as having no rights which explains the lack of ancestry records.

In spite of this lack of information it is often still possible to research your genealogy. It is best to start with the families you are aware of and then expand your research from there. There are six steps to follow in trying to trace your African American roots.

Group of Slaves South Carolina

Firstly, you need to begin with yourself. Some brainstorming is needed so make a note of everything you know about you and your family relationships. Look through those old handed down boxes for old photographs and diaries and documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates of your ancestors Try asking the older members of your family for information on the names you have uncovered and do it now before memories fade further.

In step two you need to go back to the year of 1870. This is a very important date for African-American genealogy because it was the year when black’s details had to be fully recorded. From this point on they had to be included in records such census and cemetery data so making research back to this time possible.

Next you will need to find out who was your ancestor’s last owner (slavery was abolished in 1865). Not all blacks were slaves prior to the civil war as northern states abolished slavery earlier and some slaves were freed after a certain period when they were deemed to have paid the cost of their passage. The 1860 census has a record of whether the person was a slave or free. If you have established that your ancestor was a slave you now need to identify his or her last owner. Some slaves continued to use their former owner’s last name after being freed but the majority did not.

Under step four you will need to research the owner and information on the slavery. After finding the ancestor’s slave master or owner you will need to find their records to see how they managed their property. Slaves were regarded as merely part of their property. You will need to look at their wills and probate records, bills of sale and newspaper advertisements regarding runaway slaves.

Next in your African-American genealogy you need to concentrate on Africa. As mentioned earlier the black slaves came from Africa and were then bonded to American plantation owners. Look for records of slave advertisements and sales of slaves which often have clues on the slaves origins.

Finally, the search moves to the Caribbean . When World War Two ended a large number of ex-slaves from the Caribbean, but originally from Africa, migrated to the US. Once you establish that your ancestor came from the Caribbean you will need to research in that location.

Tracing family history can be a challenging task. A good deal of patience is needed to be able to persevere. Methodical research is the most important part of this process. As always the Mormon church often has information you might not expect and they do have some African-American genealogy resources so it is worth checking their records.

If you are not making the progress you would like try going over your previous research as there may be an avenue you have not explored. Often, lots of time is needed before seeing good results. A lot of your research can be speeded up using the Internet which is the genealogist’s greatest resource.