Thank you for registering for the online course, Getting Started in African American Family History Research!
Want to learn more about your family’s past, but don’t know how to begin? This full-day, virtual seminar will provide you with the first steps in tracing your African American roots. We will look at common challenges and myths, key records and resources, and strategies for making real headway in your research. Our instructors will also share how to utilize and get involved with the 10 Million Names Project, a collaborative endeavor dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America between the 1500s and 1865.
Slides and Handouts
Class 1: Getting Started, Presented by Cynthia Evans
Learn about the first steps in tracing your family’s history! This session will introduce you to the genealogical research process, useful tools, and techniques that support your research. We will also address some common challenges—and myths—specific to uncovering the stories of African Americans.
Running time: 1:26:00
Class 1 Handout
Class 1 Slides Worksheet
Class 1 Slides (Large)
Helpful Links and Tips Shared in Q&A Panel by Attendees - Class 1
Class 2: Records, Resources, and Repositories: An Introduction, Presented by Danielle Rose
Gain a valuable overview of the key records—including vital records, censuses, church records, probate, court and manumission documents, newspapers, and more—resources, and repositories that you’re likely to use during the course of your research.
Running time: 1:16:47
Class 2 Handout
Records for African American Research Chart
Class 2 Slides Worksheet
Class 2 Slides (Large)
Helpful Links and Tips Shared in the Q&A Panel by Attendees - Class 2
Class 3: Strategies for Breaking Down the 1870 Genealogical Brick Wall, Presented by Jonathan Hill
Breaking through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery can prove challenging. Changing surnames, families ripped apart, and identifying the former enslaver are just a few roadblocks when researching enslaved families. This session will dive deep into creating a research strategy and organizing the records uncovered, plus provide tips for making sense of all the information unearthed in the search and constructing a proof argument when records are limited. Best suited for those with intermediate genealogical skills.
Running time: 1:24:16
Class 3 Handout
Class 3 Slides Worksheet
Class 3 Slides (Large)
Helpful Links and Tips Shared in the Q&A Panel by Attendees - Class 3
Class 4: The 10 Million Names Project: How to Get Involved, Presented by Danielle Rose
The 10 Million Names project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans. Learn how you can get involved today!
Running time: 55:15
Class 4 Handout
Class 4 Slides Worksheet
Class 4 Slides (Large)
OTHER RESOURCES
Online Webinar: Black Families of Revolutionary-Era Plymouth, MA
Online Webinar: Finding Enslaved African American Ancestors in New England
Online Webinar: Introducing the 10 Million Names Project
Online Webinar: Researching Black Patriots and Loyalists During the Revolutionary Era
Online Webinar: Researching Black Soldiers in the Civil War
Publication: Black Families in Hampden County, Massachusetts, 1650-1865
Publication: Growing Up with the Country: Family, Race, and Nation After the Civil War
Publication: Portable Genealogist: African American Resources
Publication: Twenty Families of Color in Massachusetts, 1742-1998
Research Guide: African American Genealogy
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Cynthia Evans, 10 Million Names Research Director; Cynthia Evans holds an M.A. in Museum Science. She is a researcher, historian, and genealogist with more than ten years of experience in African American history and research and five years of experience managing a genealogy center that specialized in African American genealogy. As the manager of the genealogy center, she created and implemented genealogical programming for adults and children, genealogical field trip activities for the African American Cultural Center and created a genealogical curriculum. In 2016, she partnered with other local archival institutions to create Austin’s first African American Genealogical symposium.
Danielle Rose, 10 Million Names Volunteer Coordinator; Danielle Rose holds a B.A. in History from the University of Florida and M.A. in Public History from Northeastern University. While at Northeastern, she specialized in digital humanities, oral history, and community engagement. As a public historian, Danielle’s work focuses on bringing to light the stories of lesser-known individuals and historical events. Prior to joining American Ancestors, she worked as a digital history intern at the National Parks of Boston, where she researched the lives of Black Patriots of the Revolutionary War, specifically those who served during the Siege of Boston. She also previously worked as a museum educator in Miami, FL.
Jonathan Hill, Researcher, 10 Million Names;
Jonathan earned his BFA. from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served as a Board Member of the Friends of the Town of Bedford Cemeteries. His historical research resulted in the installation of government issued headstones for unmarked Civil War soldiers’ gravesites around the country. He works as a volunteer researcher for Virginia Tech's Civil War Photo Sleuth Project. He has contributed to the Green-Wood Cemetery’s Civil War Project, and many other historical volunteer projects across the country. In his free time, he has written, directed, and produced two feature length Civil War documentary films. His first film documents the Civil War from the written accounts of soldiers in the 12th New Hampshire Infantry. His second film highlights the story of twelve Civil War soldiers who created a compact while at the York General Hospital in 1864. His second passion is freelance photography and videography.