African-American Genealogy: An Introduction to Resources and Research Methods

From 1565 to 1790, Africans surpassed Europeans among the roughly one million newcomers to what would become the United States.  A majority of these nearly 360,000 men and women crossed in bondage.  Centuries of local and federal laws related to the livelihood of black Americans have created a complex paper trail of genealogical resources.  This class aims to provide introductory historical context and recommend basic research methods in the pursuit of African-American family history.