African American Slavery and Bondage

Finding an African American ancestor who was enslaved almost always means finding the records of the family that owned him or her.

Study the life and records of the slave owner and his family. Your ancestor’s life was inseparably connected with the slave owner. Your ancestor may be listed in records of the slave owner’s property.


 * 1)  Tax records. These list slaves and their monetary value.
 * 2) Land and property records. Search for information about deeds, sales, mortgages, or rental transactions of slaves.
 * 3) Probate, estate, and chancery court records These show the distribution of slaves at the death of a slave owner.
 * 4) Plantation records. Account log books give the names of slaves, family relationships, and their assigned tasks. Some records give the slaves’ birth and death dates. They also record when a slave was bought, from whom, and for how much.
 * 5) Antebellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War, Frederick, Md.: University Publications of America, 1966.