African American Resources for Arkansas

Introduction
This guide focuses on sources that are specific to the African American experience in Arkansas. Check out the Arkansas and African American guides on FamilySearch.org as well.

Archives and Libraries
Arkansas Archives and Libraries

Freedmen's Bureau

 * Images Only.
 * Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1864-1872
 * Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau - visual guide to the Freedmen's Bureau Field Offices, Freedmen Schools, contraband camps, and battle site locations the US Colored Troops fought
 * Records of the Field Offices for the State of Arkansas, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865–1872 - a National Archives document describing the contents of each field office's records

Freedman's Bank Records

 * Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1871 ($)
 * United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874 - searchable database with browsable images for Little Rock, Arkansas

Cemeteries

 * African American Cemeteries Online: Arkansas - organized by county.
 * Arkansas Gravestones
 * Arkansas Gravestones Project

Churches

 * Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church records from 1944-1983 are located in the state archives (Arkansas History Commission). This collection contains the church board, treasurer, and Sunday school records of the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), of Sweet Home, Arkansas, 1944-1983.
 * First Missionary Baptist Church [Little Rock] (1845- ) History

Genealogy

 * "Arkansas African-American Records" at Arkansas Genealogy - Provides resources, including links to African American cemeteries, military records, slave records, and more.

Land and Property
Arkansas Land and Property - check the deed book indexes for the years before 1865 for enslaved people listed in the "Description" column. Most county courthouse deed books are digitized on FamilySearch.org. Search the FamilySearch Catalog by county.

Military

 * Arkansas and Missouri Union Army muster rolls 1863-1864 Contains the muster rolls for the Second and Third Regiments, Arkansas Infantry volunteers of African descent, and a couple of Missouri regiments (Arkansas History Commission).
 * Company G, 2nd Arkansas Volunteers of African Descent, United States of America, records This collection contains records pertaining to Company G, 2nd Arkansas Volunteers, United States Army, during the Civil War.
 * The USCT Chronicle: Arkansas – genealogist Angela Walton-Raji records the stories of the United States Colored Troops. This link has all of her posts on Arkansas soldiers
 * U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865 ($) – search on Arkansas to find either veterans who were born or enlisted in Arkansas. From Ancestry.

Probate Records
Arkansas Probate Records - pre-1865 records could contain the names of enslaved people from the slaveowner's probate records.

Slavery
Slavery in Arkansas - a resource for genealogists featuring Arkansas Slave Names, a searchable, downloadable spreadsheet containing the names of enslaved people, the slaveholders, and county.

Societies and Organizations
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) AAHGS Arkansas Chapter P.O. Box 4294 Little Rock, AR 72214

Mosaic Templars of America (MTA) Mosaic Templars Cultural Center 501 W. Ninth Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 683-3593

Time Line
1859 Arkansas law ordered free Negroes and mulattoes to leave the state by the end of the year or select a master "who must give bond not to allow such Negroes to act as free."

Free Negroes were to carry at all times his "free papers"(manumission) which gave his name and description and explained just how his freedom had been obtained.

Books

 * Taylor, Orville W. Negro Slavery in Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press, 2000.


 * George Berry Washington, Black Plantation Owner. By Iroquois Research Institute prepared for Historic Preservation Associates. - Fairfax, Va.: The Institute, 1981. - iv, 84 leaves: ill. F415.C9 W373
 * Burton, Arthur T. Black, Buckskin and Blue: African American Scouts and Soldiers on the Western Frontier. Austin, Texas: Eaton Press, 1999.


 * Clark, John Franklin. A Brief History of Negro Baptists in Arkansas: A Story of Their Progress and Development, 1867-1939. Pine Bluff, Ark.: [s.n.], 1938.


 * Works Project Administration. Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves. Arkansas Narratives, Parts 1–7. Digital version at Internet Archive made available by Project Gutenberg.


 * Black History Commission of Arkansas - Arkansas History Commission and State Archives