African American Genealogical Society of Milwaukee
Resources
The following information is from various sources compiled to aid you in finding resources for African American and genealogical research. Below is a sample of information we compile on an ongoing basis. Join our organization for access to over 70 additional resources and a list that is always growing. To join, visit our Membership Application.
1940 Census
https://1940census.archives.gov/index.asp
This free site from the National Archives and Archives.com serves up census maps and descriptions to locate an enumeration district, plus complete 1940 census images you can save, share and download.
1950 Census
https://1950census.archives.gov/
The 1950 census records were released by the U.S. National Archives on April 1, 2022. This website provides full access to the 1950 census images, including population schedules, enumeration district maps, and enumeration district descriptions.
1950 Census National Archives Genealogy Series
https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-series/2022
23andMe
Best known for its health reports, 23andMe also has an enormous pool of DNA testers: over 10 million. This makes it a great place to look for DNA matches (relatives) who may know something about your origins that you don’t. It doesn’t have as many tools to help reconstruct your family tree using DNA as AncestryDNA or MyHeritage DNA, but its genetically oriented Family Tree is unique and helpful.
Access Genealogy
https://www.accessgenealogy.com/
Access Genealogy states that it contains the largest collection of free genealogy for your United States research. Find hundreds of thousands of free websites with billions of names you can use to further your family genealogy! Specifically, we provide sources for birth records, death records, marriage records, census records, tax records, church records, court records, military records, historical newspapers, cemeteries, and ethnic records. We also provide some historical details about different times and people in America’s history. Our specialty, however, is Native American genealogy and research.
AfricaMap
http://worldmap.harvard.edu/africamap/
This eye-popping site from Harvard’s Center for Geographical Analysis tracks the slave trade with historical overlays and geographical data.
AfriGeneas
https://www.afrigeneas.com/slavedata/
An excellent starting place for African American genealogy. It features a “Beginners Guide” video; details on best sites for African American records, resources, and research; good direction on finding slave data, vital records, history of slavery; plus a website search function, forums and chats.
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy 1719-1820
http://www.ibiblio.org/laslave/
Powerful search tools let you scour this database of 100,000 Louisiana slaves by plantation. It represents the results of 15 years of research by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, professor emerita of history at Rutgers University.
Allen County Public Library (ACPL), Fort Wayne, Indiana
http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy
https://acpl.lib.in.us/pathfinders/snapshots/states
Special collections include African American and a Native American Gateway; military records; a surname database contributed by researchers and a handy list of selected research guides and record indexes to help you get started on your research in any state. This is one of the largest genealogical library collections in the U.S.
Ancestry.com
https://www.ancestry.com/
Not cheap, at $149 for six months of global access, but you definitely get what you pay for here. Ancestry offers more than 32,000 collections of genealogical records, from popular datasets such as censuses and passenger lists, to databases with narrower coverage, like Chicago’s 1888 voter registration index. Build your family tree to get hints to matching records and, for another $99, test your DNA. Ancestry also has access through a registered guest account and is accessible through libraries.
AncestryDNA
More than 15 million people have taken DNA tests here, making it a prime place to connect with genetic relatives. Powerful tools help users compare their family trees with each other and figure out how they might be related. The proprietary Genetic Communities help reveal ancestral migration patterns.
Arkansas Gravestones
arkansasgravestones.org
Browse by cemetery or surname to find your ancestors in a volunteer-uploaded compendium of nearly 1.2 million gravestone photographs.
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
http://www.newberry.org/genealogy-and-local-history
This acclaimed independent library in Chicago is best known by genealogists for its interactive Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. You’ll also find Chicago resources, Freedmen’s Bureau finding aids and a raft of genealogy guides.