Course Eleven – Researching African American Ancestors: Government Records and Beyond
- Registration is now open through Monday July 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern – register here!
- Orientation is on Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 7 pm Eastern
- Classes begin Monday, July 22 and end Friday, July 26, 2024
- Maximum: 30 students
- Virtual classrooms using Zoom
- All courses come with a digital syllabus
- Students will receive a digital certificate upon course completion
Course Coordinator
Description
This course is designed for intermediate to advanced researchers. Students will survey a variety of government records focused on the African American experience. The course format will consist of lectures and hands-on experiences based on strategies, methods and techniques needed to ensure African American research success. A solid understanding of genealogy basics will help students make use of the materials and concepts presented. Students should have experience using census records and general secondary records. This course will introduce you to researching federal land records, maps, congressional records, manuscript collections, military, Freedmen’s Bureau, WPA and more. In addition to lectures, there will be scheduled Q & A time at the end of each day with opportunity to interact with instructors.
Prerequisites, textbooks, and other student information
Course prerequisites:
None, but an intermediate genealogy course is recommended
Course requirements:
The goal of this course is to expand student knowledge with an African American view using government records. Students with the following will benefit the most from this course:
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- Strong knowledge of foundation sources (census, vital records, probate, etc.)
- Core understanding of the the research process
- Conducted on-site research beyond Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org
Required books:
None
Recommended books:
Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards (2nd edition)
Garner, Bryan A. Black’s Law Dictionary (11th edition). St. Paul, MN: Thomson Reuters Publishing, 2019.
Lennon, Rachal Mills. Tracing Ancestors Among The Five Civilized Tribes. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002.
Miller, Randall M., and John David Smith (editors). Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery. New York, NY: Greenwood Press, 1988.
Newman, Debra L. Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1984.
Woodtor, Dee Parmer. Finding a Place Called Home. New York, NY: Random House, 1999.
Course Schedule (All times listed are Eastern Time)
| Monday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Course Overview & Orientation (Abbott) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | How Your Ancestors Came in Contact with the Federal Government (Wilkins) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | The Law of Slavery (Garrett-Nelson) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | More than Numbers & Ticks: Understanding Federal, State & Special Census (Wilkins) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Federal Land Records & Maps in Color (Jordon) | |
| 6:30 – 7:30 | Finding and Using Online Government Document Websites (Stamm) | |
| Tuesday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Questions & Review (Abbott) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | African Americans in Congressional Documents: Part 1 (Pinnick) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | African American Military Service: From the Colonial Era to the Civil War (Strauss) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | African American Military Service From the Reconstruction Era to Vietnam (Strauss) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Manuscript Collections in African American Genealogy (Abbott) | |
| 6:30 – 7:15 | Optional Office Hour: Questions & Answers (Abbott, Pinnick, Wilkins) | |
| Wednesday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Questions & Review (Abbott) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | African Americans in Congressional Documents: Part 2 (Pinnick) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | How to Navigate the Freedmen’s Bureau Records for Research Success (Gillins) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | Finding Your Ancestors in the Freedmen’s Bureau: A Hands-0n Experience (Part1) (Jordon) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Finding Your Ancestors in the Freedmen’s Bureau: A Hands-on Experience (Part 2) (Jordon) | |
| 6:30 – 7:15 | Optional Office Hour: Questions & Answers (Abbott, Pinnick, Gillins, Jordon) | |
| Thursday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Questions & Review (Abbott) | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Freedmen in the Southern Claims Commission: Filing, Testifying, Being (Gillins) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Break | |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Federal Records of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes (Garrett-Nelson) | |
| 2:00 – 3:30 | Lunch | |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | The African American Experience in the WPA: Their Lives, Stories & Records (Gillins) | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Break | |
| 5:15 – 6:30 | Discovering the Rich Resources of the History Vault (Pinnick) | |
| 6:30 – 7:15 | Optional Office Hour: Questions & Answers (Abbott, Gillins, Garrett-Nelson, Pinnick) | |
| Friday | ||
| 10:30 – 11:45 | A Hodgepodge Using Government Documents (Abbott) | |
| 11:45 –12:00 | Break | |
| 12:00 – 1:15 | Case Studies with Great Details: Federal Agency Records & Employment Registers (Lowe) | |
| 1:15 – 1:30 | Break | |
| 1:30 – 2:45 | Course Recap & Certificates (Abbott) | |
