Discrimination against black Americans had consequences far
beyond the polling and work places. Forbidden to go to school during
enslavement and facing unequal opportunity (and racism) after the
Civil War, most African American families did not have the ability to
write down their personal histories. Instead, they relied on family
traditions and oral histories, but many of these were lost when
subsequent generations moved to other places to seek out a better
living. Therefore, the knowledge of where one's roots were planted
became faint memories.

And that is the biggest challenge for African American family
researchers - where to start? Following are a few pointers to help
you in your research.

Probate Records
Probate records hide a great deal of clues as to one's ancestry.
Slaves were divvied up after the plantation owner's or farmer's
death, either to family members or creditors. Slaves were mostly
mentioned by first name and given a brief physical description, along
with an assessed monetary value. These old wills are painful to
read, but are an invaluable tool in the search for ancestors.

Probate records hide in the County Clerk's office, so you'll need to
know the county from where your ancestors come. Wills and
executor's documents are considered public domain and can be
viewed by anyone for no cost (though there's usually a fee for
copying).

Names
After emancipation, many African Americans in the South took the
name of their oppressors, simply because they had lost their African
identity. They would also give their children Anglo first names, often
on the suggestion of the master or mistress. Hence, a black man
named James Smith would most likely have a white counterpart
bearing the same name.

Location
If your great grandparents came from the Oklahoma area, chances
are high that your ancestors hailed from the Mississippi Valley. The
Choctaws, who came from the Mississippi Valley, brought slaves
with them as they settled into "little Dixie", the southeastern corner
of Indian Territory.

If your great grandparents came from Texas and thereabouts, you
might need to search in Tennessee, Arkansas, or Louisiana for
further clues.

Ancient Ancestry
Americans of African descent consist of some of the 'oldest'
Americans. As the overseas slave trade was outlawed by 1807, no
'new' slaves could be imported, thus by deduction almost all African
American families can trace their ancestry at least to the
post-revolutionary war period.
Researching African
American Ancestry