Research
Resources & Archives
A starting point for African American genealogy research in Alabama. Members get a deeper guidebook plus one-on-one help.
Federal Records
- U.S. Census, 1790–1950Free at FamilySearch and Ancestry (library edition at BPL).
- Freedmen's Bureau RecordsLetters, labor contracts, and marriage records, 1865–1872.
- Freedman's Savings & TrustDepositor applications listing parents, siblings, and former owners.
- U.S. Colored Troops Service RecordsCivil War service and pension files via NARA.
- Slave Schedules, 1850 & 1860Read alongside enslaver probate and tax records.
Alabama & Birmingham Archives
- Birmingham Public Library — Department of Archives & ManuscriptsLinn-Henley Research Library, 4th floor.
- Alabama Department of Archives & HistoryVital records, WPA narratives, county tax rolls (Montgomery).
- Jefferson County Probate CourtMarriage licenses from 1818, deed and probate books.
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute ArchiveOral histories and 20th-century community records.
- Miles College ArchivesRecords of Birmingham's historic HBCU community.
Church, Cemetery & Community
- 16th Street Baptist Church RecordsMembership rolls dating to the 19th century.
- Sixteenth Avenue, Shadow Lawn, Grace Hill cemeteriesAfrican American burial grounds with active preservation efforts.
- Alabama AME, AMEZ, and CME conference minutesPastoral assignments locating ancestors by year.
- Insurance Society & Burial Aid recordsAtlanta Life and similar Black-owned insurers.
DNA & Modern Tools
- AncestryDNA + ThruLinesBest match pool for African American researchers.
- 23andMeUseful for haplogroups and African region estimates.
- GEDmatch & DNA PainterFree tools for chromosome mapping and triangulation.
- AfricanAncestry.comMaternal/paternal lineage tracing to specific African ethnic groups.
Beginner's Guide (PDF)
Our 24-page "Starting Your African American Family Tree" guide walks you from your first interview with a relative through your first census search. Free for members; available at meetings.