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Although many genealogists will claim that researching African-American history is the same as any other type of genealogical
research, it is not always the case. Sure, the basic fundamentals are the same but, once you trace your history back
prior to 1870, and it was the case that your ancestor was a slave, it can pose some pretty tricky problems. Slaves were
not recorded by name on the Federal Census. In fact, up until fairly recent times, in some communities, blacks simply
were not even recorded in the same marriage books as whites. I am not stating these facts to anger anyone, but to simply
illustrate that there are some special skills required when tracing African-American genealogy. If you are
African-American, do not assume that you are a decendant of a slave. Many people of color were in fact free citizens
and some came over as indentured servants as well.
Recently,
I have began to trace African-American genealogies and found that I soon became addicted to the rich and wonderful heritage
that African-American ancestors have given their decendants. I welcome the chance to do this type of research and to
answer any questions that you may have in conducting your own. 
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