Researching African-Americans in PA

Genealogist Dean Henry of Family Pearl, LLC shares his expertise in researching African-Americans in Pennsylvania. The genealogy of ancestors of African descendent requires using records beyond the PA’s borders and Dean tells us how to get started.  We cover:

• Misconceptions of African-American research.
• Important record groups to use at the federal, state, and county level.
• Key groups to join on your family history journey.
• Fun finds from Dean’s research.

 Sources mentioned

• Freedman’s Bureau Records
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• Chester County Archives (each county kept these records so check with your county of interest)
• Historic Eden Cemetery 
• PA Septennial Census on Ancestry
• Temple University Library, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
• FamilySearch African-American Research Guide
• Black Roots, by Tony Burroughs (2001)
• African American in Pennsylvania: Shifting Historical Perspectives, edited by Joe William Trotter, Jr and Eric Ledel Smith (1997)
• African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies, by Daughters of the American Revolution (2008)
• Discovering Black Vermont: African American Farmers in Hinesburgh, 1790-1890, by Elise A. Guyette (2020)

Links

Dean Henry, Family Pearl, LLC - familypearl.com 

African American Genealogy Group, Philadelphia based - AAGG.org

Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters - AAHGS.org 

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Music: My Days Have Been So Wondrous and Free, composed by Francis Hopkinson in 1788 in Philadelphia, www.amclassical.com, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.