14,792 Black records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).
From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.
Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).
Family histories, generation by generation (1)
Family records from county histories (6)
The earliest Blacks in the county histories
Family trees from the public record
In old newspapers
In the county history family index
Biographies from the county histories (5)
120 of the 13,914 Black people in our records, from every state where the name turns up: the earliest born and the most recent deaths, newest first. Tap a name to open that person's page. Someone listed in two public indexes is shown once. Search every Black record →
Found your Black? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.
Our database holds 14,792 Black records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Missouri (3,447), then Ohio (3,319) and Illinois (1,922).
The earliest Black birth in our database is 1814: John Welling Black, Harrison County, Ohio. The old county histories name A. B. Black, born 1734. We have pieced together 723 Black family trees from public birth and death records.
Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.
Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.
Part of a network of documented family histories: