This virtual event's core objective is to empower researchers to effectively search and interpret invaluable federal records, which are crucial for tracing African-American family history during and after the Civil War. Nicka highlights the Freedmen’s Bureau collection's immense potential for breaking genealogical brick walls and uncovering compelling stories of ancestors' resilience and determination during the Reconstruction era.
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In this video, Nicka thoroughly prepares researchers by first emphasizing foundational steps: tracing family lines back to at least the 1880, 1870, or ideally 1865 census, confirming ancestors' enslaved or free status, and leveraging personal oral histories. Nicka then dives into what the Freedmen's Bureau is and it’s functional timeline. The Bureau's broad mandate is then covered in order to provide context for researchers when looking for ancestors. Additionally, Nicka covers the specific states where the Bureau operated, underscores the vast volume of its records, and explains the critical hierarchical structure which is essential for targeted research. Nicka effectively demonstrates on Ancestry search strategies, including using wildcards, interpreting breadcrumbs for record context, and extracting rich genealogical details from both Bureau and Freedmen's Bank records, using examples like Asbury Lee and Jeremiah Wilson Bowers.
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Chapters:
-Â Introduction & Welcome
- Preparing for Freedmen's Bureau Research
-Â The Freedmen's Bureau: History, Organization & Scope
- Effective Search Strategies on Ancestry
- Q&A and Continuing Your Research
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Explore the comprehensive Freedmen's Bureau records on Ancestry.com, and share your breakthrough discoveries with friends and family!