HOW TO PROVE WHICH BLACK AMERICANS ARE DESCENDANCE OF SLAVES
This post is about black Americans who are descendants of slaves brought from Africa to America. Other races who were also slaves at some point in history must fight for reparations in their own way, if they choose to.
Descendants of slaves can refer to people who are born into slavery because their ancestors were captured and enslaved, or to people who have a known genealogical or historical connection to enslaved people. The term can also refer to the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS), a political and social movement that advocates for reparations for Black Americans. source
How do you know if you are a descendant of a slave?
The National Archives and Records Administration, as the custodian of the permanently valuable records of the U.S. Federal Government, holds a wide variety of records that may help African Americans identify slave holders and ancestors who were enslaved before 1865.
Record keeping
Towns and counties often keep records of enslaved people, including manumission papers, business records, and other documents: source
Manumission papers
Manumission papers, records of slave births, bills of sale and various ordinances and court records relating to the life of slaves can be found within the collections of the Municipal Archives.
These documents record when an enslaved person was freed before the 13th Amendment was ratified. They were often recorded in town or county records, and some can be found in state and local archives and historical societies.
Business records
Larger plantations may have kept detailed records about enslaved people, including births, deaths, relationships, and purchase details. Other business records that may be relevant include bills of sale and insurance records.
Other documents
Other types of documents that may be relevant include probate records, vital records, tax records, and court order books and county deed books. These documents may include bills of sale, deeds of gift, mortgages, records of importation, and manumissions.
You can also check out these resources for more information about records of enslaved people: source
Municipal Archives
The Municipal Archives in New York City has collections that document enslaved people, including the Common Council Papers. You can also find records of slave births, bills of sale, and ordinances and court records relating to the lives of slaves.
Northeast Slavery Record Index
This index has online reports that include local records of enslavement by college officials or faculty, as well as regional records by graduates in their home communities. It also has indexed records that refer to slave holders and enslaved persons from the Dutch Colonial Council in New Amsterdam, which was the early place name for New York.
NY State Archive
The NY State Archive has digitized invoices from towns and cities for the care of abandoned children. These records name the children and their former owners. source
Federal census bureau source
Enslaved people were counted in the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 to 1860, but not by name. Instead, the Census Bureau created separate schedules called Slave Schedules in 1850 and 1860 to list enslaved people. The schedules listed each slave owner by name, and then their slaves by age, sex, and color, usually under a number. The schedules were organized by state, then county, and then owner.
You can find the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules on FamilySearch. The National Archives has also microfilmed all of the original manuscripts for applicable states. source
Can DNA tell if you are a descendant of a slave? source
DNA testing can help people trace their ancestry to enslaved ancestors. This is because DNA tests can compare single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a person's DNA to those of people with known ancestries in a database. SNPs are single-letter changes in DNA that are passed down through generations.
DNA testing can be especially helpful for African Americans who may have ancestors who left few or no documentary records due to social, political, or economic marginalization. For example, genealogical records alone often aren't enough to trace African American lineages before 1870, when their ancestors usually came to the United States on slave ships without immigration records. source
In 2023, a study published in Science used DNA from more than two dozen people buried at the Catoctin Furnace in Maryland to identify tens of thousands of living descendants of enslaved people. The study found that most of the relationships were distant, but researchers also identified more than 500 people with closer connections, possibly ninth-degree relationships or closer. source
But you were not a slave. So why do you deserve reparations?
In the American justice system if the plaintiff dies the judgment goes to the next of kin.
Lawsuits generally survive the death of one of the parties. When a plaintiff is no longer alive, the legal claim goes to the plaintiff’s heirs. The civil court can stay the matter — put the lawsuit on hold until the probate court appoints an estate representative. source
If a plaintiff dies before a civil lawsuit is settled, the court will usually pause the case to allow the probate court to appoint a personal representative for the plaintiff's estate. The personal representative can then continue the lawsuit on behalf of the estate. source
The claim becomes an asset of the deceased's probate estate, and the personal representative decides whether to settle the case. If the claim is successful, the compensation goes to the estate, and the court may distribute it equitably among the heirs. source
For example, in a wrongful death case, the court may set aside some of the settlement for minor children, and if there is no spouse, the settlement may go to the surviving siblings or lineal heirs. If the claimant had a will, the compensation may be distributed according to the claimant's wishes. If there is no will, the laws of intestacy may apply.
Mixed-Race Individuals (PDF): Estimates exclude approximately 3 million mixed or multi-race children under age 19 who may qualify for reparations if at least one parent is eligible. However, specific policies vary, and eligibility criteria depend on the context. source
Broader Perspectives: Some advocate that reparations should not be restricted to African descent alone.
Summary: How to prove which black Americans are descendance of slaves?
Answer: Through Record keeping, manumission papers, business records, and other documents like the National Archives and Records Administration, also documents like probate records, vital records, tax records, court order books and county deed books. These documents may include bills of sale, deeds of gift, mortgages, records of importation, and manumissions. Municipal Archives, Slavery Record Index, invoices from towns and cities, Slave Schedules, and DNA.
Read also: Tracing the Enslaved to Modern Descendants, Records of 183,000 Enslaved Individuals in America, Navigating the Journey of Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors, Where are most descendants of slaves located, 1, 2, 3, The cost of reparations,
