Documenting the Enslaved in Your Family Tree | Ancestry

February is Black History Month. Join Crista Cowan for a look at how those with ancestors who were slaveholders can assist our African American friends and family by documenting the lives of those enslaved.
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Documenting the Enslaved in Your Family Tree | Ancestry
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[@virginiawood288]

I just met my "first" Black cousin and we are embarking on figuring out which of my slave-owning ancestors was the connection. This was super-helpful, and I'm going to make it my mission to go back through every one of the people in my tree and document their slaves as you describe because I have caught your passion for Freeing the Names. It is the least we can do.

[@toddmaek5436]

Thank you for your service.

[@nucleus2851]

Some of his people may have owned some of your people!!

[@limonesycafe8898]

​@@nucleus2851 This doesn't make sense. They are related, they are each others people. It also doesn't make sense under US enslavement laws.

[@nucleus2851]

@@limonesycafe8898 The USA didn't make it illegal to own white slave until the late 1600 and there were black people who own white people so do tell me what make sense and I guess you think the civil war was about freeing the slaves!!

[@limonesycafe8898]

@@nucleus2851 The US didn't exist in the 1600s. British Colonial North America (BCNA) existed and no British subject, nor the subjects of any other European kingdom were enslaved in the 13 colonies. And no individual who appeared to be of African descent owned any person (subject or citizen) considered to be "white" under the construct of race based BCNA and US laws. This has been documented by our ancestors buddy.

[@SincerePraise]

I CAN NOT tell you how important what you are doing is. Many people would probably be surprised to know that although slavery is such a horrible part of our history, particularly for black folks, we still want to know ALL of our ancestors including the white ones. As we know, most African Americans (including me) have a significant amount of European DNA. I have so many white people in my cousin matches that I can't do much with because it's hard to make that connection. Since it is easier for white people to trace their histories, it would be awesome to have some help putting the pieces together. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect looking into this makes white people uncomfortable and think that black people might be angry with them if they were to try and connect with them this way. Trust me, the black people I know are more interested in just putting all the leaves on their tree. GREAT IDEA!!

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you so much for that feedback. I asked several of my black colleagues about this video before publishing it and got some mixed feedback but, for the most part, they agreed with your perspective. So, I put this out there and have hoped for the best. (Crista)

[@DBox3591]

Completely agree. I want to know the good, bad and ugly. A great Uncle didn't want to discuss our history because of what he considered the shame of intermarrying or "inbreeding". Through genetic genealogy I've found the word endogamy, which by definition makes it sound better as custom or law. So, I've been able to tell my 80 yr old Aunt there is no shame in what happened because if our family didn't move around, they hung with their own people, custom or not. I've further learned that if an ancestor didn't "leave the mountain" some may have possibly became romantic with who was around them, so to speak. I don't care what happened. I really want to know "who" happened. That includes our European cousins. My mother is about 40% European. So, we have lots of European cousins. One in particular reached out to me in Ancestry as a possible 2nd cousin and he remains one of her top matches everywhere (ancestry, 23&Me, Gedmatch, MyHeritage) after her known family. His family is in the exact ancestral location where Mom's mother and grandfather were born. So, yeah, I'm more interested in putting all the leaves on my tree..... I will go back to the drawing board with Crista's great tips!

[@aarontassin7621]

Agreed. And we should note that our black cousins need to know both European and African American genealogy. I suspect that most all American blacks doing research on their own roots need to complete collateral white research to get a full picture.

[@SincerePraise]

I have found this to be true. Black people, who search their family history with find it very difficult to get anywhere without knowing almost as much about the white people around their ancestors (and the white people who were there ancestors.) I am always so nervous to contact my white cousin matches though. I can imagine it would difficult to help someone find a person in their family who might have done something deplorable.

[@joeexotic6231]

As a white person whose family did own slaves, I don't hold uncomfortable feelings. I am in Australia. My father was American born and his sister had told me when I was 16 that one branch had come up from the south to Illinois and they used to own slaves. I expected to find AA cousins when I did my DNA. I was surprised however, to find I had sub-saharan African DNA. That isn't why I don't feel uncomfortable. I didn't enslave anyone. I treat people with respect until they do something to lose that respect. I think slavery was an abomination and I will help these AA cousins or any other AA person who asks for my help to build their tree. Slavery's impact is far reaching. In helping an AA lady build her tree, I found matches in Australia. One lady was part Indian and English. I traced her English father's family all the way back to the war of Independence. Her ancestor had been a royalist and he removed his family to Bahamas. His son became a slave trader. I found a document with names of slaves including a 22 year old female and her 1 year old baby. His perhaps. I bet the girl in Australia never imagined that she had this background. I feel it is vitally important to help AA people find their family and perhaps in everyone doing their DNA that the broader understanding of how Americans are all connected with finally sink in. It has been over 150 years since slavery was abolished. In that time more migrants came, there was migration within America and also within ethnicities. I think that given another short period of time, there won't be a white person in USA that doesn't have an AA cousin and also have slave owning ancestors. Given the movement of people around the world it is obvious that the relationships will be mirrored in other countries. I know that some slaves suffered greatly. We cannot make atones to the ancestors for the treatment. I think the better matter to be addressed is that AA have the same treatment day in and day out. Driving while black, seating while black etc shouldn't be treated as a crime.

[@lynnwl51]

I went through the will of one of my ancestors and wrote a document listing the names of all of the slaves. I then listed the names of the children to whom each slave was willed. I attached this to the ancestor's gallery, so that it would be made available to others who were searching the name of this particular ancestor. Hopefully, it might be helpful information to someone searching slaves who were attached, probably unwillingly, to that ancestor's name.

[@kellz7313]

As an African American I appreciate your work and presentation. Thank You! This was very informative.

[@kenhawkins2709]

Great story! From an African American, I appreciate your efforts and tips.

[@5592susher]

Thanks for the info

[@aarontassin7621]

Crista, as always a very informative video. But here, you took it to the next level showing both your passion for Family History and your very human side. Yes we are, in the end, all family and history be damned. As genealogists, our mission is to document and record our familial relationships - whatever the circumstances. Thank you for being yourself.

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for your kind words, Aaron. It took me weeks to put this together at a level I felt comfortable about and I still got choked up about it. It is a very emotional journey for so many of us. (~Crista)

[@anurse4life]

Thank you, so much for your sensitive tone! I have 100% European cousins ask me how we are related and I did not know how to explain to them how we could be related. However, knowing I have a European great grandmother on my fathers side & knowing my DNA results show about 25% European ancestry, makes clear to me that I will have a lot of European cousins. Now I'm off to "prove our connection. Thank you again!

[@IndomitableAde]

Crista, I have watched several of your videos and want to thank you for this one because it explores a taboo topic with the right amount of empathy and sensitivity. I appreciate the way you explained the challenges black Americans face with genealogical research. I don't think many of our European cousins grasp the full breadth of those obstacles, and a reluctance to acknowledge the circumstances of our connections to those who don't share our ethnicity means that we are closing ourselves off to history and deeper knowledge! How is your search for Fortimer going?

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks, Ade. I haven't had a chance yet to get to the archives in Richmond which is where the documents about her will likely be found. But, when I do... I'll be sure to update everyone!

[@vivienmott2849]

I enjoy all your videos but this one you did from your heart and gave me motivation to continue looking myself in my tree.

[@IyaPatsyOriginalEgunlady]

Thank you so much. Imagine the healing that can be achieved. The conversations that can begin.

[@shelbycowan7844]

Thank you. I have been trying to find a way to document the slave holder on my family tree. I have been using a separate tree to do this. That was a great way to add them to my tree. Also was looking for a way to add the other enslaved people in their wills to make it easier for other families to find them. Please we need more information on how to document slavery in our trees. The process can be very difficult and that is why so many give up.

[@rondatyson7178]

Cousins! Oh that really touched my heart deeply for some reason. God bless you for what you are doing! Y'all please help us find our people.

[@AlisonRyce]

🙂 You made a great point at 11:50! There's been a belief for over 45 years in my family that we were related to another family due to us having the same last name. I used Ancestry's DNA test to see if there was a match between my mom and another member of that family. There wasn't a match between them. Ancestry also taught me that the last name we shared had roots in England. I thought to myself that maybe we simply shared the last names of the families that enslaved our ancestors. Ancestry DNA helped a lot.

[@AncestryUS]

AncestryDNA has certainly been a game changer for a lot of us in researching our family trees. For our black cousins even more so. Happy to hear you are having success. (Crista)

[@sheilahightower-allen129]

Testing one person does not prove no relationship exists between individuals. You have to test more individuals in your immediate family and theirs before you can eliminate the possibility of a relationship. I do not match all the same cousins that my sisters match and we are all children of the same parents.

[@AlisonRyce]

Sheila Hightower-Allen Thanks! I've tested three from that family, but I'll take your word for it and test more to be sure.

[@Cynnas]

Genetic inheritance is a funny thing; I have found two people who matched to my dad but didn't match to me as well as someone who matched to my sister but not to me. That's why I'm glad we all got tested, including a maternal uncle. You never know who may match.

[@rtgeorgelu]

Really appreciate this information. As African American l must say we really need all the assistance we can get. This is at least the second time I've listened to this presentation. Thanks to you Crista. And thanks to Ancestry. And this review gave me the idea to submit the names of Slaves, which I found on Probate records to the Slave Name Roll Project.

[@KWSHOPS]

In a very small way, I really thank you for referring to us as cousins. I appreciate the work you're doing

[@suegoodwin8526]

I loved this. Just last week I found an ancestor's will who named slaves in 1830, who inherited them, and even found one lady living nearby in 1870. I would love to do what you have suggested, and more than likely will!

[@benrobinson77]

Thank you so much for this, Crista. I sent you a more detailed message to your Ancestry account. From browsing the Wills and Probate Records, I've actually been able to find slave ancestors from my Black family, as well as some manumissions (freedom records). Upon starting my research I mistakenly assumed that these records could not be found and I was taught a valuable lesson to just keep at it. This is such rich information.

[@aquilaclark814]

Thank you so much for doing this video..I tried so very hard not to cry with you..but the tears came anyway...it is so comforting knowing that you sincerely care about your bbc past history..and is willing and wanting to connect the dots..even if it does feel uncomfortable att first. I am African American with many white cousins in my tree. I would love some answers..have reached out to some..but have not gotten a response. Yes ii am stuck at the 1870 wall..I will try your last suggestion..and see if our missing link is mentioned on this website. .you have been a big help..thanks again....

[@CristaCowan]

Thank you so much for your kind words. We are all in this together!

[@deckocards6988]

I did not know you could do that! Do the disconnect instead of deleting them. Thank you for sharing that! I appreciate your deep emotional commitment to this, Crista :-)

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for sharing with us, Ronda. We hope you'll continue researching and finding out about your family lines. Please take the time to share what you learn.

[@schalenedagutis2240]

Thank you for mentioning our Slave Name Roll Project!

[@merakibox6835]

Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!! I began researching my ancestry on my 40th bday last year and my goodness, there hasn't been a day I haven't cried while researchomg their stories. My family would be considered "Mullato" where my living family members whom are lighter are considered more successful than the darker complexion ones. Discovering our history is breaking the barriers we have with one another. Thank you so much for pushing past the shame of what your ancestors may have done and sharing your story with the world👏🏽🫂❣️

[@CristaCowan]

You are so very welcome.

[@CowetaCreek]

Thank you for sharing this aspect of your family history. Most want to hide their ancestors who participated in the enslavement of families like mine. We need the full story and my European cousins need not fear us. Even though our connection may have began under very difficult circumstances, we share blood and that has meaning. I think that this is where we can change the future of our nation by acknowledging the truth of our history and our blood and/or familial connections. We are not enemies, we are family.

[@jeanettemoster1223]

Thank you for this video Crista. Your presentation has helped me to see this research in a different way. Every time I learn about an ancestor who was a slaveholder my heart sinks. Because of this I have hesitated in doing this research because I feel embarrassed that an ancestor did this to another person. In my DNA matches, I have discovered racial diversity and I'm proud to call everyone my cousin. Your presentation has now given me the courage to see past my broken heart and discover how we are related.

[@marymcclellan298]

Thank you for this video. I have many enslavers in my family tree, unfortunately. For the past four+ years, I have been focusing on finding records of the people enslaved by my ancestors and sharing the information with their descendants, including some of the cousins I've discovered through DNA matches. You have given me some good guidance on how to share that information with a wider audience. Being a part of restoring stolen histories is one of the most meaningful things I can do with the knowledge of my family's part in this country's shameful history of chattel slavery.

[@sydneysmith5230]

This has been both informational and inspirational. I am now inspired to, not only update some of my documentation, but also to renew my Ancestry membership to expand my tree further. I look forward to breaking through the 1870 wall. Thanks so much.

[@acaribbeanwoman]

I am viewing this video for the first time. Documenting our enslaved ancestors in the US Virgin Islands was made a bit easier, not a lot, but easier, due to Denmark's requirement of documentation and accounting to the king. Also, so many of those records have survived over the centuries.

[@babsdeacon5628]

Thank you so much! I have been asking people on Ancestry and at seminars how to add enslaved people to my tree that I couldn't prove as family members. Now I have a method! Also, what a moving presentation. I'm going to get on the Tangled Roots site and document the enslaved persons I've stumbled across in probate records.

[@Panzyzz]

This video was excellent. Very heartbreaking subject but we must record their names. No one should be forgotten. Thank you!

[@NOYB700]

I love Crista! She has helped me so much in my ancestry research. So much knowledge! Thank you.

[@wannaberocker3057]

Very good video Thank you. The URL link is a good method but I got an idea for Ancestry upgrade from this video. How about adding a feature to allow for adding slaves and indentures to a person (like entering family members) that does not attach to the tree of the slaveholder but allow for trees of the listed individuals to be built? This would allow for an online record of these precious people. This is would be tremendously helpful. We need to get past the sensitivity of the subject in order to better help document for the living families. I will send it in to ancestry as a recommendation but I recommend we all do to give it some priority. In the meantime, I have a new project - adding these links.

[@catofninetales3125]

Thank you, Crista! I've watched this video at least 2 times now. It's very helpful; you are very helpful. Thanks, again!

[@tammyross5845]

This was great information! This will help my African American research... Thanks 🤗

[@doobzthechamp3134]

I AM THANKFUL THAT A WOMAN OF THIS STATURE IN PRINCIPALITY AND HEART IS UNDERTAKING THIS TASK. VERY INFORMATIVE AND I CAN TELL SHE REALLY BELIEVES IN HER CAUSE. I AM THANKFUL FOR HER EFFORTS.

[@NoraCallahan1997]

I was searching to understand how to document enslaved persons I find in my tree. Tobias Phillips are my ancestors through son George. I didn't expect that! Time to do my DNA, and hello Cousin Crista! Great video. I will begin documenting people enslaved in my tree on ancestry. I have been adding them as children in my Reunion files and have hundreds of people because I have two dozen Jamestown emigrants, in Virginia before the "Muster of the Living and Dead." I'll be sure to check out Tangled Roots and Branches, too.

[@AncestryUS]

Hello Cousin Annee! It has been a fascinating journey digging into the history of the Phillips family's Lawrence descendants. I don't know much about George and his descendants, though I do have DNA matches through two of George's children - William Tobias Phillips and George Phillips Jr.

[@mamabearof1nc]

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have been stumped how to document and keep track of enslaved individuals found in my ancestor's wills. You handled this delicate issue very well.

[@mamabearof1nc]

I also added a web link of the slave owner to the profile page of the enslaved person

[@dixieo6361]

Thanks for the good info and insight into our history. Very thought provoking!

[@ellegriffin5957]

Great video!!!! reading the title I thought this would be different. I hope all researchers watch this one. I've always wished someone would help me the way you are doing so!! love this video!

[@jamaaldupree7371]

Now this is the type of stuff I want to find out. I know my family's story contains great history.

[@lilyswan]

Thank you so much for your honesty, clarity, intent, sensitivity and action on this difficult and painful subject. I hope it can be part of our healing, being a part of reclaiming and reckoning with the slave times, freeing their names, finding their stories, knowing we have been woven somehow through the ages. This not only gives me direction but hope.

[@reneeneilson192]

Really appreciate this video. Do you have an email I can send a request to? I have both slave and master connection on my grandmother’s side and it is really hard to not only find the slave but the white ancestor who is also part of your bloodline. Slave holders generally did not acknowledge their mixed children. Southerners also practiced the annoying habit of calling a person by a nickname or another name other than their legal name, and sometimes the nick name appeared on legal records. Makes the ancestor a little hard to find later on. I would love to see more videos like this. Thank you for sharing the story about your indentured ancestor. Very much enjoyed it.

[@denisemuhammad2382]

Great information! Thank you for sharing.

[@gertrudemcclain1677]

OMG! thank you I truly loved this post and gained enormous information.

[@catofninetales3125]

Extremely informative! Thank you so much!

[@maggiefrazier1345]

Crista! What an amazing topic! I really enjoyed it. I'm having trouble gathering information on my slave ancestors and you have given some places to check. If I can free the names, I will add them to the list.

[@AmyKnits]

Wonderful ideas and suggestions. Thank you!

[@metrolady72]

Thanks for this video. I can't wait for the possibilities.

[@leannagray4186]

I think you handled this subject superbly! I find it intriguing although this was a sad time in history. Thank you for presenting it!

[@erickablackwell6020]

Thank you for your sensitivity, grace and experience.

[@MsLHaas]

Beautiful! Thank you for your insight and your care.

[@kareninascott3899]

Thank you cousin!! You are one of a kind!

[@TDZone70]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@free2beme568]

Thank you so much for sharing this information 😊

[@crystalworthem]

This was so well done. It was also helpful for those of us with enslaved ancestors. Thank you

[@AncestryUS]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Honymolasiz]

Thanks for having the courage to speak the truth of OUR history.

[@brandyhalman6587]

What a great video!! I have connected with some of my relatives of the enslaved.

[@allisonmiddleton4089]

Thank you so much for the invaluable information.

[@marysedivec3691]

Very important to view to gain some understanding on this subject.

[@5592susher]

Thank you so much for this imformation. ...very helpful

[@jcjc3914]

Amazing video! Thank you so much

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for stopping by. We are glad that you enjoyed this video.

[@HausOfTheePrincess]

I appreciate all of these videos. I watch them multiple times. I have reached the wall. I traced all the way back to my great- great grandfather who was a slave. This is becoming a huge project for my family. We have so many secrets that make it harder to find info. I'm now at the point where I have finally found a document of probate/will from the slave owner. Every little step gives me hope. Thank you guys for this. BTW my last name is Henning. Directly related to Henning Tennessee where Alex Haley is buried

[@CristaCowan]

I am so pleased to hear that you are finding these videos helpful. And, good for you for making that discovery! Well done.

[@RebeccaEvans]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[@elizaisom734]

Thank you for wanting to help...I am having a problem getting to my enslaved ancestors...You doing an awesome job.I pray you will do a workshop in Memphis SOME DAY.

[@MasterTMO]

Thank you! I've been at a loss on how to record them in my tree. I have no known genetic links to any of them, but that doesn't mean much, and they should be included in my family record regardless.

[@kappakumplete]

Nicely done. Some disgusting people from the past ruined the lives of my ancestors but wonderful people like you help make sure they aren’t forgotten. Thank you.

[@samuelchambers5]

BRAVO!!!!! Much needed information that will prove to be in valuable in my own research of my family.

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad this has been helpful to you Samuel! Best of luck with your continued research! 🔍

[@shawngross5420]

Thank you for what you are doing and your passion about no one being forgotten ❤.

[@chrystalgaskins1895]

Thank you so much for everything you do.

[@rosannelytle6428]

Thank you for your efforts and tips. You were very sensitive to this issue very professionally. I found a will that mentioned slave but I have not proven that it is my ancestor. I appreciate that I can forward the will to a site that can use it to help someone else find their ancestors.

[@marthatjoenij6934]

Your research methods are very valuable. The brick wall experience is hurtful and it also makes me angry but you show there are ways to break down that wall. I live in Suriname,South America and have met the brick wall and have discovered how records of white relatives pop up readily but the African enslaved relatives are extremely hard to link to their African families before slavery tore them apart both in Africa and in the America's. I recognize the emotions you feel. I feel them too and although I am proud of my ancestry the shock of having slave holding relatives does not go away easily. Thanks for your tips.

[@toddmaek5436]

Thank you for your service.

[@rdare22]

Thank you Crista! I'm a fairly new genealogist but have found some slave holder ancestors and want to learn how to help make connections to their descendants once I can figure out names, etc. I love your heart!

[@anellawrites]

The portion of this video changing how a person is related to someone other than spouse was very helpful. I’ll be watching it several times to make sure I change information correctly for my friend. His 2nd great grandfather appears to have been created by a white man who was married to a white woman, but he had a child with a black woman (20 years after slavery). I don’t know the circumstances, but they were definitely not married.

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad that you found this helpful! Thank you for sharing, we hope it has inspired you to delve into your research.

[@stlmetrofoodie]

Thank you so much for this video and information! I have hit the 1870 wall on a few branches of my trees....but I will use this information to and try my best!

[@byanyothernameisarose3310]

I know this video is old but the last few minutes really spoke to me. People ask me all the time, why do you spend so much time doing genealogy and the resin is these are the forgotten. The people who weren’t even considered people and saying there name means everything to me. They were meant to be forgotten but they aren’t anymore. They are remembered in me and in print.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for sharing. We're so glad that you've connected so much to this video, we do hope it's inspired some of your own family history research too. We wish you continued success with learning more about your ancestors, have a great day!

[@flaviaindahouse]

This was incredibly helpful as I am attempting to locate members in my husband's tree. Do you have any advice for my own tree, I am Brazilian and have no idea where to start when it comes to locating documents on my enslaved ancestors? I have tried everything but I am getting no where. Thank you always for your vlogs..

[@lawainright3130]

Thank you for this info. I've been searching my family tree since 2000 it's very time consuming and confusing. Thanks for the tips.

[@Daj2009]

I really enjoyed this video you are a blessing, G*D Bless you and Thank you.

[@MsHumminbyrd]

This is helpful! Thank you for your tips, emotions, compassion and sharing your story. I am currently searching for my enslaved ancestors on my black side. You brought it to my attention to search my white side for slave holders.

[@leahharvey3291]

Wonderful video

[@TheManseHen]

I feel similarly to what you say Christa, I don't want it to be like I'm rescuing anyone's history in some grandiose entitled way, God forbid. But I do want to be open with all that I can share, even if I have as many questions as answers. I've had folk who are DNA cousins, of African descent, and even though I don't have the answers to how we are connected, I can share my tree, and I can say I know xyz held enslaved people. And I can highlight any probate etc that I know enumerates people held as "property." I have appreciated and enjoyed conversations with these cousins.

[@RuthMcGough]

Do you have any updates on Fortemer? I just watched this and was wondering.

[@michellepeterson1803]

Thank you so much for your dedication to family history. NO one is forgotten!

[@rebeccawilliams1778]

thank you soo much.

[@ruthwright6247]

Thx u ! Greatly appreciate you

[@sharonbeasley8130]

I’m just seeing this in 2023. This is absolutely appalling and amazing. I greatly thank you for this candid presentation and empathy for the unnamed victims. I cried along with this very heartwarming video. Wow!!!

[@AncestryUS]

Hello Sharon. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this video from deep within our archives. We're pleased that you found it beneficial and moving. We stand ready to assist you in your own research if you ever have a question for our team. You can find additional resources on this topic here should this be relevant to your own research : support.ancestry.com/s/article/Researching-African-American-Ancestors. Thank you for your support and we hope your project goes from strength to strength in the months to come! 🌳

[@denisesalt9729]

I appreciate the care you took in your presentation. It was a cruel practice. Thank you for the story.

[@MultiWorship777]

Thank you Crista. You are a beautiful person. I appreciate your honesty and your heart. I actually have a few brick walls because I am 34 percent African, my mom is 35 percent African, and my dad must have a specific amount, but many don't know were the dots connect. I think I found my biological grandmother, but I'm not sure if it was a good situation that lead to my mom's adoption. Keep up the good work.

[@deellaboe437]

As a mixed woman I appreciate your information. My mom's side I was able to trace back to the 1700's easy. Dads, my African American or Native side. No where. My dad's family it's hard to trace my grandmother. I just joined ancestry today. And found your video.

[@frederickjonesel1942]

Great vid!

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks so much for watching, Frederick. We hope Crista's research strategies and tips can assist you in conducting your own research. Thanks very much for your feedback, and have a great day!

[@rebelmama37]

Crista, my comment is several years from your posting this video and I have a question. I have found my ancestors enslaved 40 people in Virginia. I have all of them in my family tree (the enslavers) and since I have names of 29 enslaved people and a bunch of names of them that were willed to other family members, I am going to attach them all to their former enslavers with the methods you have described here. My question is, have you made any more headway with Fortimer or her potential offspring?

[@susanstanton2156]

Thank you so very much for this post, particularly your ideas about how to capture information about enslaved people in our family trees. That is a fantastic idea and I will do that in my own tree - thanks to a will I know the names of some of those in the slave schedules so I can submit that information to the Slave Roll Names project also.

[@joannataverner-averkiou8903]

You are amazing x

[@CristaCowan]

Thank you.

[@jillpalmer835]

This was so informative. I have been researching my family history for 57 years. My family is from England, Ireland and Scotland and they all settled in New England and Nova Scotia and none had any connections to this topic. My granddaughter however is bi-racial and her father's line is from Virginia and Mississippi. I have been researching her line for a few years and hitting some brick walls. I look forward to using all the suggestions you gave and also want to add all the names of those who were slaves on my her tree. Thank you.

[@CristaCowan]

You are so very welcome.

[@valerieaustin832]

I am so happy that is here. I am looking at this situation now. Are there any updates since 6 years ago? Thank you so much.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Valerie and thank you for reaching out to us. We're eager to assist you but we're not sure what kind of updates you're referring to? Please clarify and we'll be more than happy to advise.😊

[@valerieaustin832]

@AncestryUS Thank you for checking with me. Since this video was made six years ago, I was wondering if there were any new tips on finding enslaved ancestors. I am trying to find my great-grandfather's father,Tom Halbert, who was enslaved in Lowndes County, Mississipp. but born in S.C. or Virginia per the 1870 and 1880 census. I am now looking at through the wills of the Halbert families in those areas. If Tom is not listed, how would I be able to determine his parents?

[@CristaCowan]

@@valerieaustin832 - Within the last couple of years, Ancestry added the Freedmen's Bureau records to the site. Have you tried searching for Tom in those records? They often include details about enslavers. Also, consider that his last enslavers name might not have been Halbert. Search for families in the 1870 census in Lowndes County who were also born in South Carolina and Virginia to see who the other options are.

[@Kim-mz8co]

Thank you so much!

[@toddmaek5436]

How do we get in contact with you for help?

[@LA-DAMA]

I need help in knowing about mines. I always was curious about my lineage of knowing my family from way back in those times .

[@marlyp8318]

Thanks so much for the instruction! I have been struggling for years to find a way to include the slaves my ancestors owned. Now I have it! I have run into a problem with slaves of the same name who show up in consecutive wills and inventories. Should I assume they are the same people or should I enter them as different people? For example, there is a slave named Anthony who appears in the estates of my immigrant ancestor (1783), that ancestor's widow (1801) and their oldest son (1821). Is it reasonable for me to assume that one man named Anthony passed from husband to wife to son? Or should I enter each Anthony separately, e.g. Anthony I (1783), Anthony II (1801) and Anthony III (1821)?

[@AncestryUS]

My opinion is that, until you find evidence that they are different individuals, I would enter them as the same individual. (Crista)

[@leesablanco]

Watching in Feb 2022. I'm at the 1870 wall on all sides in every way. In some cases for at least 2 years. Searching the Freedmen's Bureau records he been a fail so far... they always want more info for the search as if everything I know it's already filled in. And thank you for doing what you do. Especially in the case of this.

[@CristaCowan]

Hi Leesa - Have you found all family members in the 1870 census? Are they living in the same state where they say they were born?