African American Resources for Missouri

Emancipation's, 1817-1865 - information taken from St. Louis Circuit Court Record Books at the Civil Courts Building at Tucker and Market Streets, and the examination of papers at the Missouri Historical Society
Freedom Licenses Database, 1835-1865 - St. Louis City and County, records at Missouri Historical Society
Freedom Suit Case Files, 1814-1860 - database and images by St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project
Freedom Suits, 1804-1865 index - St. Louis Court records
Urban life for African Americans during 1804-1865 - as taken from St. Louis court records
Civil War Slave Compensation Claims: includes index U.S. Colored Troops who served in the following regiments:
- Artillery: 1st Regiment,4th Regiment, 8th Regiment, 12th Regiment, and 13th Regiment, Heavy Artillery Regiments, U.S Colored Troops
- Cavalry: 5th Regiment, and 6th Regiment, Cavalry Regiments U.S. Colored Troops
- Infantry: 4th Regiment, 7th Regiment, 18th Regiment, and 19th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops

Research Strategy[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Timeline of Missouri's African American History
African Americans in Missouri
The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys, 1931-1937
Desegration of Armed Forces, The Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Blattner, Teresa, People of Color:Black Genealogical Records and Abstracts from Missouri Sources" (Bowie, Maryland:Heritage Books, c1993,c 1998) At various libraries (WorldCat);FHL Book 977.8 F2bt volume 1 and 2
Brown, William Wells, Narrative of william W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave (NY, NY: Johnson Reprint, 1970) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 921.73 B815b
Eddlemon, Sherida K. and Marlene A. Towle, Missouri Genealogical Records and Abstracts (Bowie, Maryland:Heritage Books, c1990-2001) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.8 R4e Volumes 2–6; CD-ROM no. 2762 v. 3
Mallory, Rudena Kramer, Claims by Missourians for compensation of enlisted slaves:records of the U.S. District Court of Kansas, Slave Compensation Records, November 3, 1866 to February 21, 1867, Record Group 21, National Archives-Central Plains Region, Kansas City, Missouri (SLC, Utah:Genealogical Society of Utah, 1992) FHL film 1597959 item 4
Lee, George R., Slavery North of St. Louis (Canton, Missouri:Lewis County Historical Society, Missouri, [200?]) At other libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.8 H6L
State Slavery Statues (Bethesda, Maryland:University Publications of America, c1989) FHL fiche 6118911
United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands and Washington Reginald, Records of the field offices for the state of Missouri, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1972:NARA, RG 105, M1908 (College Park, MD:NARA, 2004) FHL films 2426982–2427005

McLaurin, Melton Alonza, Celia, A Slave (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1991). Discusses the trial in 1855 of eighteen-year-old slave Celia for the murder of her abusive master Robert Newsom in Callaway County, Missouri.
Greene, Lorenzo Johnston. Missouri's Black Heritage. Gary R. Kremer, Anthony F. Holland; forward by Julius K. Hunter; Saint Louis, Mo.: Forum Press, c. 1980. 195 p. E185.93 M7 G73

Resources[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Historic Missourians: African Americans
James Cox: This was posted on the Missouri Genealogy Research Community on Facebook: Record of a slave girl named Malinda, born about 1824 and was hired out to work for W. S. Pollard and C. Bustes (sp) during 1860. Her owner, James Cox, had died in 1858 in Kingston Twp, Caldwell, Mo. See post.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Emancipation Records[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

Plantation[edit | edit source]

Oral Histories[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Reconstruction Records[edit | edit source]

Freedman’s Bank[edit | edit source]

An excellent source is the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company (visit the African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records page to learn more). This company was created to assist African American soldiers of the Civil War and freed slaves. Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company signature cards or registers from 3 March 1865 to 25 July 1874 may list the name of the depositor, date of entry, age, birthplace, residence, complexion, name of employer or occupation, wife or husband’s name, death information, children’s names, name of father and mother, brothers’ and sisters’ names, remarks, and signature. Early books sometimes contained the name of the former master or mistress and the name of the plantation. Copies of death certificates were sometimes attached to the entries. The collection is organized alphabetically by state, then city where the bank was located, then date the account was established, then account number.

Online collections of Freedman's Bank records:

Freedmen's Bureau[edit | edit source]

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist former slaves in the southern United States. The Bureau created a wide variety of records extremely valuable to genealogists. Such documents include censuses, marriage records, and medical records. These records often include full names, former masters and plantations, and current residences.^[1] For 1865 and 1866, the section on abandoned and confiscated lands includes the names of the owners of the plantations or homes that were abandoned, confiscated, or leased. It gives the county and location, a description of the house, the number of acres owned, and the number of cabins of former slaves. These films do not appear to contain the names of former slaves.

To find Freedmen's Bureau records:

DiscoverFreedmen - the search on this site will utilize all of the Freedmen's Bureau records on FamilySearch, including:

Other FamilySearch collections not included:

Missouri, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872
United States Freedmen's Bureau Miscellaneous Records,1865-1872
United States Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872 Images only. These reports primarily contain statistical and historical information.
More collections are available in the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for "FREEDMEN - MISSOURI" in the Subjects search bar to find.

Visit the African American Freedmen's Bureau Records page to learn more about utilizing these records.

School Records[edit | edit source]

Slavery Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Missouri, Birth Registers, 1847-1910 ($) - information may include name, gender, race, residence, birth date and place, number of child, and parents and their birthplaces, residence, and occupation

Marriage[edit | edit source]

The Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872) was created by the US government to assist former slaves in the southern United States. One of their responsibilities was to record the marriages (past and present) of the former slaves. These records can be found in the collections below and include the lists of marriages that occurred previously, marriage certificates, and marriage licenses. The information contained on the records may include the name of the husband and wife/groom and bride, age, occupation, residence, year or date of marriage, by whom, number of children, and remarks.

Death[edit | edit source]

Missouri Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976 - information may include name, gender, death date and place, burial date and place, age, birthplace, occupation, race, and marital status

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Voting Registers[edit | edit source]

Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]

The Griot Museum of Black History
2505 St. Louis Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63106-2324
Phone: 314-241-7507
Email: info@thegriotmuseum.com

The George B. Vashon Museum
2223 St. Louis Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63106
Email: info@georgevashonmuseum.org

Julius K. Hunter and Friends African American Research Collection
St. Louis County Library
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598

Societies[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ "African American Records: Freedmen's Bureau," "African American Heritage," National Archives, accessed 11 May 2018.

[1] "African American Records: Freedmen's Bureau," "African American Heritage," National Archives, accessed 11 May 2018.

[1]