State archives and libraries are the go-to genealogical source for records relating to births, deaths, marriages, the military, courts, land, maps, taxes, state institutions, agencies, state censuses, naturalization, family histories and historical collections. Several state archives’ websites have sections dedicated to African-American and slave research, either showing how to research African Americans in that state…

A terrific way to ramp up your family research is to attend a genealogy conference. You’ll discover what’s new in genealogy — the latest research methods and new databases — and visit exhibits that sell the latest in computer software and books. And it’s the ideal place to meet other black researchers. Such gatherings —…

In advancing your genealogy research on the Internet, don’t ignore two vital resources: message boards — or discussion websites, which include bulletin boards and forums; and electronic mailing lists, also known as email discussion groups (or Listservs). CyndisList.com, which has a “queries and message boards” category of links as well as a mailing list category,…

Researching African-American and slave ancestry can be challenging because you’re tracing not just your own family tree but also those of slave owners. But as more documents and databases are moved onto the Internet, research is becoming somewhat easier — and, at least at these sites, less costly. AfriGeneas: Founded in 1999, Afrigeneas.com is the…

Black genealogy blogs abound on the Internet. The sites range from modest — limited to bloggers’ personal tales about researching their great-grandma — to extensive, with photos, documents and links that may help you advance your own research. You can dive into Genealogy Blog Finder’s African American Genealogy Blogs page (on Facebook, go here) to…

Getting started in genealogy, which is the process of researching and recording your family history, is easy: You begin by asking questions and gathering information. Who are your parents, your siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents? Then add their names and other information — birth dates, death dates, marriage dates, names of their children, and the…