slave name changes
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Tracing Your Roots: Did My Ancestor Work in a Prior Enslaver’s Home?
Repeating patterns in Reconstruction-era census records point to possible connections during slavery. Dear Professor Gates: I’m trying to determine if my third great-grandmother (from my mother’s paternal side of the family) was a slave or if her mother was. In the 1880 census in Lytle’s Fork of Scott County, Ky., she is listed as Polly…
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Tracing Your Roots: Were Slaves’ Surnames Like Brands?
We made a surprising discovery while addressing a question about how slaves got their last names. Dear Professor Gates: Were the surnames of enslaved people changed when they were sold, or were they allowed to keep the surnames of their former slave owners? It would seem plausible that a slave’s name was like a brand…
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Tracing Your Roots: Is My Ancestor’s Surname From Slavery or Marriage?
The origins of the surname of a great-great-grandmother who was born into slavery are shrouded in mystery and require creative sleuthing. Dear Professor Gates: I am trying to map out my father’s side of the family tree. He passed away a few years ago and I never met his side of the family. I’ve been…