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This is part of an ongoing series of state-specific resources for African-American genealogy research.
The Missouri State Archives (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/) is the official repository for state and county historical records. They have quite a few collections relating to African-American genealogy, including several online:
Guide to African American History:
This guide details each record group that contains documents relating to African-American history. The guide provides a description of each record group, and some document images. For example, in Record Group 951, the description mentions that some free people of color received land grants from the French and Spanish governments, prior to the Louisiana Purchase. It includes an image of the survey of land granted to Jeanette Fourchet, a free woman of color who received land near St. Louis from the French government in 1793. Record Group 133 contains the records of the Adjutant General relating to the U. S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. The guide also details several photograph collections, federal records on microfilm including Freedmen’s Bureau records, and a few manuscript collections including the George Washington Carver collection and the records of the Urban Leagues of St. Louis and Kansas City.
Finding Aids:
These finding aids cover most of the Archives’ collections. When planning a research visit to the Archives, it would be a good idea to go through these finding aids to locate the records you will want to view ahead of time. This will allow you to spend all of your time researching!
Missouri Birth & Death Records Database, pre-1910:
Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1958:
These search engines will allow you to look for specific names in the database. Most of the records (though not all) have been transcribed, and the records themselves can be ordered directly from the Archives for just $1 and a SASE!
Missouri's Union Provost Marshal Papers: 1861 – 1866:
This is another searchable index. A quick try brought up several cases concerning former slaves, including one case in which, “Two Negroes [were] held in prison 9 months, say they are innocent and are being held for crimes of their master and his associates; men had been taken south with 5 others; searched at Cairo, IL where a box of sabers and other weapons were found,” and another containing a woman’s, “Statement that her master, Alvin Tinsley of Pike County, said he wasn't a Union man, that he flogged her, and she left, and her brother and uncle are in the Union army.”
Missouri's Judicial Records:
Another searchable database, contains circuit court records for several counties, and the probate court records for St. Louis County.
“African-American Genealogy: Putting Together the Pieces of Your Past,” A Five-Part Series with Traci L. Wilson-Kleekamp
A very good collection of instructional presentation videos describing methods for researching African-American genealogy.
Missouri's Early Slave Laws: A History in Documents (An Interactive Lesson Plan with Original Documents, Grades 8-12)
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A good overview of the history of Missouri slave laws.Missouri Digital Heritage:
This initiative contains digital images of various collections:
Newspapers
Digital images of historic Missouri newspapers, including the St. Louis Palladium, an African-American newspaper published in 1904.
African American Portrait Collection
A large collection of 128 early photos and photocards of African-Americans. None of the photos are identified by name, but can be viewed online.
Greene County Archives Bulletin Number Forty-Five, “Black Families Of The Ozarks”
Contributed by the Springfield Library, this digital book contains several hundred pages of record transcriptions relating to Missouri African-American families.
“African American Community Of Northeast Missouri 1880 – 1960”
An ongoing project of the Hannibal Free Public Library, this page currently contains a large collection of early photos of African-Americans and two church histories.
If you are in the Missouri area, be sure to check out the special “African American Genealogy Workshop” at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, on Saturday, May 23 2009 at 1:00 pm. The workshop will be presented by John F. Baker, Jr., author of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Place: Stories of My Family's Journey to Freedom. He will also be available to sign copies of his book.
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