How do I access slave records?

The best place to find information about an enslaved person before 1812 is in the private papers of the slave owner, or in records about the owner or his or her property. Papers might still be with the family or deposited in a local archive or library where the family lived or settled.

What were popular slave names?

A number of names such as Henry, Jim, Tom, John, George, Stephen appeared multiple times and seem to be the most common. Women and girls: Priscilla, Julia, Mary, Evaline, Eliza, Ellen Nora, Hannah, Amanda, Ann, Charlotte, Chaney, Kitty, Jane, Lucy, Mary Evans, Emily, Nancy, Betty, Luan, Fanny, Eliza Cole.

What did slaves use as a guide?

Many former slaves, including historical figures like Tubman, used the celestial gourd, or dipper, to guide them on their journey north. The Big Dipper and North Star were referenced in many slave narratives and songs.

What was the significance of William Still’s diaries and journals?

William Still, Philadelphia’s famed Underground Railroad conductor, maintained a detailed journal that listed biographical data for some 400 fugitive slaves he assisted in the 1850s. At the time, discovery of the journal could have endangered hundreds of freed slaves and their families.

Where can I find slave records on Ancestry?

The African American history page on Ancestry contains information about our DNA test and links to search databases. The African American Historical Record Collection features interviews with people who were formerly enslaved, slave manifests, slave emancipation records, and more.

Did William still help Harriet Tubman?

William Still helped some 800 slaves escape to freedom, but his heroism is often overshadowed by Harriet Tubman’s. Swarthmore CollegeWilliam Still was a free-born black abolitionist who was pivotal in rescuing hundreds of black slaves through the Underground Railroad.