{"id":23119,"date":"2017-06-14T12:34:05","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T16:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=23119"},"modified":"2017-11-08T14:55:04","modified_gmt":"2017-11-08T19:55:04","slug":"genealogy-sleuthing-reunited-black-families-after-the-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-sleuthing-reunited-black-families-after-the-civil-war.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Sleuthing: Reunited Black Families after the Civil War"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches \u201cmissing person\u201d ads in old newspapers to learn more about how newly-freed Blacks found missing members of their families after the Civil War. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is something tragic about the pain of families separated by war \u2013 even more so by those hurt by the two-fold tragedies of war and slavery.<\/p>\n

After the Civil War and emancipation of the slaves, there was much rejoicing \u2013 but how were Black families reunited?<\/p>\n

\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Library of Congress Image of Lincoln\u2019s Emancipation Proclamation LC-DIG-pga-02040 (digital file from original print). To view a larger copy, see http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2003671404\/.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some had managed to follow the fates of family members, but others were sold and transported to far-away places. Keeping in touch with family members was in some cases virtually impossible.<\/p>\n

The Role of Newspapers in Reuniting Black Families after the War<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my earlier blog articles (Civil War Genealogy: Old Letters in Newspapers & Research Resources<\/a>) examined how free families during the war communicated with missing members. Newspaper advertisements became the lifeline, and we see the same with the newly freed Black families after the Civil War.<\/p>\n

In the example below, Benjamin Branch is hoping someone can tell him the whereabouts of his missing wife Maria.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Colored Citizen (Cincinnati, Ohio), 19 May 1866, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the first African American newspaper appeared in 1827 (see: \u2018Freedom\u2019s Journal\u2019: The 1st African American Newspaper Published in America<\/a>), after the Civil War many more African American newspapers started to emerge. Publications such as the Black Republican<\/em> of New Orleans, the Colored Tennessean<\/em> of Nashville, and the Colored Citizen<\/em> of Cincinnati printed numerous queries asking for information on missing persons.<\/p>\n

\u201cInformation Wanted\u201d Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of these missing person newspaper ads were published under the headline of \u201cInformation Wanted.\u201d Civil War and African American researchers have taken note of this, and are now documenting these communications in a project by the same name. You can read about this project and assist by adding submissions or transcriptions of the advertisements at http:\/\/informationwanted.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Since GenealogyBank has one of the largest and fastest growing collections of African American digitized newspapers<\/a>, I\u2019d like to share search tips to help build this powerful family history resource.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Black Republican (New Orleans, Louisiana), 13 May 1865, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Genealogy Tip:<\/em><\/strong> These missing person newspaper ads fill in and confirm family history details not easily found elsewhere. It\u2019s possible you may learn:<\/p>\n