Black Genesis

Description

When Black Genesis was originally published in 1978, it was the first book to provide researchers with information on resources and a methodology specific to African-American genealogy. Now, owing to the unprecedented growth of interest in the subject, this landmark publication has been completely updated and is once again the premier guide to African-American genealogy. The 2nd edition of Black Genesis provides guidance not only to the same basic resources presented in the original edition but also to a substantial amount of additional material. The original goal, however, remains the same–to introduce the novice and professional researcher to African-American genealogical research methods and resources.

Some 100 pages larger than the first edition, the 2nd edition of Black Genesis boasts a new format that makes locating resources pertaining to slaves and free blacks in the United States easier than ever. Part I provides an overview of general research principles and methodology, while Part II contains a rundown of specific resources for all fifty states, Canada, and the West Indies. Under each location, the information is organized by the following categories: Important Dates, State Archives, Census Records, State and County Records, Cemetery and Church Records, Military Records, Newspapers, Manuscript Sources (personal papers, slave records, and diaries), Internet Resources, Research Contacts, and Bibliography. Resources described include research guides, published genealogies, community studies on African-American families and, most importantly, original research material that can be found in national, state, county, and city archives, and in historical societies and libraries.

Author James M. Rose, Ph.D., is the holder of the first doctorate in the United States in African-American Genealogy, as well as the author of a number of books on African-American genealogy. In the 1970s he served as a research consultant with Alex Haley and, with co-author Alice Eichholz, founded the Ethnic Genealogy Research Center at Queens College (N.Y.).

Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., C.G., is the Director of Lifelong Learning at Union Institute & University, a nationally known researcher, an author and lecturer in family history, and the editor of Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

“Black Genesis reveals the true scope and richness of the Black heritage . . . .”–New England Historical and Genealogical Register

“Kudos are in order for Black Genesis. This well-written, exhaustive compilation will soon be known as the atlas of resources for African-American studies.”–Marcella Pasay, author of Full Circle–A Directory of Native and African-Americans in Windham County, CT, and Vicinity, 1650-1900