Research Guides: Juneteenth: A Celebration of Liberation: Juneteenth 2022

Resources

African American Funeral Programs from the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System
Over 3000 funeral programs of African Americans dating from 1933 to 2017 (with the bulk of the collection beginning in the 1960s), the majority of which are from services held in the Augusta, Georgia area.
AncestryLibrary
On-campus use only. The Ancestry Library Edition collection has approximately 4,000 databases including key collections. Ancestry Library Edition updates continually, with more indexes and original images added all the time.
Augusta, GA Graveside Project
In 2001, the City of Augusta Trees and Landscapes Department (now part of the Recreation and Park Department), in conjunction with the Augusta Information Technology Department, began work on an ambitious project to provide the public with access to the records of city-maintained cemeteries. The primary reason for this is that those records are of great interest to the public, history buffs, and genealogists.
Augusta Genealogical Society
The Society maintains one of only a few independent Genealogical Libraries in the Southeast. In addition to their own AGS publications, our collections include records, manuscripts, books, microfilms, and maps from not only Georgia and surrounding states but also resources from around the country and around the world that reveal our history.
The Adamson Library now has access to interlibrary loan materials from the Library of Virginia and is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is dedicated to preserving important family records and making them freely accessible online. Their work is worldwide and has involved collaborations with more than 10,000 archives and partners in over 100 countries.
Find a Grave
Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
GA Dept of Health/East Central Health District Office of Vital Records
Georgia Heritage Room
The Georgia Heritage Room is a resource center for historical and genealogical study, located on the third floor of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library. The repository houses an extensive collection of local, county, and Georgia history resources, as well as genealogy materials, including print resources and microfilm. The library subscribes to a variety of online databases for historical and genealogical research, such as Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest and Digital Library of Georgia. The collection also holds materials from some surrounding states including South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Reese Library Special Collections
The purpose of Reese Library Special Collections is to collect, maintain and preserve primary materials such as manuscripts, papers, photographs, maps and research materials such as books, serials, etc. related to Augusta University, local history (Augusta and the CSRA), and the University System of Georgia. Special Collections, in partnership with the Augusta Richmond County Historical Society, maintains 4,900 book titles and over 400 manuscripts as well as historical photographs, vertical files and material from the Augusta Richmond County Historical Society.

Finding Your Roots

Juneteenth is often a somber reminder for many Black Americans about their connections and family history involving slavery. Many are curious how to trace back their lineage to their African ancestors. Websites like Ancestry assist users in piecing together the facts of their family tree. Here's a brief guide on how to start your own family tree and possibly find your connections to the Motherland.

Source: https://www.ancestrycdn.com/mars/landing/africanamerican/africanamerican_guide_2015.pdf

Step One: Create a tree! There are a few websites, such as Ancestry.com, that allow you to create your family tree(s) for free. Start with yourself and your immediate family, working your way up as far as you can.

Step Two: It's time to consult the Census records. The Census are records that seek to count every resident of the United States. Keeping track of U.S. residents assists in determining congressional seats, how the federal government will distribute federal funds, and helps determine how best to plan for community services (Census.gov, 2021). Records are released every decade and they cannot be made public until they are 72 years old. For example, the 1940 Census was released in April 2012. The 1950 Census, the newest set available, was just released in April 2022. Census records can assist in building households, allowing you to trace your relatives and any siblings, parents, cousins, etc.

Step Three: Census records are a huge help, but they only tell part of the story. Branch out and consult other types of records to help tie together existing facts or fill in any missing puzzle pieces. These can include:

marriage & divorce records	death certificates	newspaper articles or obituaries
funeral programs/funeral home records	cemetery records	family keepsakes & heirlooms
yearbooks	military enlistments/drafts	city directories

Note: While many records are digitized, not all may be available as readily online! Sometimes it's necessary to seek documentation by reaching out to the appropriate venue for information. Footwork can include visiting cemeteries, churches, libraries, offices of vital records, and more. If the needed records are in other states, genealogical volunteers may be able to help. For example, findagrave.com has a feature that allows users to request that a volunteer locate their ancestor's resting place. They may take a photo and even upload a scanned copy of the funeral home/cemetery record, if available.

Step Four: Now, it may be easier to check the Census back as far as 1850 and 1860. Check these records to see if your ancestors were free persons of color. If not, you'll need to check slaveholder records, such as:

slave schedules	wills & probate	newspaper records
manifests	emancipation papers	property records
Freedmen's Bureau	military records (Civil War)