Databases, Groups, & Organizations

This is a subscription-based resource that features an internal search engine for digitzed primary documents and transcriptions. There is also a built-in family tree tool that makes it easy to build a digital family tree. Ancestry also offers DNA tests for genealogy purposes and a tool for connecting with ancestors via DNA matches. Your local library will probably have a free version called Ancestry Library Edition, but it does not allow for creation of family trees or other features. 

Use this tool to look for an archive or collection near you and/or related to your research. Archival collections are grouped by the creator and so it there are collections relevant to Tuscaloosa, Alabama located in archives in other states. Use the search bar at the top to look up names or keywords. There is also a "How to Search" tab at the top and bottom menu. Many archives are working to digitize collections so they can be more accessible. If you have any questions, contact the archive to ask for details. Your local history librarian can also make suggestions. Good luck! 

This is a free resource for newspapers, available online from the Library of Congress. 

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They also feature a collection of Alabama's 228 African American newspapers, which can be found here. 

This is a free searchable database with capacity for building family trees and searching for genealogical records. It is very similar to Ancestry.com but with a few differences. 

This is a searchable online database of "fugitives from American slavery." Enslavers posted ads in newspapers, which often contain important information such as names of enslaved people, physical descriptions, family relationships, ages, and locations. 

Formerly known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedman, and Abandoned Lands, but commonly referred to as "The Freedman's Bureau." Established by an Act of Congress in 1865, the Freedman's Bureau had agent offices in various location in the former Confederate states. They were responsible for assisting newly-freed African Americans after the Civil War, mostky between 1865-1858, but formally ended in1872.  They helped with various social services, such as clothing, food, healthcare, and education. They also helped to reunite family members who were separated. Later, they also helped former soldiers obtain pensions and back pay. Many of these records also contain information about family relationships and offer a trail of clues about where a person was enslaved and to whom.

This is a private group on Facebook that shares resources and information on how to research enslaved ancestors, as well as ancestors who were enslavers. There is a a search tool, which is helpful to use as a way to see if others have posted about the surnames or locations in which you are searching. 

Newspapers can contain a world of information. Newspapers.com is just one resource. It is a paid subscription service, but most libraries have a free library edition that patrons can use for research.