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GU272 Memory Project
In 1838, Maryland's Jesuit priests sold hundreds of men, women, and children to Southern plantations to raise money for the construction of Georgetown University. Though they faced incredible hardship, most didn't perish. They married and raised children. Today, more than 8,000 of their descendants have been located through genealogical research. Use this site to search for an ancestor and to hear the stories of the descendants.
Legacy of Slavery in Maryland
Maintained by the Maryland State Archives, this web site includes: a searchable database of primary sources including newspapers, court records, etc.; interactive maps to help in locating property owners and slave owners; biographies; and case studies.
Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau
Mapping the Freedman’s Bureau is devoted to helping researchers put their ancestors back on the historical landscape where they lived. The site is devoted to mapping the many places that affected the newly freed survivors of slavery. Research guidance also is available on using Freedman's Bureau records, including for Maryland.
MCHC Guide to African American Sources
A guide to resources in the H. Furlong Baldwin Library at the Maryland Center for History and Culture for those researching African Americans or their history, including books, photographs, oral histories, manuscripts, and various records and directories. The collection is strongest in materials from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Library’s significant holding of materials relating to the efforts to colonize freed blacks in Liberia and its transcripts of oral histories are particularly interesting.
Montgomery County Chapter - Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
The Chapter is a group of family researchers with ancestral roots in Montgomery County whose aim is to help each other and the public discover the answers to family history questions. Activities include: creating a network of persons with similar interests; assisting members in documenting the history of our ancestors; becoming familiar with resources for historical and genealogical research. The Chapter is dedicated to uncovering the rich African American heritage that continues to contribute to the diversity of the county and the nation.
O Say Can You See: Early Washington, D.C., Law and Family
The site allows you to explore kinship and family networks of multigenerational black, white, and mixed families of early Washington, D.C. (portions of which originally were part of Maryland). These networks have been created using information derived from court records, as well as genealogical research. Because of the importance of kinship and family in matters of freedom, the petition for freedom case files in particular often contain genealogical information for the black and white families involved in these suits.
Reclaiming Kin
This blog by professional Maryland genealogist Robyn Smith is designed to highlight genealogy skill building and explore the many challenges of slavery and slave research. The site includes African-American genealogy articles and resources for researching slavery. Several of her own family lines from Maryland are featured in her research examples.
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture
The museum seeks to be the premier experience and best resource for information and inspiration about the lives of African American Marylanders by collecting, preserving, interpreting, documenting and exhibiting the rich contributions of African American Marylanders from the state's earliest history to the present and the future.
Researching African American Families at the Maryland State Archives
Revised and reissued in 2018, this illustrated guide offers advice on researching African American families and the sources for doing so at the Maryland State Archives. It includes a timeline of significant laws and events relating to African American history in Maryland.