Research Guides & Indexes: African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870: Home

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Overview

Many records of African Americans in Virginia prior to 1870 have been indexed and digitized through the Library's Virginia Untold collection, but many more may be found by searching the original and microfilmed records themselves. This guide provides an overview of types of records that are available.

African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870
Printable version of this guide.

Revised October 2021

Featured Resources

Digital Collections

Chancery Records Index
The chancery court was a court of equity. African Americans were included most often in cases when a slaveholder died intestate and the family went to court to divide the estate, or when an African American was involved in a freedom suit. Many localities have indexed case files in the online Chancery Records Index.
Virginia Chronicle
Historical archive of Virginia newspapers, providing free access to over a million newspaper pages, including newspapers published before 1870.
Virginia Untold
Virginia Untold provides access points to the individual stories of African Americans who lived in Virginia from the establishment of slavery in the 1600s until its demise in 1865.

Databases

ProQuest History Vault. Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries (1700–1896) This link opens in a new window
Includes company records; business and personal correspondence; documents pertaining to the purchase, hire, medical care, and provisioning of enslaved laborers; descriptions of production processes; and journals recounting costs and income.
ProQuest History Vault. Southern Life and African American History, 1775–1915, Plantation Records (Parts 1 and 2) This link opens in a new window
Business records include ledger books, payroll books, cotton ginning books, work rules, account books, and receipts. Personal papers include family correspondence, diaries, and wills.

Content Warning: Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.