The 1870 U.S. Census is a milestone for many family historians. For those tracing African American ancestry, it often marks the very first time their ancestors appear in a public federal record by name. The names are handwritten clearly on the page—no longer separated, omitted, or counted as property. For the first time, individuals who were born into slavery are seen on equal footing with every other American, listed not as someone’s possession but as someone’s parent, spouse, child, worker, or head of household.

But the moment of discovery in 1870 almost always leads to a question: What about before? How do I find my ancestors in the years before emancipation? Who were they, and where were they living before the war?

Finding those answers requires patience and care—but the records are out there. The 1870 census is often the starting place for a powerful journey backward through time. The steps that follow can help you begin piecing that story together.

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