-1 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: What's the longest unanswered question in your family's history?
I’ve always wondered why I never heard about the white Americans who knew directly which black families they caused harm and if reparations ever crossed their minds
Comment by Single-Raccoon2 at 24/02/2025 at 21:59 UTC*
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There's a database that white people with slave owning ancestors can contribute to; it can help African Americans who descend from slaves to find their own ancestors. Many wealthy slave owners left wills, and those, along with surname and location, can be helpful clues. Slaves usually went by their owner's surname after emancipation. It's not a lot as far as reparations, but it is a small way to help the genealogy community.
I had no idea that my dad's paternal side was originally from the South until I got serious about genealogy. My 3x great grandfather and his brothers fought for the Confederacy, and my 4x great grandfather owned 4 slaves. He has them listed by name in his will. I've put their names and a copy of his will into the database.
Most Americans are unaware/uninterested in their ancestry past a few generations, so it would be rare for someone to know the history of their slave owning ancestor, let alone the descendents of their slaves.