African-American Ancestry Research
The Library’s collections are excellent for researching the origins of African-American families in this country from before the Civil War era through present time. They encompass both historical and genealogical data, with the richest material information on South Carolina and our Lowcountry region.
Much of the African-American population in America traces its roots back to the Lowcountry. Search our catalog for a comprehensive list of the resources available in the library. These links will take you to a listing of the Heritage Library online resources that are helpful in doing local research:
The Old Plantation (Slaves Dancing on a South Carolina Plantation), ca. 1785-1795. watercolor on paper, attributed to John Rose, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.