Ancestry.com's database of narratives from interviews with former slaves.
Ancestry.com launched its new Slave Narratives database just in time to celebrate this year's Black History Month. For those trying to uncover black history and genealogy, the collection itself is something to celebrate.
The database (also includes biographical stories from more than 3,500 former slaves. Those narratives were originally recorded in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writer's Project, and reveal important family history clues such as ages, places of residence and family members' and slaveowners' names. The interviews also capture African-American culture and folklore in the interviewees' own words.