This database tool enables you to search for - and identify - enslaved African American ancestors who lived in the Northern Virginia region.

The sources of the information used to compile this database are “Will and Deed’ books. Many dedicated hours have been invested reading, recording, and cross-referencing from these historical, handwritten records, which can be like searching for a needle in a haystack as African American historical records and ancestry continue to remain hidden in plain sight.

By documenting the references to enslaved and free black individuals scattered throughout the pages of these valuable books, we connect the pieces to help give each enslaved individual back their identity and reconstruct family trees on a large scale, in order to ensure that the entire record group becomes a useful tool.

We are dedicated to our mission to 'break through the wall of slavery'. We’re proud of our ability to assist you in your research and excited for the discoveries you’ll make. Information is added to this database regularly - and work has begun to expand it to include surrounding counties in Virginia and surrounding states - so please visit often.

Last names are the key to our research and to your connections, so begin by searching your ancestor’s last name. If not found, then search by their first name. First names result in many matches; use the dates related to each name to narrow down your choices.

Our research in 'Will and Deed' books has shown that enslaved individuals are often identified in groups, especially family groups. Be sure to review the ‘Sources’ notes at the bottom of each record; they can help you identify and link people on that record, and show patterns of names moving from one location to another, and/or from one slaveholder to another. Where possible, we have made the connection between two individuals, based on our certainty that they are the same.

Enslaved people, free people of color, and slaveholders are recorded in this database, with each person’s freedom status noted in their listing.

THREE IMPORTANT POINTS –

Contrary to prevalent genealogical beliefs concerning the names of enslaved individuals, our research has concluded that:

1. Slaves did have last names and all research points to the fact that they chose their own last names (their names were not chosen by their slaveholders).

2. In Fairfax County, Virginia only 5% of enslaved individuals shared the same last name as their slaveholder.

3. All of the enslaved individuals in our database used the same last names before and after the Civil War.