Uncovering a Legacy: African American, Native American, and Cherokee Freedmen Ancestry

Blended legacy: Portraits representing African American and Cherokee ancestry with the Trail of Tears in the background, honoring a powerful and complex family history

Every so often, a genealogy case opens a door not only into a family’s past, but into the very heart of American history. This month, I had the privilege of working on a client case that stands out as one of the most fascinating and meaningful in my career—an extraordinary journey into ancestry that intersected African American history, Native American identity, Cherokee tribal heritage, and the legacy of slavery and survival through the Trail of Tears.

As a professional genealogist, I’ve worked with African American families for many years. But this case took me into new and profound territory: tracing a lineage that included African Americans enslaved by Cherokee citizens, Cherokee Freedmen, free African Americans born well before the Civil War, “Intruders” in Indian Territory, and Cherokee ancestors themselves. One of the client’s 4th great-grandfathers, an enslaved African American, was documented as having been part of the Trail of Tears, and there may be more who were forced westward alongside him.

This powerful ancestral story, woven through overlapping cultural and historical threads, became a case study in complexity, resilience, and historical truth.

A Client’s Search for Her Roots

Brittany approached me with a desire to know more about her paternal grandmother, who had died when her father was only about 6 years of age. With only limited information—her grandmother’s name and where she thought she was born and lived—she had struggled, like many descendants of slavery, to get past the genealogical roadblocks of the late 1800s. The 1870 census, often the earliest record available for African Americans, had always been her stopping point.

Through careful research, I was able to build her tree back to her 4th great-grandparents, uncovering extraordinary stories along the way. One of the most powerful discoveries: an enslaved, by the Cherokee, African American ancestor who lived through the Trail of Tears, and another line of African American ancestors who had been free nearly a century before Emancipation.

“Diane was able to locate census records, newspaper clippings/articles, Dawes Rolls records, marriage records, and death records dating back to the mid-1800s. Her research has helped me to feel empowered... I’ve never felt that before.”
— Brittany Douglass, June 5, 2025

Exploring the African American & Native American Line

One branch of Brittany’s ancestry told a layered and often painful story—one that included not only Cherokee Freedmen (African Americans who were formerly enslaved by Cherokee citizens and later adopted into the tribe), but also individuals classified as "Intruders" (those living in Indian Territory without tribal citizenship), enslaved African Americans, Cherokee Indians, and guardians assigned to freed people.

This case required accessing and interpreting a wide variety of records related to both African American and Cherokee heritage:

• Dawes Rolls (Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes)
• Applications for Enrollment in the Five Civilized Tribes
• Cherokee Freedmen Payment Rolls
• Cherokee Nation Rejected Rolls and court testimonies
• Indian Census Rolls
• Cherokee Old Settler Roll
• Wallace Rolls and Kern-Clifton Rolls
• Guardianship, deed, and land allotment records
• 1860 Slave Schedules of Indian Lands
• Civil War pension files of U.S. Colored Troops and Cherokee soldiers

One of the most meaningful moments in the research was identifying a 4th great-grandfather who migrated on the Trail of Tears—a story carried down through records and tribal documents, now finally connected to his living descendant. I continue to investigate whether any of her other enslaved African American or Cherokee ancestors may have also endured that harrowing journey.

The Free-at-Birth African American Line 

In contrast to the complexities of tribal identity and enslavement, another branch of Brittany’s family revealed a powerful and lesser-known reality: African American ancestors who were free long before the Civil War. These families lived in North Carolina and surrounding states, owning land, engaging in community life, and navigating legal systems that continuously threatened their status.

This line includes not only her direct ancestors, but also their extended networks--neighbors, guardians, church associates, and others who shared surnames or social ties. These clusters of people often served as informal safety nets, and researching them can provide the missing context needed to break through 19th-century barriers.

Key records consulted included:

• Manumission records and early deed books
• Wills and probate files of both African Americans and local white slaveholders
• Land and tax records
• Free People of Color registries
• Church and Quaker records
• Court-appointed guardianship documents
• Community cluster analysis of individuals with matching or similar surnames

Scholarly works such as "The Complications of Liberty: Free People of Color in North Carolina from the Colonial Period Through Reconstruction" by Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr. (for the line that was free close to 100 years before the Civil War), and resources on the Underground Railroad (which I used for an off branch that was manumissoned just 11 years before the Civil War) added critical context to this branch’s story.

Two Deep-Dive Cluster Studies

To build on this research, I am currently conducting two focused deep-dive studies, using cluster analysis to fully explore both lines:
Study #1: African American & Cherokee Line
This study includes not just the Freedmen and tribal members, but also:

• Slaveholders of record
• Cherokee and African American guardians 
• Individuals listed as “Intruders”
• Associated families from Dawes, Wallace, and other tribal rolls
• Extended kin networks and overlapping households on Cherokee Nation censuses

Study #2: Free-at-Birth African American Line
This study examines:

• Guardians assigned to minors of color
• Same-surname clusters in nearby counties
• Neighbors and witnesses in deeds and court records
• Landholding patterns and migration routes
• Church or religious community affiliations

These studies go beyond the names on a pedigree chart. They aim to reconstruct the communities, relationships, and socio-political realities that shaped the lives of Brittany’s ancestors—and ultimately, shaped Brittany herself.

Records and Repositories Utilized

This case drew on a wide spectrum of genealogical records, archives, and online tools, including but not limited to:
Record Types:

• U.S. Federal and State Census Records
• Vital Records (birth, marriage, death)
• Social Security Applications and Claims
• Newspapers and Obituaries
• Military Service and Pension Records
• City Directories
  
• Deeds, Land, and Plat Maps
• Probate, Guardianship, and Court Records
• Slave Schedules and Manumission Papers
• Dawes Rolls and other Tribal Rolls 
• Applications for Enrollment in Five Civilized Tribes & Testimonials
• Indian Territory and Oklahoma Historical Records
• Indian and Pioneer Historical Collections

Repositories and Databases:

• Ancestry.com
• FamilySearch & FamilySearch Full Text Search
• Fold3
• Newspapers.com
• Internet Archive
• FreeAfricanAmericans.com
• Oklahoma Historical Society & Gateway to Oklahoma History
• Cherokee Phoenix News Archives
• Columbus Metropolitan Library
• The Historical Marker Database
• VisitChampaignOhio.com
• Urbana Daily Digital News
• Facebook Community Groups (e.g., Those With American Indian–Native American Pride and Their Descendants)

A Legacy Reclaimed

This case was not just about finding records. It was about restoring stories—stories of freedom and displacement, survival and endurance, family and identity. It was about giving a modern-day descendant a tangible connection to those who came before her and showing her that her family’s legacy is not only powerful—it’s real, documented, and enduring.

“Diane’s research has made me feel like I have a strong family legacy, and I’ve never felt that before.”

If you’re struggling to find your roots, particularly if your ancestors were African American, Native American, or both, know this: the journey may be difficult, but your family’s story is out there. And it deserves to be found.

​More African Amercian Genealogy

Find more of the African American genealogy under the African Amercian Genealogy category.

​​More Genealogy Resources

Learn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.

​More Genealogy Records

Learn about more genealogy records under the Genealogy Records category.