African American research in North Carolina rewards method and respect for trauma in the records. A workable order:

1. Oral history and home sources (Bibles, photographs, funeral programs).
2. 1870 and later census clusters; note neighbors and occupations.
3. Freedmen’s Bureau, labor contracts, and military service (USCT).
4. Plantation and probate context for pre-1865 generations—when available.
5. Church, burial societies, and community institutions.

Read the full African American research guide. Priority hubs (Wake, New Hanover, Craven, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Robeson, and others) add local topics—always still check parent counties for early events.

Printable: African American research pack.