Darius
The devastating failure of a financial institution, Freedman's Bank,
designed to help former slaves, has now yielded the greatest repository of
lineage-linked African American records known to exist.
The 480,000 Freedman's Bank depositors gave information documenting three
generations of slavery which gives their descendants, an estimated eight to
10 million African Americans, precious clues.
Further information about this valuable information and where it may be purchased (in 2001 its cost was $6.50, including postage) can be located at:
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/arti...px?article=3508
The New York Genealogical & Biographical Library also has those records documented in a compact disk (CD-ROM), Freedman's Bank Records [call number E 185.2 F75 COMP. DISK]. It is a non-circulating library.
If you are unable to obtain the CD-ROM for your own use, you can probably make contact with someone on the AFRICANAMER-GEN-L@rootsweb.com, which Teresa referred you to, who lives near the library and who may be able to do some research for you.
Good luck in your quest.
Norman