African American Slave Trade: Ships & Records for Genealogy

Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega searches old newspapers and other online resources to learn more about the African slave trade in America. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.

Throughout the course of the Atlantic Slave Trade, an estimated 12 million Africans were captured in their homeland and forcibly shipped across the Atlantic, on more than 35,000 voyages, starting in the 17th century* The African Diaspora scattered Africans throughout the Caribbean and Americas. The first slave ship to land in Colonial America went to Jamestown, Virginia, in August 1619. The name of the first African slave ship out of the United States was Desire, which sailed out of Massachusetts eighteen years later. This forced migration caused the displacement, torture, enslavement and murder of many Africans.**



History of the African Slave Trade in America


Laws Slow—but Don’t Stop—the African Slave Trade



Genealogy Tip:



Slave Advertisements in Newspapers

Eighteenth-century newspapers found in GenealogyBank’s archives report of the comings and goings of slave ships, when the African slave trade was still legal. From advertisements to shipping news articles, researchers can find mentions of slave ships names, their captains, and descriptions of the people on board.





Slave Ship “Shipping News” in Newspapers



shipping news, Commercial Advertiser newspaper article 31 July 1799

Where to Find African Slave Trade & Slave Ship Records



African American Slave Trade Infographic Research Sources:







17 thoughts on “African American Slave Trade: Ships & Records for Genealogy

  1. The May 1861 Contraband decision by General Butler at Fort Monroe during the beginning of the Civil War was a significant change in slavery in America. It should be included in future revisions to this great infographic.

    While the contraband decision did not free slaves, it began the practice of not returning runaway slaves to their owners as required by US law of the time and offered safe haven to hundreds of thousands slaves behind the lines of Federal forces. It is very significant as it help lead Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclomation.

    1. Wendell- The best place to start, is to start with what you know. Start with parents and grandparents and go back. If your parents or grandparents are still living, ask them about their parents and grandparents. You will want to research where they lived and their customs. Searching census records can answer some of these questions and give you a general idea of dates, places and siblings. Newspapers have obituaries that give family names, relatives and places. A good website to start with for census records would be

  2. Some praiseworthy research, but the number of Africans impacted by the Ma’afa is closer to 112 million and upwards of 230 million including children in utero and future offspring. 6 million is a gross understatement and a factual misrepresentation.

    1. According to the Voyages database, the total between 1514-1875 to ALL countries and regions was 9,901,365. Can you tell me where you got your numbers?

  3. How many slaves came from West Africa? I started my ancestor tree in 1988 and could only go back as far as 1835, Prince Frederick, Calvert County, Maryland. My father said his ancestors were Tutsi and Native American. Can you point me in the right direction?

  4. Disturbing — but are these facts based on actual written records found with proof, or just made up theories and insights on maybe what happened? So much has been hidden and erased on purpose. Is there really proof of the ships, and the census of slaves documented upon arrival due to name changes, which makes it even harder for me to search? Are the numbers based on reality or a claim, for example 1 million slaves?

  5. Hi, I was doing some research on both black and white slavery in the states. From what I’ve gathered thus far, European slave trade was quite common between Europeans and Muslims. I was hoping to learn more about white slavery and the numbers of free blacks that owned slaves in the South.

    Your blog page is a good source for information; thank you for your dedication.

    1. Billy,

      Wikipedia has some interesting entries on slavery. For “big picture” information and possible resources on the topic, see these:

      You could also look into “Free Black Owners of Slaves: A Reappraisal of the Woodson Thesis” (

      Slavery’s many facets prove to make it a rather interesting topic. We thank you for your enjoying our blog!

  6. I was on the Slave Voyages database and according to it, no slave was brought to North America until 1651. The majority of slaves were sent to the Carribean, Brazil, “Spanish Mainland America” (South America, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, etc.) and areas of Africa. Most slave ships were also Spanish. So I don’t know where the info came from that stated slaves were brought here in 1619. Can you point me in the right direction for that information, and is it proven evidence? I’m sorry, but I don’t take anything as truth unless there are more than three separate verifications.

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