This thread — and this entire category — exists for one purpose: to make sure no one gets stuck alone.

African American genealogy is hard. It requires navigating records that were designed to obscure the humanity of the people you are searching for. It requires learning to read 19th-century handwriting, understanding how county boundaries changed, knowing which archives hold which records, and developing the patience to search a microfilm reel for two hours looking for one name.

No one knows all of this when they start. Most of us are still learning.

So if you have a question — about a record type, a database, a place name, a census term, a DNA result you cannot interpret, a document you cannot read, an archive you cannot find — ask it here.

There is no question that is too basic. There is no question that is too complicated. This community includes beginners and experienced researchers, and all of us remember what it felt like to not know where to start.

— COMMON STARTING QUESTIONS WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP WITH —

• "I found my ancestor in 1870. Now what?"
• "How do I read a slave schedule?"
• "My DNA says I'm 22% Benin & Togo. What does that mean?"
• "How do I find out what county a town was in in 1850?"
• "My ancestor's name is spelled three different ways in different records. Which is correct?"
• "I found a Freedmen's Bureau document but I can't read the handwriting."
• "What does NARA M1909 mean and how do I access it?"
• "Is there a free way to search Ancestry without a subscription?"

Post your question below. We will help.

And if you know an answer to someone else's question — please share it. That is how this community works.