National Archives Trust Fund Board
National Archives and Records Administration
Washington, DC
1984

This catalog lists the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publications of records that relate directly to African Americans in the United States. Brief narratives, which describe these publications, give the background of the office that created or accumulated the records, as well as the type, scope, and organization of the records themselves. Detailed roll-by-roll listings are also given for most of the records.

All of the microfilm catalogs available through the National Archives gopher are also offered in printed form. For ordering information, please contact the Publications Distribution (NECD), National Archives, Room G9, Seventh and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408; telephone 1-800-234-8861.

The Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (the Freedmen's Bureau) comprise much of the catalog. Following a general series description, the catalog describes letters and telegrams sent and received, issuances, reports of operations, records relating to abandoned and confiscated lands, personnel records, records relating to freedmen's labor, records relating to murders and outrages, records relating to the issuing of rations to freedmen, and school reports.

The catalog also includes several publications that contain a significant amount of information about African Americans in the United States although the records do not relate primarily to them. The catalog generally does not include microfilm publications that relate to Africa or the Caribbean. This select catalog lists only those records that were published by NARA on microfilm as of September 1982; however, more records are continually being filmed.

Additional information about records relating to African Americans is available in several guides to records in the National Archives. A Guide to Documents in the National Archives: For Negro Studies (Washington: Committee on Negro Studies, 1947) compiled by Paul Lewinson, is being expanded and updated. Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives (Washington: National Archives, 1984) was compiled by Debra Newman. The Guide to Materials on Latin America in the National Archives of the United States (Washington: GPO, 1974) compiled by George S. Ulibarri and John P. Harrison, the Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War (Washington: National Archives, 1962, 1986) compiled by Kenneth W. Munden and Henry P. Beers, and the Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America (Washington: National Archives, 1968, 1986) compiled by Henry P. Beers, describe numerous record series containing material relating to African Americans. The Guide to the National Archives of the United States (Washington: National Archives, 1974) provides a comprehensive listing of the holdings of the National Archives, including records series that contain material relating to blacks.

The microfilm publications in this catalog are arranged according to the record group of the agency that created the records.

This catalog was compiled by Susan P. Garro, with assistance from Debra L. Newman and Elaine C. Everly, and edited by the Publications Development Staff.

How to Order Microfilm

All microfilm publications of National Archives records are for sale. You can buy either individual rolls or a complete set (all rolls) of a publication. The prices as of May 15, 1996, for silver-halide positive film copies are $34 a roll for domestic orders and $39 for foreign orders. The price includes shipping. These prices are subject to change without advance notice. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the "National Archives Trust Fund (NECD)." VISA and MasterCard are also accepted. Credit card orders must include the expiration date and the cardholder's signature. Do NOT send cash. Federal, state, and local government agencies only may purchase microfilm on an accounts-receivable basis, but they must submit a signed purchase order within 10 working days of placing an order. U.S. Treasury regulations require a minimum amount of $25 for foreign checks. To order microfilm, write to:

National Archives Trust Fund (NECD) P.O. Box 100793 Atlanta, GA 30384

Each microfilm publication is identified by an "M" or "T" number. When ordering, please state this microfilm publication number; if you are not buying a complete set, also state the specific roll numbers. Many "M" publication have descriptive pamphlets, identified in this catalog by the letters "DP" following the title. These pamphlets are available free from Publications Distribution (NECD), National Archives, Room G9, Seventh and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408 (telephone 1-800-234-8861).

Check your order immediately upon receipt for errors, completeness, or damage in shipping. You must notify Publications Distribution of any problems within 60 days. Do not return microfilm orders without written permission from Publications Distribution.

Regional Archives System
National Archives-New England Region
380 Trapelo Road
Waltham, MA 02452-6399
866-406-2379 or 781-663-0127
Serves: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, and Vermont

National Archives-Pittsfield Region
100 Dan Fox Drive
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-236-3600
(No accessioned records, only microfilm relating to genealogy)

National Archives-Northeast Region
Bldg. 22, Military Ocean Terminal
Bayonne, NJ 07002-5388
201-823-7545
Serves: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands

National Archives-Mid Atlantic Region
9th and Market Streets, Room 1350
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-597-3000
Serves: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia

National Archives-Southeast Region
1557 St. Joseph Avenue
East Point, GA 30344
404-763-7477
Serves: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee

National Archives-Great Lakes Region
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629
312-581-7816
Serves: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin

National Archives-Central Plains Region
2312 East Bannister Road
Kansas City, MO 64131
816-926-6272
Serves: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska

National Archives-Southwest Region
501 West Felix Street
P.O. Box 6216
Fort Worth, TX 76115
817-334-5525
Serves: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

National Archives-Rocky Mountain Region
Bldg. 48, Denver Federal Center
P.O. Box 25307
Denver, CO 80225
303-236-0817
Serves: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

National Archives-Pacific Southwest Region
24000 Avila Road
P.O. Box 6719
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677-6719
714-643-4241
Serves: Arizona; southern California counties of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura; and Clark County, Nevada

National Archives-Pacific Sierra Region
1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066
415-876-9009
Serves: Northern California, Hawaii, Nevada (except Clark County), and the Pacific Ocean area

National Archives-Pacific Northwest Region
6125 Sand Point Way, NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206-526-6507
Serves: Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

National Archives-Alaska Region
654 West Third Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-271-2441
Serves: Alaska

RECORD OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE (RECORD GROUP 46)

Records of the Senate Select Committee That Investigated John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in 1859. M1196. 3 rolls. DP.

This microfilm publication reproduces the records of the U.S. Senate Select Committee appointed to investigate the invasion and seizure of the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry, WV, by John Brown. The committee's records include the Senate Resolution, majority and minority reports, a journal, transcripts of hearings, and correspondence. Most of the records on roll 3 were not published in the committee report.

Appendixes 1 and 3 are excerpts from the Secretary of War's annual report to Congress, published as Senate Executive Document 2, 36th Congress, 1st session, Congressional Serial Set 1024. Appendixes 2, 4, and 5 are excerpts of Virginia Governor Wise's annual message to the state legislature; Governor Wise had published a large number of the documents that were confiscated from Brown as an appendix to his message, which he sent to the committee in lieu of providing the original documents.

All of the testimony is arranged chronologically. Two original exhibits, presented by John C. Unseld and A. M. Kitzmiller, are included in the testimony on roll 1. An alphabetical index by surnames of witnesses is the last item on roll 2; it indicates the beginning page of each witness's testimony as it appears in the published version.

Roll 3 contains Governor Wise's message, including the selections published by the committee as appendixes 6 and 7, and unpublished committee correspondence concerning Governor Wise, Thaddeus Hyatt, Hugh Forbes, and the committee's witnesses, each arranged chronologically, chiefly by date of receipt. It also contains several small series relating primarily to the summoning and payment of committee witnesses, such as a register of payment to witnesses; correspondence with U.S. attorneys and marshals; a register of payment for service of summons; a register of summons; and summons and returns. Also included are letters received by the committee, arranged chronologically by date received; a list of John Brown's men; and unarranged administrative records.

Roll      Description

1         Senate Resolution, Majority and Minority Reports,

           Journal, Appendixes 1-5, and Testimony of Witnesses,

           Jan. 5-17, 1860

2         Testimony of Witnesses, Jan. 21-May 2, 1860, and Index

           to Published Version of Testimony

3         Correspondence, Appendixes 6 and 7 to the Committee's

           Report, and Related Documents

RECORDS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (RECORD GROUP 233)

Transcripts of the Hearings of the House Select Committee That Investigated the Race Riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, 1917. M1167. 7 rolls. DP.

This microfilm publication reproduces the transcripts of the hearings of the House Select Committee that investigated the causes of the race riots that occurred in East St. Louis (St. Clair County), IL, on May 28 and July 2, 1917. Because the riots resulted in the virtual suspension of commerce between the neighboring states of Illinois and Missouri for up to 10 days in July, the committee that conducted the investigation was formally called the House Select Committee to Investigate Conditions in Illinois and Missouri Interfering With Interstate Commerce Between These States. The transcripts of the hearings and related records are part of Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233.

The transcripts of the hearings of the select committee are arranged chronologically. They are preceded by a handwritten index, prepared by the committee, of subjects and persons mentioned in the hearings. In the transcripts, consideration of the interstate commerce issue precedes discussions of other aspects of the riots. The transcripts, reproduced on rolls 1-5, are followed by miscellaneous related records, some of which were entered as exhibits in the hearings. Exhibits are reproduced on roll 6 and consist of: (A) the report submitted to the Governor of Illinois by Col. S. O. Tripp, Illinois National Guard; (B1) a report of a board of inquiry into the conduct of the officers and men of the Illinois National Guard; and (B2) the proceedings of the board of inquiry. Reproduced on roll 7 are the following: a draft of the committee's final report; photographs; financial and other administrative records, including some untranscribed stenographic notes; transcripts of the June 1917 hearings held by the Labor Committee of the Illinois State Council of Defense to investigate "the cause of the heavy influx" of Southern blacks into East St. Louis during 1917; a few labor bulletins; the report of the grand jury of St. Clair County; and a petition from the citizens of East St. Louis demanding changes in the police department and improvements in law enforcement.

Roll Description         Dates

1    Index and Vols.     Oct. 18-24, 1917

      I-IV

2    Vols. V-IX          Oct. 25-30, 1917

3    Vols. X-XIV         Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 1917

4    Vols. XV-XIX        Nov. 7-12, 1917

5    Vols. XX-XXIII      Nov. 13-17, 1917

6    Exhibits A, B1,

      and B2

7    Related Reports and

      Records of the

      House Select

      Committee and

      Local Groups

RECORDS OF THE U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (RECORD GROUP 217)

Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-1863. M520. 6 rolls. DP.

This microfilm publication reproduces three bound volumes and a number of unbound records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-63.

An act of April 16, 1862, abolished slavery in the District of Columbia. Under section 3, the President was authorized to appoint a board of three Commissioners, who were residents of the District, to examine petitions for compensation from former owners of freed slaves in the District.

An act of July 12, 1862, provided that petitions could be received from slaves whose owners had not presented petitions for compensation. The petitions received under this act were filed separately from those received under the act of April 16 and are reproduced on roll 6 of this microfilm publication.

The records of the board include the following items:

(1) A bound volume comprising the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Commissioners, dated April 28, 1862-January 14, 1863, arranged chronologically by date of session. A name and subject index is at the front of the volume.

(2) A bound volume containing a record of petitions filed under the act of April 16, 1862, dated April 29-July 15, 1862, showing the date the petition was filed, the number of the petition, the name of the petitioner, the names of slaves, and the value of slaves as claimed in the petition, arranged chronologically and thereunder by petition number. An index by name of petitioner is at the front of the volume.

(3) A bound docket book kept by the board, dated April- December 1862, relating to the petitions filed under the act of April 16, 1862, showing the number of the petition, the name of the claimant, and a summary of the action taken. Arranged by petition number. An index is at the front of the volume.

(4) An unbound summary list of amounts awarded to claimants who filed petitions under the act of April 16, 1862, showing the number of the petition, the name of the claimant, the number of servants, the amount awarded by the board, and the signature of the claimant. Arranged by petition number.

(5) An unbound final report by the Board of Commissioners to the Secretary of the Treasury, dated January 14, 1863. Accompanying this narrative report are three tabular statements: table A, a list of petitions presented to the board under the act of April 16, 1862, arranged chronologically, and an alphabetical list of claimants; table B, a list of petitions filed under the act of July 12, 1862, arranged chronologically; and table C, an alphabetical list of claimants who would have been eligible for awards if their petitions had been filed before the deadline.

(6) Unbound petitions filed with the Board of Commissioners pursuant to the acts of April 16, 1862, and July 12, 1862. The petitions filed under the first act were numbered consecutively as they were received by the board and are arranged numerically. Those filed under the second act were not numbered and are arranged chronologically.

All records of the board that are listed above, except for the petitions, are reproduced on roll 1 of this microfilm publication. The petitions are reproduced on rolls 2-6.

Because the accounting records relating to the activities of the board provide no additional information of value, they have not been reproduced in this microfilm publication.

Roll      Contents

1         Minutes of the meetings, Apr. 28, 1862-Jan. 14, 1863;

           records of petitions filed, Apr. 29-July 15, 1862;

           docket book, Apr.-Dec. 1862; summary list of awards;

           final report of the Board of Commissioners, Jan. 14,

           1863

2         Petitions filed under the act of Apr. 16, 1862:

           Nos. 1-200

3          Nos. 201-400

4          Nos. 401-600

5          Nos. 601-800

6          Nos. 801-966 and petitions filed under the act of 

            July 12, 1862

RECORDS OF DISTRICT COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES (RECORD GROUP 21)

The Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789 (1 Stat. 73), provided for a system of district and circuit courts in addition to the Supreme Court of the United States. The jurisdictions of the district and circuit courts varied over the years, but generally district courts were courts of original jurisdiction with authority to hear criminal, admiralty, and bankruptcy cases, while circuit courts heard appeals from district courts and had original jurisdiction in law and equity cases involving suits in excess of $500 in which the United States, an alien, or citizens of different states were parties.

Records of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Relating to Slaves, 1851-1863. M433. 3 rolls.

This microfilm publication reproduces all the records relating to slavery in the District of Columbia that were kept by the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. These unbound records include emancipation papers, 1857-63, manumission papers, 1851-63, and case papers relating to fugitive slaves, 1851-63.

On April 16, 1862, Congress passed An Act for the Release of certain Persons held to Service or Labor in the District of Columbia." Section 2 of the act required that owners claiming compensation for freed persons of African descent were to file schedules of their slaves by July 15, 1862.

A supplementary act, July 12, 1862, permitted schedules to be filed by slaves whose former owners had neglected to file, and it granted freedom to slaves whose owners lived outside the District of Columbia and who were employed within the District with the owners' consent after April 16, 1862.

The emancipation papers consist of these schedules, usually with notes giving dates when certificates of freedom were issued to former slaves. The manumission papers, 1851-63, record the voluntary freeing of slaves by their owners, and in general they consist of schedules similar to those in the emancipation papers.

Included in the court's records is a series of papers relating to fugitive slaves, 1851-63. Many of these cases contain only the warrants for arrest, and others contain papers relating to proof of ownership.

Roll Description

1    Emancipation papers resulting from the act of

      Apr. 16, 1862, A-L

2    Emancipation papers resulting from the act of

      Apr. 16, 1862, M-Y

3    Emancipation papers resulting from the act of

      July 12, 1862; manumission papers, 1857-63; and

      fugitive slave case papers, 1851-63 

Habeas Corpus Case Records, 1820-1863, of the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia.

M434. 2 rolls.

Most of the habeas corpus case records of the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia for the period 1820-63 concern persons alleged to be fugitive slaves. The records include writs of habeas corpus (orders to produce a prisoner and show cause for capture and detention), petitions for writs, return of writs, orders of the court, and other papers filed in habeas corpus proceedings. The case records are arranged chronologically.

Roll Dates

1    1820-43

2    1844-63

*Case Files of U.S. District Courts and U.S. Circuit Courts

The microfilm publications listed below reproduce a portion of the case files of the U.S. District Courts and U.S. Circuit Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Some cases concerning the slave trade and the illegal transportation of slaves were before these courts in the years 1789-1843.

Most of these slave trade cases are located among the admiralty case files of the district courts (reproduced as M919 and M988); there are also a few among the information case files (reproduced as M992). Some cases relating to the slave trade that were appealed from the district courts are among the case files of the circuit courts for the same districts (M855 and M969).

Because the slave trade case files are scattered among a large volume of records of cases relating to a variety of other matters, it is not possible to identify the specific rolls on which they are reproduced. Therefore, detailed roll listings are not given here.

In general, the case files of the district courts are arranged chronologically, and thereunder alphabetically by name of plaintiff or vessel, and the case files of the circuit courts are arranged alphabetically, and thereunder by year. The descriptive pamphlet that accompanies each microfilm publication includes a list of the case files reproduced in that publication.

Records of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts for the District of Connecticut: Documents Relating to the Various Cases Involving the Spanish Schooner Amistad. M1753. 1 roll.

Admiralty Case Files of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1790-1842. M919. 62 rolls. DP.

Admiralty Case Files of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1789-1840. M988. 18 rolls. DP.

Information Case Files, 1789-1843, and Related Records, 1792-1918, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. M992. 10 rolls. DP.

Appellate Case Files of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York, 1793-1845. M855. 8 rolls. DP.

Law and Appellate Records of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1790-1847. M969. 26 rolls. DP.

GENERAL RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE (RECORD GROUP 59)

*Diplomats

The Department of State was the first major government department to appoint African Americans to positions of importance and one of the few departments to continue blacks in these positions in the period from post-Reconstruction through World War I. In addition to those mentioned below, other African- American diplomats served either briefly or in subordinate positions.

Most of the ministers resident and consuls general to Haiti from 1869 until 1913 were African American. Ebenezer D. Bassett served in that post from April 1869 until 1877. In September 1877 John Mercer Langston was appointed and served until June 1885. For a brief period in 1883, he was also Charge d'Affaires for the Dominican Republic. Frederick Douglass served as minister resident to Haiti from June 1889 to July 1891. Henry W. Furniss was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in November 1905 and served until 1913. Several black diplomats also served as consuls at Cap-Haitien; Dr. Lemuel W. Livingston served in that post from January 14, 1894, until December 17, 1919.

Campbell L. Maxwell served as consul to Santo Domingo from January 11, 1892, until he was appointed consul general in April 1898. He served in that position until July 1, 1904. Archibald H. Grimke also served as consul to Santo Domingo, 1894-98.

Black diplomats served as ministers resident and consuls general to Liberia. For example, J. Milton Turner served from March 1, 1871, until May 20, 1878; Henry Highland Garnet, from June 30, 1881, until his death on February 13, 1882; O.L.W. Smith, from February 11, 1898, until May 22, 1902; and Ernest Lyon, from March 16, 1903, until June 10, 1910. Black diplomats also served as secretary of legation at Monrovia. James Robert Spurgeon served from March 4, 1898, until December 10, 1902, when he was replaced by George W. Ellis, who continued in that post until December 1909.

Other black diplomats served in consular posts. James G. Carter was appointed consul at Tamatave, Madagascar, in November 1906 and served in that post until the consulate was transferred to Tananarive, Madagascar, in 1916. He served as consul at Tananarive from July 16, 1916, until March 1, 1927, when he was offered the post of minister resident and consul general to Liberia. He declined that post, and on March 28, 1927, he was assigned as consul at Calais, France. He served there until the consulate was closed in June 1940. After a brief tour as consul at Bordeaux, on November 8, 1940, he was assigned as consul at Tananarive, Madagascar. In January 1941 he was promoted to consul general and served in that rank until his retirement on July 1, 1942.

R. T. Greener served as consul at Bombay, India, from January until May 1898, when he was appointed consul (later commercial agent) at Vladivostok, Russia. William H. Hunt served as a consular officer for 33 years. He was appointed vice consul at Tamatave, Madagascar, March 20, 1899, and promoted to consul August 23, 1901. On November 1, 1906, he was transferred to St. Etienne, France, where he served as consul until his transfer on December 10, 1926, to Guadeloupe, French West Indies. He served from September 25, 1929, until January 7, 1931, as consul at St. Michael, Azores, and then as consul at Monrovia until his retirement in August 1932.

Dr. George H. Jackson served as the consul at La Rochelle, France, from July 1, 1899, until his transfer to Cognac on June 10, 1908. James W. Johnson began his service as consul on March 29, 1906, at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Effective March 30, 1907, he became consul at Goree-Dakar, French West Africa, and from June 10, 1908, until January 12, 1909, he served as consul at Corinto, Nicaragua. Christopher H. Payne served as consul at St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, from May 1, 1903, until September 30, 1917. J. N. Ruffin served as consul at Asuncion, Paraguay, from October 27, 1897, until August 19, 1907. Mahlon B. Van Horn preceded Christopher Payne as consul at St. Thomas, serving from July 17, 1897, until July 31, 1903. John T. Williams served as consul to Sierra Leone, British Africa, from February 25, 1898, until April 10, 1906.

Herbert R. Wright served as consul at Utilla, Honduras, from June 15, 1905, until he was transferred to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on June 10, 1908. He served at that post until he retired from the consular service on January 22, 1917. William J. Yerby served as a consul for over 25 years. Effective June 28, 1906, he was assigned as consul at Sierra Leone. He was transferred in February 1915 to Goree-Dakar, French West Africa. He served there for 10 years and then was reassigned to La Rochelle, France, where he served from May 14, 1925, until he was transferred to Oporto, Portugal, effective October 25, 1926. His last consular post was Nantes, France. He served there from July 18, 1930, until March 15, 1932. After a brief tour of duty in Washington, he retired September 30, 1932.

Until 1906, the records of each consulate were maintained separately from the diplomatic correspondence. Most of the despatches from U.S. consuls during that period have been microfilmed, as have been the instructions from the department. The system of filing correspondence by type and place of origin was discontinued in 1906, when a subject classification scheme, the Numerical File, was adopted. Beginning in 1910, the despatches from consular officials were filed with the diplomatic despatches according to a decimal file classification scheme. The despatches relating to internal affairs and political relations have been microfilmed for the period 1910-29 and for some countries for the period 1930-44.

The microfilm publications listed below relate to some of the posts in which African-American diplomats served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The subject matter of the records, however, does not necessarily relate specifically to blacks. More detailed information about the contents of the records reproduced in these publications can be obtained from the relevant descriptive pamphlets; roll-by-roll listings for each publication are provided in Diplomatic Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications.

1910-1929 Decimal File
British Africa (includes Sierra Leone)

Internal Affairs. M583. 33 rolls. DP.
Sierra Leone: roll 26

Political Relations with the United States. M584. 1 roll.

Political Relations with Other States. M585. 1 roll.

France (includes Dakar, Madagascar, and Guadeloupe)

Internal Affairs. M560. 162 rolls. DP.
Guadeloupe: roll 149
Dakar: roll 157
Madagascar: rolls 158-162

Political Relations with the United States. M568. 5 rolls. DP.

Political Relations with Other States. M569. 7 rolls. DP.
Haiti

Internal Affairs. M610. 94 rolls. DP.

Political Relations with the United States. M611. 2 rolls.

Political Relations with Other States. M612. 4 rolls.
Liberia

Internal Affairs. M613. 34 rolls. DP.

Political Relations with Other States, including the United States. M614. 1 roll. DP.
Portugal (includes St. Michael, Azores)

Internal Affairs. M705. 34 rolls. DP.
St. Michael, Azores: roll 26
Venezuela

Internal Affairs. M366. 32 rolls. DP.

Political Relations with the United States. M368. 1 roll.

Political Relations with Other States. M369. 2 rolls.

Numerical File

Numerical and Minor Files of the Department of State, 1906-1910. M862. 1,240 rolls. DP.

Below is a partial listing of rolls containing file numbers relating to some of the countries to which black diplomats were posted during this period.

Roll      File Number    Country

1,2       27             Dominican Republic

203       1915            Internal affairs

226       2196 

617       8597

165       1460           Haiti

219-221   2126           Internal affairs

907       14965

405       4688           Liberia

794-799   12083           Political relations with the U.S.

853       13746

43-46     295            Morocco

223-225   2151            Internal affairs

327       3544           Nicaragua

506-509   6369            Internal affairs

                          Political relations with other states

409       4766           Honduras

1035-1036 18432          El Salvador

1115      21670

Diplomatic Despatches Before 1906:

Dominican Republic, 1883-1906. M93. 15 rolls.

Haiti, 1862-1906. M82. 47 rolls.

Liberia, 1863-1906. M170. 14 rolls.

Consular Despatches Before 1906:

Asuncion, Paraguay, 1844-1906. T329. 6 rolls.
Bahia, Brazil, 1850-1906. T331. 8 rolls.
Cap-Haitien, Haiti, 1797-1906. M9. 17 rolls.
Grand-Bassa, Liberia, 1868-1882. M171. 1 roll.
La Rochelle, France, 1794-1906. T394. 8 rolls.
Monrovia, Liberia, 1852-1906. M169. 7 rolls. DP.
There is a gap in this series of consular despatches from 1864-75, as all the despatches from the minister resident and consul general were bound in the series of despatches from United States ministers to Liberia (M170). Included in this series are communications relating to the suppression of the African slave trade and to various colonization projects.

St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, 1805-1906. T350. 17 rolls. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1837-1906. T56. 19 rolls. Sierra Leone, British Africa, 1858-1906. T438. 5 rolls. Tamatave, Madagascar, 1853-1906. T60. 11 rolls. Utila, Honduras, 1894-1906. T701. 2 rolls.

Instructions

Diplomatic Instructions, 1801-1906. M77. 175 rolls. DP.
France: rolls 54-64
Great Britain: rolls 73-94
Haiti and Santo Domingo: rolls 95-98
Liberia: roll 110
Special Missions: rolls 152-155

Registers of Consular Communications Sent, 1870-1906. M17. Rolls 33-44.

*Other Diplomatic Records

The microfilm publications listed below contain correspondence relating to the suppression of the slave trade and to colonization projects. This material is interspersed among correspondence relating to a variety of other topics; therefore, detailed roll listings are not given. This is not a comprehensive list of all microfilm publications of diplomatic records that may contain related material. (There are additional microfilm publications of records in other record groups relating to the suppression of the slave trade and to colonization projects. See Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior and records of the Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library are described below.)

Notes to Foreign Legations from the Department of State, 1834-1906. M99. 99 rolls.
Great Britain: rolls 35-56
Haiti and the Dominican Republic: rolls 58-59
Liberia: rolls 58 and 60

Notes from the British Legation in the United States to the Department of State, 1791-1906. M50. 145 rolls.

These notes reflect two issues of concern to the British government in its dealing with the United States: the suppression of the slave trade and, in the period 1822-60 the Southern States' "Negro Seamen's Acts."

Notes from the Haitian Legation in the United States to the Department of State, 1861-1906. T803. 6 rolls.

Notes from the Liberian Legation in the United States to the Department of State, 1862-1898. T807. 1 roll.

Despatches from United States Ministers to Great Britain, 1791-1906. M30. 200 rolls. DP.

These despatches reflect, to a lesser degree, the same issues as the notes reproduced in M50.

Despatches from United States Ministers to Brazil, 1809-1906. M121. 74 rolls. DP.

Despatches from United States Ministers to Liberia, 1863-1906. M170. 14 rolls.

Domestic Letters of the Department of State, 1784-1906. M40. 171 rolls.

Miscellaneous Letters of the Department of State, 1789-1906. M179. 1,310 rolls. DP.

The Domestic Letters and Miscellaneous Letters series include scattered correspondence with various colonization societies.

GENERAL RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (RECORD GROUP 56)

Records of the Commissioners of Claims (Southern Claims Commission), 1871-1880. M87. 14 rolls. DP.

This microfilm publication reproduces records of the Commissioners of Claims (otherwise known as the Southern Claims Commission) dated between March 10, 1871, and June 29, 1880, and also a few papers dated as early as March 29, 1864, and as late as April 17, 1900.

An act of Congress approved March 3, 1871, authorized the President to nominate three Commissioners of Claims to receive, examine, and determine the validity of the claims of Southerners who remained loyal to the U.S. Government during the Civil War for stores or supplies taken by or furnished to the Army of the United States. By an act approved May 11, 1872, this clause was extended to include property used by the Navy. The act provided further that of the claims within its provisions, only those presented to the commissioners could be prosecuted, and that all others were to be barred.

An act of June 16, 1880, terminated the commission and gave the Treasury Department responsibility for liquidating the business of the commission.

Many of the claimants were African American; the file folders for black claimants are generally labeled "colored" or "cold." Some of the agents list claim numbers for African Americans, which can be used to find additional information about whether the claims were allowed or disallowed. Several of the letters received by the commission raised questions about the status of African Americans during the Civil War.

Because the records relating to blacks are interspersed among the remaining records, it is not possible to identify specific rolls containing this material. It is likely that the bulk of the material relating to black claimants is located in the series of miscellaneous letters received.

The following series of records are reproduced:

(1) The Journal of the Commissioners, March 16, 1871-March 9, 1880, consisting of two volumes, in addition to one volume of an earlier draft through October 8, 1872. The journal is a daily record of the proceedings of the commissioners, with summaries of letters received and sent and also with printed copies of several annual reports of the commissioners, samples of blank forms, and other printed matter. Only the first volume, which ends December 31, 1877, is indexed.

(2) Miscellaneous letters received by the commissioners from all classes of correspondents except special agents, March 10, 1871-June 29, 1880. Among the correspondents are claimants, attorneys for claimants, informants submitting information about the loyalty of claimants, federal officials and other persons giving evidence on specific claims, special commissioners, and individuals writing in favor of or in opposition to applicants for appointment as special commissioners. The letters are arranged chronologically; they are not indexed.

(3) Miscellaneous papers, consisting chiefly of memorandum copies of bills for goods, March 29-June 13, 1864; updated notes; and letters addressed by claimants and others to the Department of the Treasury, September 4, 1882-May 10, 1895, relating to business left unfinished by the commissioners. Those of later date are not records of the Commissioners of Claims but are filed with and related to the records.

(4) Fifty-seven summary reports, one on each of 57 claims, submitted by the commissioners to the House of Representatives and arranged by serial numbers from 586 through 21148. These are printed forms giving serial number of claim, name of claimant, county and state in which claimant resided, itemized statements of claim, amount allowed and/or disallowed for each claim, and remarks. It is not clear why these few reports are separated from the others, which are among the Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233, in the National Archives.

(5) Letters received by the commissioners from and about special agents, August 8, 1871-February 7, 1880. The letters from special agents consist chiefly of letters of acceptance and weekly reports; those about the agents are chiefly recommendations and complaints. The letters are arranged alphabetically by the names of the 14 special agents.

(6) A printed but unpublished geographical list of claimants, arranged alphabetically by names of states, thereunder by names of counties, and thereunder by names of claimants, with the serial number and amount of each claim.

(7) Consolidated Index of Claims Reported by the Commissioners of Claims to the House of Representatives from 1871 to 1880, Compiled under the Supervision of J. B. Holloway, Clerk to Prepare Digest of Claims, and Walter H. French, File Clerk, House of Representatives (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1892). This printed volume is filed with the records of the commissioners and is filmed as an index to the action taken on the 22,298 claims. The entries are arranged alphabetically by names of claimants. For each claim the following information is given: name of claimant, state, commission number (serial number of claim), office number, report number (number of the report in which the claim was reported by the commissioners to the House of Representatives); year (in which claim was reported); amount claimed, amount allowed; amounts disallowed, barred, withdrawn, or dismissed; and nature of claim (commodities or other item for which compensation was claimed).

Roll  Contents                Dates

1    Journal of the           Mar. 16, 1871-Dec.  31, 1877

     Commissioners, 

      Vol. 1

     Journal of the           Jan. 2, 1878-Mar. 9, 1880

     Commissioners,

      Vol. 2

     Rough Journal of the     Mar. 16, 1871-Oct. 8, 1872

      Commissioners

2    Miscellaneous Letters    Mar. 10, 1871-Dec. 30, 1872

      Received 

3    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. 2-Dec. 29, 1873

      Received

4    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. l-June 29, 1874

      Received

5    Miscellaneous Letters    July 1-Dec. 31, 1874

      Received

6    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. 5-Dec. 23, 1875

      Received

7    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. 7-Dec. 28, 1876

      Received

8    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. 2-Dec. 28, 1877

      Received

9    Miscellaneous Letters    Jan. 2, 1878-June 29, 1880

      Received 

     Miscellaneous Papers     Mar. 29, 1864-ca. Apr. 17, 1900

     Summary Reports on Claims

10   Letters From and About

      Special Agents:

      Avery-Brownlow

11    Chamberlain-Richards

12    Richmond-Tucker

13   Geographical List of

      Claims

14   Consolidated Index of

      Claims

*** Last update 7/16/96 (mcr) ***

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