Becoming a VERIFIED DESCENDANT OF FREEDMEN

One of the highest priority missions of The Volunteer Council on Freedmen Affairs is providing services to verify any Freedmen Descendant, over the age 18, using official genealogical evidence.

Certificates of Verification are provided to those who have evidence on direct lineage to an American Freedman, residing in the United States between 1776 and 1870. The time-frame for issuing a certificate depends on the details provided by the applicant and availability of resources to verify the applicant's connection to the Freedman Ancestor.

STEPS TO GET VERIFIED

Step 1: Registration, Freedmen ID & Disclosures

-all applicants must register as clients of The Council.
-all applicants must agree to disclosures.
-an encrypted identifier will be assigned to the applicant to keep personal information private.

Begin Step 1 Here...

Step 2: Applicant Genealogy Profile

-for priority processing, the applicant must provide a name and locations of a grand-mother's or grand-father's father.

(a) Ancestor First Name

(b) Ancestor Last Name

(c) Ancestor City/County of Birth OR City/County of Death

-applicants that cannot provide great-grand-father details will be assisted; but at a slower pace.

Step 3: Constructing My Freedmen Tree

Once the applicant successfully completes the registration and enrollment process, the applicant officially becomes a client of The Volunteer Council on Freedmen Affairs.  A genealogy-volunteer will be assigned to help the client begin constructing their Freedmen Tree.

-Clients may be asked to work with a referred genealogist.

-We highly suggest a client to start their search by doing a recorded interview with a senior relative and/or close family friend for stories on the oldest Freedmen Descendant they can re-call details on.

-Obituaries are gems in the process.

***To COMPLETE the verification process, clients should be prepared to provide The Council their REDACTED birth certificate (client name removed) to link themselves to their Freedmen Ancestor:

State certified birth certificates used as evidence of lineage need to be from a state’s Bureau of Vital Records office in which the person was born or deceased with state file number signed by the state registrar and listing the natural, native parent(s). Hospital certificates, state short forms, or county certificates will be accepted with supporting evidence. A notarized Sworn Statement Affidavit signed can be used as a supporting document to the birth documentation requiring additional verification such as computerized, delayed, or birth abroad. Information needs to be written exactly as it appears on the birth certificate, ensuring that the mother’s maiden name is provided.

Once a descendant's Freedman Ancestor is fully documented; a digital certificate will be issued no later than 30-days from the end of the process.