Salut et Hola y Hello!

I've spent the past two days researching people of color in Gwen Midlo Hall's Afro-Louisiana Slave database. I've made several discoveries that may be invaluable to you. I hope this search tip will help you in identifying them.

When I search, I'm usually looking for the name of a slave or a master usually white. Although some of my ancestors were owned by free people of color...with no familial ties, this search technique revealed possible relationships I never pursued before and regional connections outside of the Lower South.

It also identifies names of free people of color that are sometimes left out in the database when doing a slave or general master search.

Here's how it works:

In the Master name plug in FWOC* Make sure you always use the *.

FWOC*#of hits=642

FWC*=12

FMOC*=229

FMC* # of hits=26

It' s interesting that the free women of color greatly outnumbered the men. Also these free slaveholders were not all buying their relatives as we have been led to believe.

You can also plug in Negre*=104

and dit*=421 for that elusive name

Good Luck

K Wyer Lane