There was work in the cities of the south; the country provided land for crops and some form of self sufficiency. How to balance the two was one of the challenges faced by our ancestors. Many family members moved back and forth between the two, especially if their country dwelling was 'near' the opportunities of the city.

Don't ignore your city records and directories when looking for your country ancestors.

NOPL has put a Guide to African-American Resources online. Look for clues to the type of records available both before, during and after the Civil War. Some are universal to every locality.