Dear Valarie,

Before the war some states required registration of African american slaves brought into the state...Ala was one of these at least for a time... because i have seen such records (I believe that slave owners had to sign an affidavit that they were not bringing the persons in for purpose of sale).

Additionally, when Slaves were transferred to another family member (or sold) there was a property transfer record made at the county courthouse. If you know the name of the family that your ancestor was in, then you should check for Wills and other court records in the counties where they lived...the will might mention your ancestor's name.

If Courthouse records have survived (no fires) then there is a good chance the records still exist...if you know what counties in which to look.

Another possibility is that births of African American Slaves were sometimes listed in the Family Bibles of the owners...I would think this would be much more likely in the families of small slave holders rather that on the big plantations were the field hands did not have close contact with their owners.

You can also check church records... precivil war churches were integrated and membership rosters listed African american members...sometimes along with naming the person's owner if the African american was not a freeman. I've come across Baptist Church records like this.

I also know that Pre-war Baptist churches and associations )groups) of churches also had commitees formed to encourage/enable church attendance by African Americans who desired to go. My g.g.g.grandfather served on such a committee in pre-war Mississippi.

Many records still exist...there should be (but I don't think there is) a clearing house for information on surviving documents concerning African American slaves in the pre-emancipation years to help folks who desire to research African American ancestry (Note that the State of Texas does have such a program).

Goodluck, Len