We’re sorry for your loss of a loved one. But when determining what information to place on a headstone, be sure to include the maiden names of female family members. When sleuthing for genealogy, visits to cemeteries too often yield only the first names of married women. The families of “Jane,” “Dorothy” and “Mary” can be lost to history without identifying their maiden names.

California is a vast state, rich in history, making research a challenge.

"Once the home of more than 70 distinct ethnic groups, California's indigenous population was decimated by European and Asian diseases introduced by new colonizers. California has been governed by Spain, Mexico, and most recently by the United States. Alta California was annexed by the United States in 1848, just before gold was discovered there. Statehood was granted in 1850. New populations in the 19th century included Russian, Chinese, Europeans, U.S. citizens, and Japanese. Industries include agriculture, entertainment, technology, aerospace, and more. The population has boomed throughout the 19th and 20th centuries," writes Library of Congress staff on its Research Guide for Local History & Genealogy page. 

Did you know that by the end of the Civil War, an estimated 179,000 Black men had served in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 in the Navy?

10 Million Names is a collaborative project dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America between the 1500s and 1865.

All information recovered is free, public and available via 10MillionNames.org. Searchable databases were added to the site in August 2023. New information will be included on a rolling basis over the duration of the project and people can sign up for real-time notifications when new data is added. Anyone can access the data via the website and if someone does not have an internet connection, but wishes to know results, American Ancestors will make every effort possible to answer questions over the phone or by mail. The goal is to provide the broadest possible access to this information.