Methods
Build the Reconstruction Record Kit
This field note is part of the FOBA learning stream. It is meant to orient readers and point toward better source work.
Key points
- A Reconstruction record kit keeps one source from carrying too much weight.
- Start with a named person or place, then gather census, Freedmen's Bureau, Freedman's Bank, USCT, pension, church, school, land, cemetery, court, and newspaper leads where relevant.
- The kit is not a certificate. It is a source ladder that shows what each record can and cannot support.
Next steps
- Create one row per source and one row per claim.
- Mark gaps, conflicts, and privacy risks before writing public copy.
- Send high-stakes identity, DNA, legal-status, descent, or membership claims to Source Review.
Source trail
- FOBA Source Review – Internal review workflow for claim wording and support limits.
- National Archives – African American Research – Federal research doorway.