Status as of January 1, 1863: Enslaved
The U.S. Freedman's Bureau provided an invaluable service to this country and in particular to African-Americans in the U.S. Without the tireless work of these courageous men and women, I wouldn't know a fraction of what I know about my ancestors prior to the end of slavery. And as these records continue to be transcribed and digitized, and with the skyrocketing pace of data analysis technology, the insights keep coming! While I already knew that Isaac Baines (or Baynes, Banes, Bane, Bain, Bains) was held in slavery by J. Mackay and that his wife, Ellen Baines, and children, were held by J.P. Bidgood, it's still humbling to see confirmation that at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, they were set free. Isaac Baines, Ellen, Adoniram, Levi Thank you, President Lincoln.
