1. Identifying Your African Roots:
Researching the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Michael Hait
Laurel, Maryland
6 November 2010

2. Alex Haley
captured our
hearts with
Roots.

3. It saddened us with its depiction of the
Transatlantic slave trade…

4. …but provided hope of connecting
“back to Africa.”

5. How realistic is Roots?

6. Can you find your
“Kunta Kinte”?

7. 1619
Twenty Africans
brought to
Jamestown, Virginia
as indentured
servants.
A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade
1776-1790
The American
Revolution ends British
control of colonies. U. S.
Constitution does not
end slavery.
1865
Passage of the
Thirteenth Amenment
abolishes slavery
1808
The United States
Congress abolishes the
Transatlantic Slave
Trade, but does not end
slavery.

8. A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade

9. A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade
1619
Twenty Africans brought to Jamestown, Virginia
as indentured servants.

10. 1776-1790
The American Revolution ends British control of
colonies. U. S. Constitution does not end slavery.
A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade

11. 1808
The U. S. Congress abolishes the Transatlantic
Slave Trade, but does not end slavery.
A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade

12. 1865
Passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishes
slavery
A Brief Timeline of
the Transatlantic Slave Trade

13. What records are available?

14. In 1999, a group of scholars released
The Transatlantic Slave Trade Database
on CD-ROM.

15. In 1999, a group of scholars released
The Transatlantic Slave Trade Database
on CD-ROM.
In 2006, the expanded
The Transatlantic Slave Trade Database
appeared online.

17. http://www.slavevoyages.org

38. None of the voyages with
African names arrived
before 1808.
These were all illegal
smuggling voyages
captured by the
authorities.

39. Slave voyage records
are a dead end…

40. but not the only option.

41. Our own bodies hold the only
record with 100% accuracy…

42. D. N. A.

43. There are two basic DNA tests for
genealogy.

44. Y-DNA tests the direct paternal line.

45. Y-DNA tests the direct paternal line.

46. mtDNA tests the direct maternal line.

47. mtDNA tests the direct maternal line.

48. Both tests rely
on comparison
with other
testers…

49. There are several testing companies to
choose from…

50. www.familytreedna.com

51. dna.ancestry.com

52. www.africanancestry.com

53. African Ancestry has a database of
African tribe DNA.

54. African Ancestry has a database of
African tribe DNA.
Paternal lineages: 11,747 samples
Maternal lineages: 13,690 samples

55. On October 1st, 2010,
African Ancestry
revealed DNA test results
of two legendary men…

56. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., through
his son Rev. Martin
Luther King III

57. Marcus Garvey,
through his son
Dr. Julius Garvey

58. The paternal ancestry of both men was
traced to Europe.

59. The maternal ancestry of both men
traced back to Africa.

60. Tracing your roots back to Africa
the way that Roots suggests is
not generally possible…

61. But through DNA testing, you can
discover your own
ROOTS.

62. Michael Hait
michael.hait@hotmail.com
www.haitfamilyresearch.com