August, 2008

Genealogy and the Ohio Legislature

You might be surprised to learn that the Ohio General Assembly addresses many different subjects, including Genealogy.  A search of their website on this month’s newsletter theme brings back Senate Resolution 18.  A resolution passed by the Ohio Senate to urge Congress to pass legislation which has been introduced to establish a Servitude and Emancipation Archival Research Clearinghouse (SEARCH) in the National Archives and to authorize appropriations to establish and fund the national archives database of historic records regarding servitude and emancipation.  The resolution notes that “researching one's genealogy through old records and documents is an arduous task even when the information is readily available, and for African Americans, researching their genealogies and making a connection to their past is even more difficult because the relevant records often have not been properly maintained” 

The legislation introduced in Congress is designed to provide access to better organized documents relevant to servitude and emancipation to assist African Americans in search of their family histories.  The SEARCH act has been introduced in both Houses of Congress (S. 295 & H.R. 439) and each version is being worked on in the appropriate committees.  For more detailed information on the congressional legislation visit the Library of Congress website: Thomas.