[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E653-E654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 5216, THE PRESERVATION OF RECORDS OF SERVITUDE, 
          EMANCIPATION, AND POST-CIVIL WAR RECONSTRUCTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2006

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to introduce H.R. 5216, the 
Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War 
Reconstruction Act. This important legislation will build upon the 
success of the Freedmen's Bureau Records Preservation Act of 2000 (P.L. 
Number: 106-444), which passed both the House and the Senate 
unanimously in 2000 and was signed into law in November 2000. The law 
required the Archivist of the United States to create a searchable 
indexing system to catalogue the geological records from the post-Civil 
War Reconstruction period.
  Based on the immense success of the Freedmen's Bureau Records 
Preservation Act, I have joined with my colleagues to introduce follow-
up legislation to ensure that those Americans who want to trace their 
family's history in our country are not prevented from doing so because 
access to records is difficult. Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, for most 
Americans, researching their genealogical history involves searching 
through municipal birth, death, and marriage records--almost all of 
which have been properly archived as public historical documents. 
However, African Americans in the United States face a unique challenge 
when conducting genealogical research due to our Nation's history of 
slavery and discrimination. Instead of looking up wills, land deeds, 
birth and death certificates, and other traditional genealogical 
research documents, African-Americans must often try to identify the 
name of former slave owners, hoping that the owners kept records of 
pertinent information, such as births and deaths.
  To compound this difficulty, African-American genealogists find that 
most current records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War 
reconstruction are frequently inaccessible, poorly catalogued, and 
inadequately preserved from decay. While some States and localities 
have undertaken efforts to collect these documents with varying degrees 
of success, there has not been any national effort to preserve these 
pieces of public and personal history to make them readily and easily 
accessible to all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, the Freedmen's Bureau Records Preservation Act was an 
important first step towards ensuring that many of these valuable and 
important records are appropriately maintained. Without this Act, we 
run the risk today of losing other critically important historic 
documents.
  The Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-
Civil War Reconstruction Act, tackles this problem in two ways. First, 
it would ensure that existing records of servitude, emancipation, and 
post-Civil War reconstruction housed within the federal government that 
include the Southern Claims Commission Records, Records of the 
Freedmen's Bank, Slave Impressments Records, Slave Payroll Records, and 
Slave Manifests would be properly preserved by authorizing $5 million 
for the Archivist of the United States to preserve, maintain and 
electronically catalog. Second, this legislation would also authorize 
$5 million in grants to be distributed to States, academic 
institutions, and genealogical associations to preserve and establish 
databases of the important local records of servitude, emancipation, 
and post-Civil War reconstruction currently housed throughout the 
country. These grants will ensure that families doing research in my 
home State of California or anywhere in the country will have access to 
these treasure troves of genealogical information.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be joined by over forty of our 
colleagues from both sides of the aisle who are original cosponsors of 
my legislation and particularly appreciate the support of my good 
friends and colleagues, Tom Davis, and Elijah Cummings, whose 
assistance in drafting this bill has been monumental. I would urge the 
rest of our colleagues to support this legislation and hope that we 
will be voting on this bill soon.
  I would also like to call attention to the following websites, which 
will provide genealogical researchers, as well as people interested in 
the history of African-Americans, a true bounty of useful and 
meaningful information.
       National Archives Genealogy Website (http://
www.archives.gov/genealogy/)

     National Park Service African American Documentary Resources *

       African American Civil War Memorial, DC (http://
www.nps.gov/afam/index.htm)
       Booker T Washington National Monument, VA (http://
www.nps.gov/bowa/index.htm)
       Boston African American National Historic Site, MA (http://
www.nps.gov/boaf/index.htm)
       Brown v Board of Education National Historic Site, KS 
     (http://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm)
       Cane River Creole National Historical Park, LA (http://
www.nps.gov/cari/index.htm)
       Central High School National Historic Site, AR (http://
www.nps.gov/chsc/index.htm)
       Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (Paul 
     Laurence Dunbar State Memorial), OH (http://www.nps.gov/daav/
index.htm)
       Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, DC (http://
www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm)
       George Washington Carver National Monument, MO (http://
www.nps.gov/gwca/index.htm)
       Maggie L Walker National Historic Site, VA (http://
www.nps.gov/malw//index.htm)
       Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site, GA (http://
www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm)
       Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, 
     DC (http://www.nps.gov/mamc/index.htm)
       Natchez National Historical Park, MS (http://www.nps.gov/
natc/index.htm)
       New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, LA (http://
www.nps.gov/jazz/index.htm)
       Nicodemus National Historic Site, KS (http://www.nps.gov/
nico/index.htm)
       Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, AL (http://
www.nps.gov/semo/index.htm)
       Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, AL (http://
www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm)
       Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, AL (http://
www.nps.gov/tuin/index.htm)
       * Parks have primary source documents, museum artifacts, 
     historic structures, landscapes and related resources. Both 
     primary and secondary sources at these sites contain lists of 
     persons, families, institutions and organizations significant 
     in African American

[[Page E654]]

     history. They are a gold mine of research for African 
     American families.


                 Databases in African American History

       1. Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System* (http://
www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/) United States Colored Troops, 
     African American Sailors in the Union Navy
       * This database has the names of the nearly 180,000 African 
     American soldiers in the Union Army, USCT. It also has the 
     names and places of origin (throughout the world) of African 
     American sailors in the Union Navy.
       2. National Register Information System (National Register 
     of Historic Places) (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/*)
       * The National Register of Historic Places has a listing of 
     over 1000 places that are significant in African American 
     history, in communities all over the United States. An 
     outdated publication describes some 800 of these, but the 
     database itself, with some enhancements, would provide 
     significant information on local communities and families.


                  Studies in African American History

       African-American History of War of 1812 Sites (pdf) (http:/
     /crm.cr.nps.gov/archive/20-2/20-2-12.pdf)
       A History Remembered: Why Were Buffalo Soldiers in 
     Yosemite? (http://www.nps.gov/yose/nature/articles/buffs.htm)
       African American Archeology & History (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/seac/af-am/index4.htm)
       African American Heritage in the Golden Crescent (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/goldcres/cultural/africahome.html)
       African American History and Culture (http://
crm.cr.nps.gov/issue.cfm?volume=20& number=02)
       African American Sailors in the Civil War Union Navy 
     (http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/sailors_index.html)
       Africans and African Americans on Jamestown Island 1619-
     1803 (pdf) (http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/
african/african.pdf)
       Chattel Slavery at Hampton/Northampton, Baltimore County 
     (http://www.nps.gov/hamp/lancaster2.htm)
       Clues to African American Life at Manassas National 
     Battlefield Park (http://www.nps.gov/mrc/exhibit/arch00.htm)
       Connections: African-American History and CRM (http://
crm.cr.nps.gov/issue.cfm?volume=19 & number=02)
       Encountering the Cultural Diversity of the Lower 
     Mississippi Delta Region (http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/
concept05.htm)
       Frankly, Scarlett, We Do Give a Damn: The Making of a New 
     National Park (pdf) (http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/categrs/
gates.pdf)
       Fugitive Slave Traffic and the Maritime World of New 
     Bedford (pdf) (http://www.nps.gov/nebe/research/grover.pdf)
       In Those Days: African American Life Near the Savannah 
     River (http://www.cr.nps.gov/seac/ITD/longversion/itd-
lg1.htm)
       Racial Desegregation in Public Education in the U.S. 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/themes/Scanned%20Nominations/
Desegregation/deseg-education.htm)
       Slavery and Resistance (http://crm.cr.nps.gov/
issue.cfm?volume=21 & number=04)
       Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King (http://www.nps.gov/
malu/documents/resources.htm)
       The Black Experience in Natchez 1720-1880: Special History 
     Study (1993) (http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/
natc/davis.pdf)


            Oral Histories in the African American Community

       Oral Histories Capturing Forgotten Moments in Civil Rights 
     History (http://crm.cr.nps.gov/archive/19-2/19-2-5.pdf)
       Faces of Whaling Oral History Project (http://www.nps.gov/
nebe/research/faces.pdf)


               Lesson Plans in African American History *

     Teaching with historic places
       An American Success Story: The Pope House of Raleigh, NC 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/124popehouse/) 
     Meet Dr. Manassa T. Pope, an African-American doctor and 
     entrepreneur in the early 20th century, and learn about his 
     efforts to gain civil rights well before the modern Civil 
     Rights Movement.
       Brown v. Board: Five Communities that Changed America 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/121brown/
index.htm) Learn about the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case 
     that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
       Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History through a 
     Historic Place (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/
53black/53black.htm) Examine the history of this ``city-
     within-a-city,'' a self-supporting African-American community 
     that prospered from the late 19th century until the 1930s.
       From Canterbury to Little Rock: The Struggle for 
     Educational Equality for African Americans (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/crandall/crandall.htm) 
     Understand the magnitude of the struggle involved in securing 
     equal educational opportunities for African Americans and 
     examine how Prudence Crandall challenged the prevailing 
     attitude toward educating African Americans in New England 
     prior to the Civil War.
       Glen Echo Park: Center for Education and Recreation (http:/
     /www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/24glenecho/
24glenecho.htm) Trace the evolution of this Maryland site 
     from a chapter of the Chautauqua movement, to a racially 
     segregated amusement park, to a national park.
       Iron Hill School: An African-American One Room School 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/58iron/
58iron.htm) Discover how an early 20th-century philanthropist 
     reformed Delaware's education system for African-American 
     children.
       The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/36liberty/
36liberty.htm) Analyze the influences that shaped the 
     symbolic meaning of the bell, including why some civil rights 
     protestors chose the Liberty Bell as their symbol for African 
     American equality.
       Memories of Montpelier: Home of James and Dolley Madison 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/46montpelier/
46montpelier.htm) Visit the Madisons' plantation home and 
     their world of social prominence, and explore some 
     contemporary views of slavery.
       New Kent School and the George W. Watkins School: From 
     Freedom of Choice to Integration (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/
twhp/wwwlps/lessons/104newkent/104newkent.htm) Learn about 
     the U.S. Supreme Court case that forced the integration of 
     public schools and meet the individuals who experienced 
     segregation, fought to dismantle the institution, and 
     integrated the public school system of New Kent County, 
     Virginia.
       The Old Courthouse in St. Louis: Yesterday and Today 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/9stlouis/
9stlouis.htm) Compare two images of St. Louis's handsome 
     Courthouse--as a gathering place for pioneers heading west 
     and as a dramatic focus for Dred Scott's heroic efforts to 
     free his family from slavery.
       The Siege of Port Hudson: ``Forty Days and Nights in the 
     Wilderness of Death'' (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/
lessons/71hudson/71hudson.htm) Understand the importance of 
     the Mississippi River to both the North and South during the 
     Civil War, as well as the critical role African American 
     soldiers played in the Civil War and how their fighting 
     changed general public perception of their abilities.
       Two American Entrepreneurs: Madam C.J. Walker and J.C. 
     Penney (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/walker/
walker.htm) Examine the historic places associated with two 
     of America's most famous 20th century businesspeople.
       The Vieux Carre: A Creole Neighborhood in New Orleans 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/20vieux/
20vieux.htm) Examine New Orleans's distinctive French 
     Quarter, a vibrant reflection of its Creole heritage, and 
     recall the city's role in American westward expansion.
       When Rice Was King (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/
lessons/3rice/3rice.htm) Investigate early rice plantations 
     in Georgetown, South Carolina, to learn how rice cultivation 
     transformed the native environment and promoted the South's 
     dependence on a plantation economy. Recent revision to this 
     lesson includes the examination of the origins of rice 
     production and the cultural genesis of students' communities.
       * Teaching with Historic Places is a program of the 
     National Register of Historic Places. Individual Parks also 
     have lesson plans in African American history.


             Travel Itineraries to African American Places

       We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights 
     Movement (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/)
       Aboard the Underground Railroad (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/
 travel/underground/)
       Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/amistad/)
       Asheville, North Carolina (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/
 asheville/)
       Atlanta, Georgia (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/)
       Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/)
       Baltimore, MD (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/baltimore/)
       Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings 
     (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/)
       James River Plantations (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/
 jamesriver/)
       Lexington, Kentucky (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/
 lexington/)
       Southeastern Louisiana (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/
 louisiana/)
       Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/prvi/)
       Raleigh, North Carolina (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/
 raleigh/)
       Virginia Main Street Communities (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/
 travel/VAmainstreet/)
       World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area (http://
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/)
       Washington, DC (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/)

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