Asylum records in local parish and county courthouses are an important genealogical resource. The most brutal and harshest conditions that former slaves endured occurred after Emancipation. Transitioning to a new way of life from slavery to pseudo-freedom, realizing freedom did not elevate one to a higher social station, and being submitted to unjust treatment took its toll. Some lost their sanity.
Stress made some lose sanity
"Due to the horrific atrocities that happened to some ancestors, it was too much to handle. They had to look at lynchings, beatings, mistreatment, undernourishment, and being overworked. There were those who could not hold on to sanity," said genealogist and peonage researcher, Antoinette Harrell. "Some endured a lot of harsh treatment and watched their communities and loved ones suffer. Some of them were descendants of slaves who were sold away and they still suffered because of being so closely associated with the former plantation."
Antoinette is only two generations from her ancestor, Alexander Harrell, who was born a slave in 1859. Her grandfather, Jasper Harrell, Sr. was the son of Alexander Harrell. Her mother is the granddaughter of a slave (Alexander Harrell). Slavery was not that many generations ago for many African Americans. I am also a great granddaughter of a slave on three lineages.
"Some of them saw so much, and they could not talk about it with anyone. They had to deal with so much injustice such as being jailed and beaten. If it drove you insane, it drove you insane," said Antoinette. For many years after slavery African Americans were not admitted to hospitals or asylums. When the South was forced to address the issue, African Americans were admitted to institutions run by former Confederates.
Photographer, Walter C. Black, Sr.
Today, Antoinette shared the asylum record below, and she stresses the fact that medical records are private and are not shared due to privacy laws. However, these records are available in courthouses. She says that we must realize for African Americans conducting genealogical research, we are just getting started. There are many more records to be revealed and studied.
"In the early seventies, the first knowledge about genealogical research came through Alex Haley, the author of Roots. We really did not get started until the early nineties when genealogy became the number two hobby. It took ten years to realize it is not a hobby," said Antoinette.
"We have to look outside the box outside of census records, marriage records, death records, social security records, and birth records. We do not know what is outside the box. Record types vary. Asylum records are a rich genealogical resource. They give the name, age, condition, residence, birth place, information about who the person was living with, diagnosis, and more," explained Antoinette. She said we have not yet examined Jim Crow records or Civil Rights records for example.
Records do exist for African American research
Antoinette also shared the fact that it is not that we hit brick walls because records do not exist to provide the documentation that we need. The records do exist! They just have not been revealed by African American researchers. Records exist which are so rich and vital to African American genealogical research. Antoinette discloses that some do not want to reveal them because they will show we were still enslaved.
"The picture cannot be complete until every piece of the puzzle has been revealed. If a record contains a name, date, birthplace, something about an ancestor, that makes it a genealogical record. The records of prominent families in an area are maintained in archives, museums, associations, and local and university libraries. There is no problem obtaining grants to preserve this history. Resources, funds, and manpower are devoted to researching, documenting, and preserving the files," said Antoinette.
Antoinette explained that most of the time, African Americans go in search of a particular document, when we need to go to learn about the courthouse and the courthouse records "simply because there is no educational tool that will educate about a parish or county that is being taught in secondary education or higher." The history that pertains to genealogy is excluded.
We have to "go through every courthouse and look at the index of all books that are in that courthouse." This is how we will learn about records "outside the box." Antoinette suggests that genealogists should also search records of pioneering families, university libraries, state archives, and local libraries.
Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA
The following is the 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. Extract the vital information about H. Wheeler below and decide on the best way to discover more about is wife, and mother. Hint: Louisiana Deaths from 1900-1940 are indexed on Ancestry.com
Stress made some lose sanity
"Due to the horrific atrocities that happened to some ancestors, it was too much to handle. They had to look at lynchings, beatings, mistreatment, undernourishment, and being overworked. There were those who could not hold on to sanity," said genealogist and peonage researcher, Antoinette Harrell. "Some endured a lot of harsh treatment and watched their communities and loved ones suffer. Some of them were descendants of slaves who were sold away and they still suffered because of being so closely associated with the former plantation."
Antoinette is only two generations from her ancestor, Alexander Harrell, who was born a slave in 1859. Her grandfather, Jasper Harrell, Sr. was the son of Alexander Harrell. Her mother is the granddaughter of a slave (Alexander Harrell). Slavery was not that many generations ago for many African Americans. I am also a great granddaughter of a slave on three lineages.
"Some of them saw so much, and they could not talk about it with anyone. They had to deal with so much injustice such as being jailed and beaten. If it drove you insane, it drove you insane," said Antoinette. For many years after slavery African Americans were not admitted to hospitals or asylums. When the South was forced to address the issue, African Americans were admitted to institutions run by former Confederates.
| Below: Antoinette Harrell, conducting courthouse research |
 | ||||||
Asylum records are "out the box"
Today, Antoinette shared the asylum record below, and she stresses the fact that medical records are private and are not shared due to privacy laws. However, these records are available in courthouses. She says that we must realize for African Americans conducting genealogical research, we are just getting started. There are many more records to be revealed and studied.
"In the early seventies, the first knowledge about genealogical research came through Alex Haley, the author of Roots. We really did not get started until the early nineties when genealogy became the number two hobby. It took ten years to realize it is not a hobby," said Antoinette.
"We have to look outside the box outside of census records, marriage records, death records, social security records, and birth records. We do not know what is outside the box. Record types vary. Asylum records are a rich genealogical resource. They give the name, age, condition, residence, birth place, information about who the person was living with, diagnosis, and more," explained Antoinette. She said we have not yet examined Jim Crow records or Civil Rights records for example.
Records do exist for African American research
Antoinette also shared the fact that it is not that we hit brick walls because records do not exist to provide the documentation that we need. The records do exist! They just have not been revealed by African American researchers. Records exist which are so rich and vital to African American genealogical research. Antoinette discloses that some do not want to reveal them because they will show we were still enslaved.
"The picture cannot be complete until every piece of the puzzle has been revealed. If a record contains a name, date, birthplace, something about an ancestor, that makes it a genealogical record. The records of prominent families in an area are maintained in archives, museums, associations, and local and university libraries. There is no problem obtaining grants to preserve this history. Resources, funds, and manpower are devoted to researching, documenting, and preserving the files," said Antoinette.
Antoinette explained that most of the time, African Americans go in search of a particular document, when we need to go to learn about the courthouse and the courthouse records "simply because there is no educational tool that will educate about a parish or county that is being taught in secondary education or higher." The history that pertains to genealogy is excluded.
We have to "go through every courthouse and look at the index of all books that are in that courthouse." This is how we will learn about records "outside the box." Antoinette suggests that genealogists should also search records of pioneering families, university libraries, state archives, and local libraries.
Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA
The following is the 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. Extract the vital information about H. Wheeler below and decide on the best way to discover more about is wife, and mother. Hint: Louisiana Deaths from 1900-1940 are indexed on Ancestry.com
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| 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. |
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| 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. |
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| 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. |
 | |
| 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. |
 |
| 25th Judicial Court Record in the matter of the Insanity of H. Wheeler of St. Helena Parish. LA on May 24, 1914. |
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