Apr 23, 2008
The Lowcountry Africana Web site (www.lowcountryafricana.com), sponsored by the Magnolia Plantation Foundation of Charleston, South Carolina, is designed to be an enduring archive for those researching African-American genealogy, history and culture in the Lowcountry Southeast. Because Charleston was a major port of entry and a hub for the international and domestic slave trade, it is hoped that African Americans throughout the U.S. will discover their families' roots among the records.
The project traces the family lineages of the slave communities on the Drayton family plantations. The Draytons' extensive holdings included plantations in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Texas as well as Barbados. Researchers from the University of South Florida Africana Heritage Project and descendants of former Drayton family slaves have worked together to rediscover the scattered document trails which can potentially reveal the family and cultural heritage of thousands of African Americans living today.
Access to the entire content of the Web site is free. It features a searchable database of primary historical documents, book and multimedia excerpts, a research library with articles of interest to genealogists and scholars, information on key archives and Web sites with significant holdings pertaining to the Lowcountry Southeast, and a members area where readers can keep a research journal and bookmark links.