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What You Need to Get Verified as a Freedmen


Verification through the Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust (FRFT) is a formal process that confirms your status as a Freedmen — meaning you descend from those who were enslaved in the United States and later classified as Freedmen under U.S. law and federal record.


Verification is not based on race. It is based on legal status during and after emancipation. Only those whose ancestors were documented as Freedmen — not just enslaved — are eligible for verification.


Here’s what you need to submit to begin the process:

📌 1. Family Tree (REQUIRED)


Submit a clear family tree that shows your direct line to an ancestor who was:


  • Enslaved in the United States before 1865, and

  • Later documented as a Freedman/Freedwoman, particularly in federal records like the 1870 Census or Freedmen’s Bureau materials.

📌 2. Proof of Freedmen Status (REQUIRED)


Your submission must include at least one form of documentation confirming that your ancestor was part of the Freedmen population post-emancipation.


Examples include:


  • 1870 or 1880 Census records showing your ancestor

  • Freedmen’s Bureau records

  • Plantation labor contracts post-1865

  • Estate records, bills of sale, or probate documents

  • Records showing placement on Freedmen school or land lists


This is the key component of proving status, not just descent.

📌 3. Vital Records (OPTIONAL, BUT HELPFUL)


Vital records are not required, but they can help confirm generational links between you and your Freedmen ancestor:


  • Birth or death certificates

  • Marriage licenses

  • Obituaries or church records


If you do not have these, your application may still be accepted if the family tree and status documents are sufficient.

📝 Ready to Submit?


Begin your verification here:

Why This Matters


Verification isn’t just about ancestry — it’s about legal classification and governance rights. Verified Freedmen are entitled to protections, reparative benefits, and participation in a trust-based governance structure built solely for our population — those whose ancestors were legally defined as Freedmen following U.S. chattel slavery.


This is status-based verification, not general genealogy.

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