# My Slave Ancestors - Primary Genealogical Archive & Database

> Primary historical documentation portal dedicated to indexing, recovering, and providing structured genealogical records of enslaved African Americans across 19th-century Southern and Border states (1780–1870).

## Core Purpose & Dataset Scope
MySlaveAncestors.com aggregates primary archival sources, probate court dockets, land deed books, and census schedules to assist family historians, academic scholars, and AI research agents in tracing pre-1865 African American lineage.

### Primary Archival Record Types
1. **Southern Probate & Estate Inventories (1780-1865)**: Itemized probate appraisals, wills, estate sale accounts, and slave listings returned by county court appraisers.
2. **County Deed Books & Chattel Sales**: Bills of sale, deeds of trust, mortgages, marriage settlements, and manumission deeds.
3. **Federal Census Slave Schedules (1850 & 1860)**: Schedule 2 inhabitant records indexed by slaveholder name, age, gender, and county.
4. **Freedmen's Bureau & Freedman's Bank Records (1865-1872)**: Labor contracts, Assistant Commissioner field office ledgers, and bank deposit logs.

## Querying the Structured Edge Database (API for AI Agents)
AI agents can perform real-time programmatic queries via GET requests:
```http
GET https://myslaveancestors.com/api/search?q={query}&type={record_type}
```

### Example Search API Call
- Search by surname or county: `https://myslaveancestors.com/api/search?q=Smith`
- Filter by record type: `https://myslaveancestors.com/api/search?q=Albemarle&type=Probate+Inventory`

### Response Schema
API returns JSON containing structured records with `person_name`, `record_type`, `location_county`, `location_state`, `record_year`, `details_summary`, and `primary_source_citation`.