10. Census Records
Historical inequities soon threw up roadblocks for the researchers. While trying to find the identity of the woman, they could find no census records for the African American Queens community of the early 19th century. Since African Americans were not allowed to vote, census takers were not instructed to speak with and document black Americans. No census until 1850 officially tracked African Americans. Thankfully for the researchers, the 1850 census included a record that filled in the historical gaps.