Last Seen is recovering stories of families separated in the domestic slave trade. Formerly enslaved people placed these ads hoping to reconnect with family and loved ones for decades following emancipation. The ads serve as testaments to their enduring hope and determination to regain what was taken from them. As of today, we have recovered 4618 ads.

Mapping the Ads

Formerly enslaved people placed ads looking for loved ones from all over the United States and sometimes from as far away as Africa. Explore the map to see the locations of those placing ads or locations where ads appeared.

Explore mapped ads Browse mapped timeline

Genealogy Success Stories

Read what genealogists are finding in Last Seen Ads.

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Patricia Newby found great-great-grandparents Sookie & William Toles

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Reginald James, Sr. found his great-great-great-grandmother, Henriette Seymour

Reginald James, Sr., a retired teacher, found his third-great-grandmother, Henriette Seymour, in a Lost Friends ad placed in the Southwestern...

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Joseph Roby's search for his Fauquier County, VA ancestors

Joseph Roby is searching for the people his Dulany ancestors enslaved at their Oakley Plantation in Fauquier County, VA.

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Ellecia L. Gant found Elsie, her first cousin, five times removed

Ellecia Gant found her first cousin, five times removed, in an Information Wanted ad placed in the Christian Recorder on...

Short Stories for Children
10-14 years

Read and share these stories with your 5th to 8th graders.

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Alma and Alice

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The History of the “Last Seen” Archive and The Christian Recorder Newspaper

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In Search of Joshua Glover

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Looking for Her Children

Lesson Plans
Created by and for Teachers

Explore lesson plans created and field tested by K-12 teachers.

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Historical Trends and Patterns in the Search for Family.pdf

Analyzing Historical Trends & Patterns in the Search for Family after Slavery

This lesson asks students to analyze Last Seen ads to develop a claim (thesis statement) about the historical trends and patterns they observe in…

AHenryBlack Church LP2.pdf

Black Churches Reconnecting Families

This lesson plan focuses on the role Black churches played in connecting formerly enslaved families during and after Reconstruction.

Judith _Najera Lesson_version without links.pdf

Family Separations Then & Now

This lesson has been designed to illustrate the similarities between historical events and contemporary issues regarding family separation.…

Jennifer Hinton_Lesson Plan.pdf

Rwandan Genocide and Finding Family After Slavery

The student will be able to: Examine the similarities and differences between the experiences and struggles of those who survived the Rwandan genocide…

Tell Us Your Story

Did you find a family member? We love hearing from our users about how The Last Seen Project has helped them fill in their family tree. Share your story with us.