NGS Family History Conference | NGS 2023 Speaker Spotlight—Renate Yarborough Sanders

March 20th, 2023 by Teresa Kelley

	Renate Yarborough Sanders is an experienced researcher and genealogy educator. She is a member of several genealogical organizations and is cohost of the online platform and YouTube show, “Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy.”
Session Number: S352 Title: “From This Day Forward” – Documenting Marital Unions of Enslaved and Emancipated Persons
Despite the fact that their marriages were not legally recognized before 1865, enslaved couples were uniting in matrimony and, in many cases, cohabitating as husband and wife, as evidenced by many extant documents created during and after the end of America’s Civil War. Antebellum records from a variety of sources reveal evidence of these contubernium (dwelling together) relationships. Additionally, efforts of the government as well as laws created by the former Confederate states resulted in the legitimization of these marriages and the children produced, thereof. Attend this presentation to learn more about these valuable records and the information they can lend to your research!