Follow the link at the bottom of this page and you will find census data for over 900 African Americans who lived in this area in 1865. There is information on age, occupation, where each was born, value of property, real estate, etc. You will see groups of names that look like families. Look, for example, at these four names:
Wills, Henry 28
Wills, Adaline 24
Wills, Harriett 10
Wills, Louis 9
Since we are told in the census that Henry and Adaline are both married, it is reasonable to assume they are married to each other and, Harriett and Louis are their children. The census tells us that Henry works as a laborer and Adaline as a domestic, probably a servant. The two children both attend school. It is the picture of what might be considered an average family. But we are also told that the youngest child, Louis, was the only one not born in Missouri. He was born in Virginia. Even more interesting, he is listed as having personal property worth $150. Henry Wills, the man who appears to be his father, has a personal worth of $20. What are some possibilities for these surprising entries in the census ledger?
Could you write a story that brings this family to life and uncovers this mystery?
Using what you have learned about African Americans
during and after the Civil War, write a short story on this family or on
any of the other people on the census sheet. Be creative, but make sure
that whatever you write is based in historical possibilities. Hints
for writing children's stories is a good web site to help you get ideas.
Census data on African American Migration to Wyandotte County Kansas, 1865