Processing amazing information...

I'm sorry, but why wouldn't you be American, assuming you are a US Citizen by birth or naturalization?

I'm not dismissing your experience but I've never known of anyone not being considered a "true American" because they might descend from slaves. That's crazy that someone would say that to you or even think that about you.

If anything slaves are just as much American as any pioneer or colonist or Italian immigrant or anyone else is. Slaves may not have chosen to come here but they survived and help build this country as much as anyone else did.

As for your draft tree that's good! I have a tree that I change all the time as I'm not one of those Genealogists who believe only perfectly sources trees should be online. You can have a private tree where you keep details on living people and those marriages your family want kept secret. I especially encourage you document them because I managed to trace an adopted cousin who was the result of a "secret marriage" that no one else knew about. So while folks think there isn't a biological link there may be. It also helps in searching subsequent marriages because women often remarry under their previous married name.

Anyway, your American, a true American!

/r/Genealogy Thread