u/Professional-Tea7358

Update: Currently, there is no FTDNA surname project for my ancestor’s family. He has a very rare surname (and I’m certain very few male-line descendants exist today). I’m making a surname project for them, after I take a Y-37/STR test, this Wednesday.
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Original Post (August 17, 2026):

My research goal is: Finding other male-line relatives of my great-great grandfather‘s family, also willing to do Y-DNA testing.

My father’s haplogroup is: E-P277 (also known as E-M4254).

My g-g-gf also has a distinct surname (so, I’m unsure as to how many male-line relatives are left today), and I am aware of relatives of his in: Scotland & England (where he & his ancestors were from), India, Australia, my dad’s relatives in Bermuda, I’m in the United States, and there are other relatives possibly in Germany & Belgium.

The issue is, I don’t know if they’ve tested, yet. I might be the only one. I also don’t know anything about them, besides what I’ve researched about our family’s lineage.

I’m doing a Y-37 test to prove that my great-great grandfather, b. in 1873 & d. in 1938 (also my Y-DNA ancestor, in my male line) was my proven ancestor.

I did not order the Family Finder feature.

Records for my g-g-gf are rare, due to lack of records (the only verifiable records, connecting his paternity to my line, are baptismal records listing him as the father of all 3 children, which only list his first name and one of his double-surnames), his sons’ surname changes due to illegitimacy & due to illegitimate descendants being the only descendants he has (who he never publicly acknowledged).

So, I entered his surname in FTDNA’s Surname section, as well as a few others (since it said enter surnames from both sides). My great-great grandfather has a distinct surname and will stick out like a sore thumb.

After taking the Y-37 test, what other tests should I take next?

It‘s complicated.

The passport office is requesting additional information from me, because:

1. On my dad’s birth certificate—His father’s name (which I know) is blank, because my grandparents were not married.

2. On his BC—my grandmother listed one of her middle names and her maiden name, as her legal name (they are not). My grandmother’s legal name is her one first name, 2 middle names and her maiden name.

3. As I said—My paternal grandparents never married. My father was my grandfather‘s second family. Because of my grandfather’s name being blank on my dad’s BC, the Passport Office wants to see my parents’ marriage record.

4. On my parents’ marriage record—My father misspelled my grandfather’s surname. The last 2 letters are reversed. (it should be “ief” and my father wrote “eif“).

5. I don’t know if my grandparents had British passports. I never met either of them, and my dad never told me anything about that. My dad was exiled and I don’t know if he even had a British passport, himself.

6. The Passport Office required me to write a letter (they didn’t say if it should be notarized or handwritten, so I hand wrote it), listing my grandparents’ names, their dates of birth, their birthplaces (they’re Caribbean, and instead of towns being listed on their BCs, parishes are listed. Would this be an issue?) and the question of “Did either grandparent have an English passport?” (to which, I responded, “I am not sure if she/he had an English passport. Or not.”

7. Due to my grandfather‘s name being blank on my dad‘s BC, I’ve had to—once again—order his BC and the PO wants to see my parents’ marriage record (which I’ll be ordering, sometime next week or the week after).

I already got past the confirmation stage and sending documents. They need “additional documents” from me, right now. What can I do to ensure that this goes smoothly?

I am soon sending a second one of my birth record (I stupidly sent a copy last time), then a second one of my father‘s BC (once again, I stupidly sent a copy last time), and will be finally sending my parents’ marriage record (which I didn’t send the first time around. In its place, I sent my physical passport).

1. I can’t remember the title of it. It’s the one from maybe 2016 or so, where she falls in love with a much younger guy. She has a teenage daughter. They buy a house and move in together (she, the daughter & him). Then, she and the bf fall out with each other (I can’t remember why).
2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21051906/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_9 | The one with Nicole & Zac Efron (this is a separate film from #1). It’s the same premise as #1, except Zac is a player who constantly cheats on her & she has no daughter in the Zac Efron flick. Something about giving rings back during Christmas and such.
3. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30057084/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_8 | This third one, with Nicole and Harrison what’s his face. I can’t remember the title of the movie, but there’s BDSM scenes in it, I think. And there’s something about Nicole being married and her side piece is the Harrison guy. Her husband finds out and the men fistfight.

Sorry I can’t remember the names, but these are the only Nicole movies I’ve seen (next to ”Being The Ricardos”, since Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz were ch_ldhood idols of mine). I guess it was a slow news day and I decided Nicole Kidman was great to pass the time with? I don’t know why. The plots of her romance films are amazing, but I’ll leave that there.

I recently decided I'm staying single. I had a lot of bad relationships & those exes dated me just to scam me. I also found out that someone else did it this morning, and I was so mad, I cursed them out for 3 hours while they kept defending their lies, manipulation and scamming (which they did to me for 4 years). They're not the only person that did it - hundreds of others scammed me as well, and I was stopped from pressing charges. I've felt angry (I had to stop myself from.... we're not going there), powerless, played, objectified - all the usual emotions. I was promised courtship, and found out I was an ATM machine, that scammers have used since 2018.

So, as a result of finding out I'm an ATM machine, who's looking for romance, I decided to focus on finding friends and see where friendship takes me. I don't have any loyal people around me, who would defend me, so I'm really looking for friends who would go to war or take b_llets for me, to protect me from liars, abusers and scammers, since I never had that same protection or reciprocity.

Any guys who date me need to go through my friends first. If we need to do background checks, then we will. Anything to keep me safe & anything to make sure nobody has ulterior motives with me. Mr. Right is called that for a reason - not Mr. Fraud, Mr. Jailhouse Rock, not Mr. Andrew & Tristan Tate, not Mr. ConArtist, etc. Mr. Right is Mr. Right. He's out there, somewhere, but he's got to go through my friends to get to me. I wish I started doing that years ago.

I'm 29 & a financial abuse victim.

I'm very torn in 2 places: On one hand, I believe nobody loves me. On the other hand, I believe the right person is waiting for me.

I dated too many toxic men who stole from me & have no empathy for me. They simply stopped speaking to me & didn't even apologize for their behavior. And they unfairly blamed me, and then tried to manipulate me again after I tried to get them to apologize.

The only way to correct this, is friends setting me up with guys who see my photos, know my name, and like the things I'm looking for (and are not objectifying me & they actually want a boyfriend) & my friends have already done background checks on these men, so we can fully vet them & clear their names.

I need someone who can prove to me that they're not trying to use me & don't have an ulterior motive.

All I can say is, I would be able to move forward with the right person & after knowing he does the work: He wants to get to know me, he asks questions about my life, he comes to my house, he drops what he's doing (in his free time) to spend time with me, he brings me flowers, he holds doors open for me, and goes out of his way to show his love. Things like that.

As for right now, I'm torn - do I put myself out there again? Or is the dating scene still trash?

We were best friends for 4 years until we started dating.

And the question is self explanatory. He expects me to accept certain things he refuses to talk about (major things), and other things on an emotional level, that I think are major, but he will never discuss. It makes me wonder if he’s emotionally unavailable, amongst other things.

A few of these things (and I left out one or two for personal reasons), include:

1. He refuses to discuss his two jobs with me. (I see this as major, but not major, at the same time)
2. He refuses to discuss his finances with me. (I see this as a major red flag, since if something happens to him, then if outside people he knows need to speak to me about his finances, I will not know anything until something happens to him. Is that toxic, to not tell your partner about your finances until something happens to you and they’re the last to know? He likes that. I find it odd, deeply problematic and toxic. I’ve been a victim of financial abuse from someone else—not a partner, but a family member—and I’m still enduring it today. I don’t tell my bf anything about that.
3. He doesn’t tell me about certain things, so I keep certain things private about myself. It’s that simple. What he does to me, I will do to him. He clearly likes it anyway, since it’s his personality. And I already brought up to him 5 times, how him hiding things bothers me, to try to get him to understand. He basically acted like it wasn’t a big deal & he wanted me to switch the subject. So, since he does that to me, that means he’s giving me permission to treat him that way because he likes it. It’s just that simple.
4. He said my calmness and warmth helped him through a stressful/difficult time in his life. When I asked him what that stressful time was, he replied, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
5. I frequently feel like treating him the way he treats me, to make him feel the effects of his constantly being busy.
6. He‘s busy 7 days a week. He says he’s only available at night (and sometimes he’s busy morning, noon and night). He expects me to be alright with this.
7. I’ve accepted he has a 2 year old son. We’ve never discussed his son or his coparenting with his baby mama, but I just don’t bring it up.
8. (This hasn’t happened yet, but) I do notice he’s the type of man who comes to see me when he wants to, and will ignore me when he wants to. I’m supposed to be okay with it.
9. I tried communicating my concerns about his constantly filled schedule, and his refusal to discuss certain subjects with me, and said there was a double standard in our dynamic. His response? ”I‘m like that with everything.” This infuriates me still, but I never say anything because we will never see eye to eye about it. He‘s more open with his best friends than with me. And before we dated, we were best friends.
10. I might always be repressing things for the rest of our relationship or marriage, because I’ve always been like that—it‘s been a survival skill I’ve used my entire life and it’s worked. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, instead of him refusing to talk about something and us resenting each other, I’ll simply leave the country for a few weeks & come back to the US when I’ve cleared my head. But, as always, just because you physically escape your problems, they’re still there. They‘ll never dissipate unless problems are resolved—and my bf has to resolve it and he simply switches the subject. Which is why I simply fly overseas and come back.
11. We spoke 7 days a week, for 4 years in a row, until we started dating. Then, suddenly, we spoke for 2 minutes a day, and sometimes 2 minutes per week. Any objection I have to this—since it’s connected to Point #5—will be seen as violating his boundaries and he will simply say, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Last time I brought it up, he said “You can’t (I forgot the word he used) that I get busy sometimes?” It’s not sometimes, it’s 7 days a week….. but, like I said, me saying that will be seen as immediate disrespect.
12. So, #9 is only one example, as to why I simply bury my emotions and I just act like him, instead of communicating my concerns to him. He loves toxic masculinity & toxic positivity, so I’ll simply play the role he wants—the “perfect” boyfriend, who doesn’t question him or rebel against him (the thought has crossed my mind so many times, though).
13. I have wondered if he’s emotionally unavailable or any of these things in our dynamic could be red flags for him being emotionally or psychologically abusive toward me. A friend once said that my boyfriend sounds like a dismissive avoidant attachment person (DA), when describing our dynamic, just like I did in this post. I’ve wondered if he is one.

As I said—What could be some positive coping skills I can practice (privately) to avoid arguing with him or resenting him? Just to stay calm & be the “perfect” boyfriend he wants me to be.

My boyfriend likes that toxic masculinity bullshit & he‘s a masculine jock (6’1”, 165lbs.). He’s also a misogynist & I don’t like that (I even forgot about it until typing this). I’m very clearly a twink, 5’3”, 115lbs.

Sidebar: I’m all about equal rights, a feminist, pro-diversity/inclusion (my family is extremely racist, and that’s something I haven’t even discussed with him yet. I’ve told him a few things about my parents, but not anything major, just how they met, but nothing about my mom and her family, who I grew up around).

Sidebar 2: We’re in an interracial relationship (I’m black and he’s white) and my family is racist toward every race (they hate Latin people, Asian people, etc.—the only ones they possibly like are Native Americans, probably because half the time, they forget Native people exist. It’s very ironic.

My mom still refers to Native American people as “Indians” and I have to constantly correct her on that problematic language. Which is also ironic because two of my mom’s best friends are a married, Indian and Pakistani couple, who are fundamentalist Hindus & the husband spanks his children—I saw it firsthand), but especially white people and biracial people. My family is also deeply transphobic and are fundamentalist Christians from the South. I hate the South myself, but—ironically—my boyfriend’s from Tennessee, but I keep my mouth closed about that. He’s always treated me well, except when I cross the line (which I discussed in those numbered points earlier).

So, I didn’t even consider how me being estranged from my family & how their racism would both affect our relationship.

I also haven’t considered to ask him, when he’d find it appropriate to let me meet his family. Especially since he’s closeted, and I’m closeted (but my family & friends found out anyway & it terrified me, since it had negative consequences on my life, so I just live a private life).

This is a complicated case. I recently started researching him, and only had his 1887 death certificate to work with. It said he was born in 1821 in Virginia, and moved to Washington, D.C. (where he died) in 1857, and lived there for 30 years, until his death.

He‘s somehow, not listed in U.S. Census records for Washington, D.C. & the “Robert Washington“s in other Census records from D.C., are either white, or all older or younger than he.

So, since I couldn’t find him in Census records & knew he left Virginia in 1857, the first thing I did was try to find enslavers surnamed Washington, for the entire state of Virginia, in the 1850 Slave Schedule.

Out of all the 36 Washingtons listed (some of whom were married women, married to deceased male Washington husbands of theirs), only one of the 36 had a 29 year old male slave in 1850—a “John A. Washington”; I suspect this enslaver was actually someone I’d been researching for a few weeks before this, named John Augustine Washington, III (1821-1861), a colonel & Aide-de-Camp to Robert E. Lee.

At the point I am now, I’very got 4 distinct questions:

1. Who were both Robert’s parents?
2. Was Lieut. Col. J.A. Washington, III (1821-1861), actually Robert’s biological half-brother, and J.A. Washington, II (1789-1832), actually Robert’s biological father? Or was J.A.W., II only his enslaver, as records show?
3. How can I find any of Robert’s Washington, D.C. Census records & other records of his?

(Written on 7/25/2026)

Disclaimer: I will be referring to her as "Sadie", her nickname, because she was named after her paternal grandmother (and she listed her paternal grandparents as her biological parents, which throws all my research off. Yikes.) Her paternal grandmother & her father, both raised her as their own.

Cousin's Name: Sarah "Sadie" Washington (She was named after her paternal grandmother, Sarah Taylor, 1822-1909)

Birthplace: Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana (Don't be confused; some records say Pittsburgh, which is false - the family moved to Indiana after Sadie's grandfather's death in Pittsburgh, in 1874)

Sadie's DOB: July 16, 1876

Where did Sarah & George (Sadie's father) move to, after Pennsylvania?: Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana, between May1874 (when Warner died) and October 1875.

Husband: Robert William Black (1885-1962); no children resulted from the marriage. Robert remarried & moved to Kentucky.

Did Sadie remarry?: No. She died in a Wayne County, Indiana nursing home, in 1962. She was buried in Connersville, IN.

On her marriage records, Sadie's parents were listed as?: Warner Washington (her paternal grandfather, 1807-1874) & Sarah E. Taylor (her paternal grandmother, 1822-1909)

Warner's birthplace: Loudoun County, Virginia (born in 1807)

Sarah's birthplace: New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, born in 1822 (Many of Sarah's records falsely list her birthplace as other states, including South Carolina; they also falsely list her as white and black, when in reality, she was biracial. Her father, Moses Taylor, 1795-1838, was black & her mother, Mary Haywood, 1795 - died after 1860, was a white German immigrant). Sarah & her family moved from NC to Butler County, OH in 1828.

Sarah Taylor's (Warner's second girlfriend/possible wife) family grew up in: The town of Oxford, in Butler County, Ohio, from 1828 until adulthood. (I donated Taylor family records there, in 2024)

Sadie's father: George W. Washington (born on 31 January 1856, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 2 March 1935, Danville, Illinois)

Sadie's mother: Unknown (The point of this post - I'm trying to find Sadie's mother, despite her being my cousin).

Is Sadie, actually her nickname?: Yes. Sarah was her name, but she was named after her paternal grandmother (George's mother).

George's ex-wife: Annie Wiese (born in 1868, Milwaukee City, Wisconsin - died at an unknown date, in an unknown location).

George & Annie's marriage date: September 6, 1887 in Milwaukee City, WI. (Most recent record I have, of Annie Wiese)

What happened to Annie after 1887?: I don't know.

Who had custody of Sadie?: George. He & Sarah raised her in Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana.

Did George remarry, after divorcing Annie?: No. He left Indiana & moved to Illinois, living alone, for the rest of his life, until his 1935 death in Vermillion County, IL.

So, how can I find Sadie's mother?

(Written on 7/25/2026)

Disclaimer: I will be referring to her as "Sadie", her nickname, because she was named after her paternal grandmother (and she listed her paternal grandparents as her biological parents, which throws all my research off. Yikes.) Her paternal grandmother & her father, both raised her as their own.

Cousin's Name: Sarah "Sadie" Washington (She was named after her paternal grandmother, Sarah Taylor, 1822-1909)

Birthplace: Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana (Don't be confused; some records say Pittsburgh, which is false - the family moved to Indiana after Sadie's grandfather's death in Pittsburgh, in 1874)

Sadie's DOB: July 16, 1876

Where did Sarah & George (Sadie's father) move to, after Pennsylvania?: Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana, between May1874 (when Warner died) and October 1875.

Husband: Robert William Black (1885-1962); no children resulted from the marriage. Robert remarried & moved to Kentucky.

Did Sadie remarry?: No. She died in a Wayne County, Indiana nursing home, in 1962. She was buried in Connersville, IN.

On her marriage records, Sadie's parents were listed as?: Warner Washington (her paternal grandfather, 1807-1874) & Sarah E. Taylor (her paternal grandmother, 1822-1909)

Warner's birthplace: Loudoun County, Virginia (born in 1807)

Sarah's birthplace: New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, born in 1822 (Many of Sarah's records falsely list her birthplace as other states, including South Carolina; they also falsely list her as white and black, when in reality, she was biracial. Her father, Moses Taylor, 1795-1838, was black & her mother, Mary Haywood, 1795 - died after 1860, was a white German immigrant). Sarah & her family moved from NC to Butler County, OH in 1828.

Sarah Taylor's (Warner's second girlfriend/possible wife) family grew up in: The town of Oxford, in Butler County, Ohio, from 1828 until adulthood. (I donated Taylor family records there, in 2024)

Sadie's father: George W. Washington (born on 31 January 1856, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 2 March 1935, Danville, Illinois)

Sadie's mother: Unknown (The point of this post - I'm trying to find Sadie's mother, despite her being my cousin. There have been discussions, of Sadie's grandfather and his first wife, being my direct/biological ancestors, but I'm still researching that).

Is Sadie, actually her nickname?: Yes. Sarah was her name, but she was named after her paternal grandmother (George's mother).

George's ex-wife: Annie Wiese (born in 1868, Milwaukee City, Wisconsin - died at an unknown date, in an unknown location).

George & Annie's marriage date: September 6, 1887 in Milwaukee City, WI. (Most recent record I have, of Annie Wiese)

What happened to Annie after 1887?: I don't know.

Who had custody of Sadie?: George. He & Sarah raised her in Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana.

Did George remarry, after divorcing Annie?: No. He left Indiana & moved to Illinois, living alone, for the rest of his life, until his 1935 death in Vermillion County, IL.

So, how can I find Sadie's mother?

Areas of research: Virginia (before 1835); and, Washington, D.C. (before 1866 & after 1866).

Boyfriend's Name: William Washington

State of birth: Virginia

Residence, as of 24 February 1866: Washington, D.C.

Birth Year?: I don't know. That's why I made this post.

Listed in the Slave Schedules?: I don't know William's birth year, so I can't tell.

Girlfriend?: Yes, Annie (maiden name unknown)

Enslaved or free?: I don't know. His son, Robert P. Washington (1808, Virginia - died after 12 June 1865, Manhattan, NYC, New York), was manumitted before 1834; more on that, soon.

Children?: Yes, one is Robert P. Washington (born in Virginia in 1808; still living on 12 June 1865, in New York City - he moved to NYC, sometime before 1834, since all 4 of his children, beginning with his eldest son, Robert Washington, Jr. (1834 - died after 1860), were born in NYC, between 1834 & 1847).

Other children besides Robert?: Possibly, but I don't know, for sure.

Records found, for both William & Annie?: Only one - their joint Freedmens' Bureau employment record, from 1866.

Were they married?: I don't know.

Did they have Census records?: I'm sure they did, but I haven't found them, yet.

Robert (their son)'s year of birth: 1808, Virginia. (Based on this, I'd estimate William's birth year as between 1780 and 1788)

Girlfriend's Name: Annie (maiden name unknown)

State of birth: Virginia

Birth Year: I don't know. (Because I haven't found Census records for she & William, yet)

Residence, as of 24 February 1866: Washington, D.C.

Birth Year?: I don't know. That's why I made this post.

Listed in the Slave Schedules?: I don't know William's birth year, so I can't tell.

Girlfriend?: Yes, Annie (maiden name unknown)

Enslaved or free?: I don't know. His son, Robert P. Washington (1808, Virginia - died after 12 June 1865, Manhattan, NYC, New York), was manumitted before 1834; more on that, soon.

Children?: Yes, one is Robert P. Washington (born in Virginia in 1808; still living on 12 June 1865, in New York City - he moved to NYC, sometime before 1834, since all 4 of his children, beginning with his eldest son, Robert Washington, Jr. (1834 - died after 1860), were born in NYC, between 1834 & 1847).

Other children besides Robert?: Possibly, but I don't know, for sure.

Areas of research: Virginia (before 1835); and, Washington, D.C. (before 1866 & after 1866).

Boyfriend's Name: William Washington

State of birth: Virginia

Residence, as of 24 February 1866: Washington, D.C.

Birth Year?: I don't know. That's why I made this post.

Listed in the Slave Schedules?: I don't know William's birth year, so I can't tell.

Girlfriend?: Yes, Annie (maiden name unknown)

Enslaved or free?: I don't know. His son, Robert P. Washington (1808, Virginia - died after 12 June 1865, Manhattan, NYC, New York), was manumitted before 1834; more on that, soon.

Children?: Yes, one is Robert P. Washington (born in Virginia in 1808; still living on 12 June 1865, in New York City - he moved to NYC, sometime before 1834, since all 4 of his children, beginning with his eldest son, Robert Washington, Jr. (1834 - died after 1860), were born in NYC, between 1834 & 1847).

Other children besides Robert?: Possibly, but I don't know, for sure.

Records found, for both William & Annie?: Only one - their joint Freedmens' Bureau employment record, from 1866.

Were they married?: I don't know.

Did they have Census records?: I'm sure they did, but I haven't found them, yet.

Robert (their son)'s year of birth: 1808, Virginia. (Based on this, I'd estimate William's birth year as between 1780 and 1788)

Girlfriend's Name: Annie (maiden name unknown)

State of birth: Virginia

Birth Year: I don't know. (Because I haven't found Census records for she & William, yet)

Residence, as of 24 February 1866: Washington, D.C.

Birth Year?: I don't know. That's why I made this post.

Listed in the Slave Schedules?: I don't know William's birth year, so I can't tell.

Girlfriend?: Yes, Annie (maiden name unknown)

Enslaved or free?: I don't know. His son, Robert P. Washington (1808, Virginia - died after 12 June 1865, Manhattan, NYC, New York), was manumitted before 1834; more on that, soon.

Children?: Yes, one is Robert P. Washington (born in Virginia in 1808; still living on 12 June 1865, in New York City - he moved to NYC, sometime before 1834, since all 4 of his children, beginning with his eldest son, Robert Washington, Jr. (1834 - died after 1860), were born in NYC, between 1834 & 1847).

Other children besides Robert?: Possibly, but I don't know, for sure.

Update: His occupation (which could fill in a few mysteries) was a blacksmith; he most likely worked for railroads (repairing steam engines of trains as a boilerman, possibly, as well), which could be how he got to Jefferson County from Pittsburgh. (And one of my - ancestral - great-uncles was a railroad porter, so it's an interesting coincidence).

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Original Post:

It still baffles me. I cannot come up with any singular reason or plural number of reasons why, he would do something like that. Especially knowing the massive number of risks, including lynching, death, imprisonment, even false accusations to get someone imprisoned, etc., for black people at that time (both free & enslaved).

I understand his girlfriend (they never married, but had 7 children together between 1854 and 1868, before they broke up & both left the state of Georgia. She moved to Montgomery City, AL, in or before1880, and he ended up in Central Virginia), was from Louisville, and was a lifelong resident there; however:

With him being black and a free person of color (his mother was born free, he was born free & his father—who was biracial/mulatto, but his Census records falsely list him as both white and black—was born enslaved but was manumitted in 1829, at 22 years old, after his father‘s enslaver had all 232 of his slaves manumitted after his death), why would my relative (around the late 1850s/early 1860s) move to North Georgia from such a progressive town like Pittsburgh was for FPOC back then?

At first, he lived in Pittsburgh & would migrate back and forth, until he moved to Louisville full time, around 1860. He did eventually move again, and ended up in Virginia, where he died in 1890.

It still baffles me. I cannot come up with any singular reason or plural number of reasons why, he would do something like that. Especially knowing the massive number of risks, including lynching, death, imprisonment, even false accusations to get someone imprisoned, etc., for black people at that time (both free & enslaved).

I understand his girlfriend (they never married, but had 7 children together between 1854 and 1868, before they broke up & both left the state of Georgia. She moved to Montgomery City, AL, in or before1880, and he ended up in Central Virginia), was from Louisville, and was a lifelong resident there; however:

With him being black and a free person of color (his mother was born free, he was born free & his father—who was biracial/mulatto, but his Census records falsely list him as both white and black—was born enslaved but was manumitted in 1829, at 22 years old, after his father‘s enslaver had all 232 of his slaves manumitted after his death), why would my relative (around the late 1850s/early 1860s) move to North Georgia from such a progressive town like Pittsburgh was for FPOC back then?

At first, he lived in Pittsburgh & would migrate back and forth, until he moved to Louisville full time, around 1860. He did eventually move again, and ended up in Virginia, where he died in 1890.