History Detective

When John Mills was in school, he thought history was super boring: just stories about old-fashioned people who wore strange clothes and had funny hairstyles.

“I had zero interest,” he says.

But that changed years later when Mills started learning about his family’s past. Suddenly, history wasn’t just about strangers—it was about him.

He learned that his grandfather Milon Mills fled the Southern United States during the Great Migration (1910-1970), a time when millions of Black Americans moved north and west to build better lives. His great-grandmother Eliza Punch Mills died in the 1918 flu pandemic. And his great-great-great-grandfather Sam Kyle gained freedom from enslavement on Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed.

“All of a sudden, I could put myself in their shoes,” he says. 

Today Mills spends his spare time working as a genealogist—someone who researches people’s ancestors and history. He focuses on African American families because their histories can be the hardest to find. Many historical documents about Black ancestors in the U.S. are missing or incomplete because of slavery. For example, records of enslaved people from the early 1800s often list only first names—or no names at all—because those people were considered property, not individuals.

Mills says that makes his research even more important. “Many African American families don’t know much beyond their grandparents,” he explains. “Learning about those connections helps them feel proud and connected to our nation’s story.”

The genealogist spoke to JS about his work and why it matters.

How did you become interested in genealogy?

When my grandfather Milon died, I realized I knew nothing about his parents, siblings, or grandparents. I assumed we were all from California, where I grew up. But my sister told me my grandfather was from Texas. She started telling me stories about our family I had never heard. 

I decided to help her find out more. We went to Texas in 2003 and found where my great-grandmother was buried, in the woods near a Whites-only cemetery. Seeing her grave was very moving. 

Was it hard to learn about the injustices your ancestors faced?

It was actually very empowering to learn what they went through. Take my great-great-grandfather Ned Mills. After he was freed from enslavement, he was a sharecropper. That meant he, like many formerly enslaved people, farmed someone else’s land, paying rent by giving the landowner a portion of his harvest. After 17 years, the landowner offered him a deal: If he could produce a ridiculous amount of cotton and other crops each year for five years, he could get ownership of the land. He tried so hard to make the number every year but was never able to. I began to see my family as incredibly strong because they endured so much. I gained a sense of deep pride.

Why did you start researching the stories of other African American families?

I want other people to feel the same empowerment I felt. In 2020, I started researching African American people in history that no one was talking about. I look for people who were strong and brave and did hard things. Then I find their living relatives and tell them their ancestors’ stories. My work helps other African Americans to see their enslaved ancestors with a sense of reverence. 

How do you find those stories?

I read old newspapers, track down documents, and interview people. I travel to old cemeteries or churches to look for records or clues. Headstones show names, dates, and military service. 

What’s an example of one of your cases?

I read a book about Alexander Newton. He was an abolitionist, a soldier during the Civil War (1861-1865), and a preacher. His story inspired me to research his family. I discovered his parents were Mary and Thaddeus Newton. Thaddeus was enslaved, but Mary was a free Black woman. She worked with abolitionists to raise money to buy her husband’s freedom. She helped free other Black people as well (see "How Mills Cracked the Newton Case" sidebar, below). 

As part of my research, I found and helped restore Thaddeus and Mary’s gravestone in Connecticut. I also learned one of their sons died in the Civil War. He was buried in a mass grave without a marker. I worked with the government to get him a headstone right next to his parents’. 

I found the Newtons’ living relatives in Florida and told them this whole story. They were so fascinated that they flew up for the grave-marking ceremony. The story even got picked up by The Kelly Clarkson Show. It was memorable for me because it meant so much to the family to learn this history. 

How many families have you helped so far?

I’ve worked closely with about five or six families. Each family has lots of people, so it can take four or five years to finish one family’s story. Some records aren’t online, so I have to travel to find them. I founded a nonprofit, the Alex Breanne Corporation, to teach others how to do what I do so more of these stories can be found and shared.

How does your work help people understand history?

It makes history feel personal. Instead of just learning dates and facts, people see how their families lived through big events like the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) or the Civil War. 

What skills or qualities are important for genealogists?

You need to be curious, patient, and organized. You have to think like a detective and look for patterns. You might find old papers that don’t seem connected, but if you follow every clue, they start to fit together. 

What’s the biggest challenge of your work?

One challenge is that records aren’t always where you expect them to be. For example, I was researching a man who was in a prison in Connecticut, but all the important records were in Massachusetts! No one knew why, and I had to travel to find them. That happens a lot. 

Another challenge is that names and dates can be wrong or spelled differently. Back in the 1700s and 1800s, people didn’t care as much about spelling. A name like “Wallace” might be spelled “Wallis” or “Wallice.” Also, a lot of formerly enslaved people didn’t know how old they were, so ages and birth years can vary in documents. You have to look for clues to figure out the truth.

What surprised you about your own family history?

I always thought my last name went back in time to a lot of people who looked like me. But I learned that it went back four generations before me. Before that, it was the last name of a White American who just assigned it to his enslaved people. 

What advice do you have for teens interested in genealogy?

Start with your own family. Ask your grandparents or other older relatives to tell you stories. You can start with questions like: Where were you born? What was it like growing up? What do you know about your grandparents? Listen closely to their responses. They might tell you stories or names that you’ve never heard before. 

Then dig for more information by visiting your state or local library. Many libraries have genealogists who can help you locate documents for free. 

^{This is an edited, condensed version of the interview with John Mills.}