Giles County was founded on November 14, 1809, and is known as the land of milk and honey. The county is home to over 30 National Register properties, Civil War skirmish sites, a varied cultural heritage, and intersecting Trail of Tears routes (Benge's and Bell's). It is also the beginning place for many well-known African Americans, such as noted architect Moses McKissack, founder of McKissack and McKissack. Giles County is a place where many ancestral lineages return home to their roots for research or to discover their rich African American history and heritage.
Carla J. Jones and Tonya M. Hull are members of the Indiana African American Genealogy Group (IAAGG) and share a passion for Tennessee history, culture, and heritage due to family ancestry. Tonya is vice president of the IAAGG, and Carla is president of the Matt Gardner Homestead Museum (MGHM). Photographs in Images of America: African Americans of Giles County are courtesy of the MGHM and the many families whose African ancestors made up the culturally diverse communities of Giles County.