Austin County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Austin County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Austin County
In 1860 the census counted 3,914 enslaved people in Austin County, 39% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,107 freedmen registered to vote there, 43% of the county's voters. Many were born in Alabama, Texas and Virginia, and 1,188 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 3,914
- Enslaved in 1860
- 39%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,575
- Registered voters
- 1,107
- Freedmen
- 43%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 15 years
- Median time in Texas
- 65
- Register pages
Where Austin County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 234 | 19% |
| Texas | 176 | 14% |
| Virginia | 175 | 14% |
| North Carolina | 162 | 13% |
| South Carolina | 123 | 10% |
| Georgia | 117 | 9% |
| Mississippi | 70 | 6% |
| Kentucky | 52 | 4% |
| Louisiana | 51 | 4% |
| Tennessee | 41 | 3% |
| Maryland | 26 | 2% |
| Missouri | 8 | under 1% |
| Arkansas | 4 | under 1% |
| Florida | 3 | under 1% |
| District of Columbia | 2 | under 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | under 1% |
| Africa | 1 | under 1% |
| Ohio | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Austin County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1810s | 2 |
| 1820s | 25 |
| 1830s | 101 |
| 1840s | 337 |
| 1850s | 493 |
| 1860s | 293 |
Surnames of freedmen in Austin County
Austin County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Austin County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron, Shadrick | North Carolina | 1841 | |
| Aaron, Shadrick | North Carolina | 1841 | |
| Aaron, Thomas | North Carolina | 1841 | |
| Adams, Aaron | South Carolina | 1858 | |
| Adams, David | Alabama | 1862 | |
| Adams, Jacob | Alabama | 1859 | |
| Adams, James | Texas | 1842 | |
| Alexander, Calvin | Alabama | 1858 | |
| Alexander, Charles | Texas | 1838 | |
| Alexander, Henry | Louisiana | 1861 | |
| Alexander, Jasper | Texas | 1831 | |
| Alexander, Jesse | Kentucky | 1852 | |
| Alexander, Philip | Tennessee | 1832 | |
| Allen, Charles | North Carolina | 1850 | |
| Allen, Ephram | Texas | 1859 | |
| Allen, Isam | Georgia | 1860 | |
| Allen, John | Virginia | 1848 | |
| Allen, Monroe | Georgia | 1859 | |
| Allen, Peter | Louisiana | 1864 | |
| Allen, Randall | Georgia | 1859 | |
| Allen, Sammuel | Alabama | 1837 | |
| Allen, Sammuel | North Carolina | 1837 | |
| Allen, Washington | Kentucky | 1837 | |
| Ambrose, Jacob | Virginia | 1842 | |
| Anderson, Caleb | Mississippi | 1840 | |
| Anderson, John | South Carolina | 1850 | |
| Anderson, Stephen | Tennessee | 1850 | 2 |
| Andrews, Henry | Texas | 1838 | 20 |
| Andrews, Richard | Texas | 1839 | |
| Antnee, Anthony | Tennessee | 1860 | 5 |
| Antone, Frank | Texas | 1845 | 14 |
| Aqumn, Robert | South Carolina | 1846 | 15 |
| Archer, Thomas | Alabama | 1867 | |
| Armstrong, Anderson | North Carolina | 1858 | |
| Armstrong, David | Alabama | 1859 | 6 |
| Armstrong, Robert | Virginia | 1863 | |
| Armstrong, Winn | Virginia | 1862 | 3 |
| Aubury, George | Alabama | 1855 | |
| Austin, Moses | Virginia | 1861 | 5 |
| Austin, Winn | Kentucky | 1859 | |
| Baerver, Henry | Texas | 1848 | |
| Bailey, Edward | Kentucky | 1857 | |
| Bailey, Isaac | North Carolina | 1842 | |
| Bailey, Mike | Texas | 1842 | 24 |
| Bailey, Miles | Kentucky | 1857 | |
| Bailey, Square | South Carolina | 1842 | 16 |
| Baker, Lewis | Virginia | 1856 | 3 |
| Baker, Moses | Virginia | 1848 | 10 |
| Bane, Austin | North Carolina | 1847 | |
| Banes, Peter | North Carolina | 1852 |
Sources and county history
Figures come from the 1867 to 1870 Texas voter registration held by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The 1860 population figures come from Population of the United States in 1860, printed by the Census Office in 1864. Austin County's entries fill 65 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Questions about the Austin County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Austin County, Texas?
Search the Austin County records by surname, then open the entry to read the original handwritten register page. Each entry gives the man's name, his birthplace and the year he reached Texas. Spellings vary, so try the sound of a name as well as its spelling, and names appear in the order men came to register, so a family can sit pages apart.
How many freedmen registered to vote in Austin County in 1867?
1,107 freedmen registered in Austin County between 1867 and 1870, 43% of the county's 2,575 registered voters.
Where were Austin County's freedmen born?
Alabama (234), Texas (176) and Virginia (175) were the birthplaces reported most often; 176 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Austin County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 3,914 enslaved people in Austin County, 39% of everyone living there. In 1867, 43% of Austin County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,107 of 2,575. 1,188 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Austin County: Fort Bend County, Galveston County.
For African American genealogy beyond Austin County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Austin County