Blanco County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Blanco County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Blanco County
In 1860 the census counted 98 enslaved people in Blanco County, 8% of everyone living there. Seven years later 9 freedmen registered to vote there, 5% of the county's voters. Most were born in Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama, and 8 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 98
- Enslaved in 1860
- 8%
- Of the county in 1860
- 166
- Registered voters
- 9
- Freedmen
- 5%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 12 years
- Median time in Texas
- 5
- Register pages
Help finish Blanco County. 1 freedman registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Blanco County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 3 | 38% |
| Tennessee | 2 | 25% |
| Alabama | 1 | 13% |
| Maryland | 1 | 13% |
| Mississippi | 1 | 13% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Blanco County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 2 |
| 1850s | 4 |
| 1860s | 2 |
Surnames of freedmen in Blanco County
Blanco County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 8 names in the Blanco County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinds, Sammuel | Mississippi | 1855 | |
| Hines, Charles | Tennessee | 1851 | 14 |
| Johnson, Nidom | Virginia | 1845 | |
| Johnson, Wesley | Maryland | 1862 | 4 |
| McCommica, Anderson | Tennessee | 1857 | 9 |
| Murphey, Thomas | Alabama | 1859 | 4 |
| Roberts, Paylor | Virginia | 1847 | |
| Upshes, James | Virginia | 1864 |
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. Blanco County's entries fill 5 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Blanco County was formed out of Hays County by 1860.
Questions about the Blanco County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Blanco County, Texas?
Search the Blanco 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 Blanco County in 1867?
9 freedmen registered in Blanco County between 1867 and 1870, 5% of the county's 166 registered voters.
Where were Blanco County's freedmen born?
Virginia (3), Tennessee (2) and Alabama (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Blanco County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 98 enslaved people in Blanco County, 8% of everyone living there. In 1867, 5% of Blanco County's registered voters were freedmen, 9 of 166. 8 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Blanco County: Hays County, Kendall County.
For African American genealogy beyond Blanco County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Blanco County