Burleson County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Burleson County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Burleson County

In 1860 the census counted 2,003 enslaved people in Burleson County, 35% of everyone living there. Seven years later 636 freedmen registered to vote there, 44% of the county's voters. Most were born in Louisiana and Mississippi, and 617 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Burleson County highlighted
Burleson County on the 1870 county map
2,003
Enslaved in 1860
35%
Of the county in 1860
1,430
Registered voters
636
Freedmen
44%
Freedmen
Louisiana
Largest birthplace
11 years
Median time in Texas
36
Register pages

Where Burleson County's freedmen were born

Reported birthplaces of Burleson County registrants
BirthplaceRegistrants%
Louisiana150%
Mississippi150%

When they arrived in Texas

Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Burleson County.

Reported arrival decades for Burleson County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1820s
1
1830s
28
1840s
116
1850s
288
1860s
218

Surnames of freedmen in Burleson County

Burleson County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 50 names in the Burleson County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Burleson County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Adams, C. A.Native1855
Adams, PhilipNative18615
Adison, Nat.Native184215
Adkinson, JoshNative1847
Adkinson, MosesNative1847
Agea, TallyNative1863
Ager, DireNative1864
Aldrige, L.Native1853
Alexander, AlfredNative18632
All, WilliamNative1856
Allen, GeorgeNative1860
Allen, J.Native1854
Alston, G.Native18632
Ames, AmosNative18643
Amos, BunkNative18632
Anderson, GeorgeNative18625
Anderson, T.Native18633
Anderson, ThomasNative1848
Anderson, W.Native1857
Arendal, E.Native18532
Armstrong, E.Native18536
Armstrong, HenryNative18613
Armstrong, Jam.Native185211
Armstrong, ManuelNative184225
Arnold, MosesNative1848
Aryer, E.Native18631
Autrie, NelsonNative18576
Avery, J.Native184719
Bacey, M.Native1852
Bacy, T.Native1853
Bailey, AaronNative184025
Bailey, Jno.Native18518
Bailey, Rob.Native18523
Baird, C.Native1865
Baker, DavidNative184919
Banks, Al.Native1856
Banks, D.United States1846
Banks, HendersonNative185412
Banks, W. M.Native1855
Banks, W.M.United States1855
Barber, M.Native1860
Barrors, Jas.Native1837
Bauer, L.Native1842
Baylor, W.Native18522
Bazey, H.Native185115
Bazey, JohnNative184521
Bell, EdmonNative1867
Bell, G.Native18597
Bell, H.Native1860
Bell, H.Native185610

Search Burleson County freedmen records by name

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. Burleson County's entries fill 36 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Burleson County was formed out of Milam County by 1850.

Questions about the Burleson County records

How do I find African American ancestors in Burleson County, Texas?

Search the Burleson 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 Burleson County in 1867?

636 freedmen registered in Burleson County between 1867 and 1870, 44% of the county's 1,430 registered voters.

Where were Burleson County's freedmen born?

Louisiana (1) and Mississippi (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.

Was slavery widespread in Burleson County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 2,003 enslaved people in Burleson County, 35% of everyone living there. In 1867, 44% of Burleson County's registered voters were freedmen, 636 of 1,430. 617 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Burleson County: Milam County.

For African American genealogy beyond Burleson County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Burleson County