Freestone County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Freestone County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Freestone County
In 1860 the census counted 3,613 enslaved people in Freestone County, 53% of everyone living there. Seven years later 960 freedmen registered to vote there, 54% of the county's voters. Most were born in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia, and 388 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 3,613
- Enslaved in 1860
- 53%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,781
- Registered voters
- 960
- Freedmen
- 54%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 45
- Register pages
Help finish Freestone County. 20 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Freestone County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 315 | 34% |
| Georgia | 113 | 12% |
| Virginia | 113 | 12% |
| South Carolina | 103 | 11% |
| North Carolina | 74 | 8% |
| Tennessee | 60 | 6% |
| Kentucky | 34 | 4% |
| Mississippi | 34 | 4% |
| Texas | 29 | 3% |
| Louisiana | 23 | 2% |
| Maryland | 12 | 1% |
| Missouri | 12 | 1% |
| Arkansas | 9 | under 1% |
| Florida | 6 | under 1% |
| Africa | 1 | under 1% |
| District of Columbia | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Freestone County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 2 |
| 1840s | 47 |
| 1850s | 240 |
| 1860s | 651 |
Surnames of freedmen in Freestone County
Freestone County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Freestone County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that 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. Freestone County's entries fill 45 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Freestone County was formed out of Robertson County by 1850.
Questions about the Freestone County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Freestone County, Texas?
Search the Freestone 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 Freestone County in 1867?
960 freedmen registered in Freestone County between 1867 and 1870, 54% of the county's 1,781 registered voters.
Where were Freestone County's freedmen born?
Alabama (315), Georgia (113) and Virginia (113) were the birthplaces reported most often; 29 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Freestone County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 3,613 enslaved people in Freestone County, 53% of everyone living there. In 1867, 54% of Freestone County's registered voters were freedmen, 960 of 1,781. 388 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Freestone County: Robertson County.
For African American genealogy beyond Freestone County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Freestone County