Harris County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Harris County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Harris County
In 1860 the census counted 2,053 enslaved people in Harris County, 23% of everyone living there. Seven years later 2,039 freedmen registered to vote there, 56% of the county's voters. 5 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 2,053
- Enslaved in 1860
- 23%
- Of the county in 1860
- 3,672
- Registered voters
- 2,039
- Freedmen
- 56%
- Freedmen
- 14 years
- Median time in Texas
- 92
- Register pages
Help finish Harris County. 2,034 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhen they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Harris County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 2 |
| 1850s | 1 |
| 1860s | 2 |
Surnames of freedmen in Harris County
Harris County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 5 names in the Harris County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crome, Shade | United States | 1853 | 9 |
| Freeman, John | United States | 1846 | |
| Mathiney, Lewis | United States | 1862 | 1 |
| Moxey, Monday | United States | 1849 | |
| Sanders, George | United States | 1860 | 6 |
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. Harris County's entries fill 92 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Harris County was formed out of Harrisburg County by 1840.
Questions about the Harris County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Harris County, Texas?
Search the Harris 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 Harris County in 1867?
2,039 freedmen registered in Harris County between 1867 and 1870, 56% of the county's 3,672 registered voters.
Was slavery widespread in Harris County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 2,053 enslaved people in Harris County, 23% of everyone living there. In 1867, 56% of Harris County's registered voters were freedmen, 2,039 of 3,672. 5 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
For African American genealogy beyond Harris County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Harris County