Jefferson County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Jefferson County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Jefferson County
In 1860 the census counted 309 enslaved people in Jefferson County, 15% of everyone living there. Seven years later 117 freedmen registered to vote there, 36% of the county's voters. Most were born in Alabama, and 101 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 309
- Enslaved in 1860
- 15%
- Of the county in 1860
- 327
- Registered voters
- 117
- Freedmen
- 36%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 11 years
- Median time in Texas
- 8
- Register pages
Help finish Jefferson County. 5 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Jefferson County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 | 100% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Jefferson County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1820s | 1 |
| 1830s | 3 |
| 1840s | 28 |
| 1850s | 46 |
| 1860s | 32 |
Surnames of freedmen in Jefferson County
Jefferson County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Jefferson 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. Jefferson County's entries fill 8 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Jefferson County was formed out of Liberty County by 1840.
Questions about the Jefferson County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Jefferson County, Texas?
Search the Jefferson 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 Jefferson County in 1867?
117 freedmen registered in Jefferson County between 1867 and 1870, 36% of the county's 327 registered voters.
Where were Jefferson County's freedmen born?
Alabama (1) was the birthplace reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Jefferson County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 309 enslaved people in Jefferson County, 15% of everyone living there. In 1867, 36% of Jefferson County's registered voters were freedmen, 117 of 327. 101 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Jefferson County: Liberty County, Hardin County, Orange County.
For African American genealogy beyond Jefferson County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Jefferson County