Kaufman County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Kaufman County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Kaufman County
In 1860 the census counted 533 enslaved people in Kaufman County, 14% of everyone living there. Seven years later 189 freedmen registered to vote there, 18% of the county's voters. Most were born in Tennessee and Virginia, and 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 533
- Enslaved in 1860
- 14%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,064
- Registered voters
- 189
- Freedmen
- 18%
- Freedmen
- Tennessee
- Largest birthplace
- 5 years
- Median time in Texas
- 27
- Register pages
Help finish Kaufman County. 187 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Kaufman County's freedmen were born
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Kaufman County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1860s | 2 |
Surnames of freedmen in Kaufman County
- Burley 1
- Silverburg 1
Kaufman County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 2 names in the Kaufman County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burley, Henry | Virginia | 1860 | 7 |
| Silverburg, Elija | Tennessee | 1865 | 2 |
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. Kaufman County's entries fill 27 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Kaufman County was formed out of Nacogdoches County by 1850.
Questions about the Kaufman County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Kaufman County, Texas?
Search the Kaufman 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 Kaufman County in 1867?
189 freedmen registered in Kaufman County between 1867 and 1870, 18% of the county's 1,064 registered voters.
Where were Kaufman County's freedmen born?
Tennessee (1) and Virginia (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Kaufman County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 533 enslaved people in Kaufman County, 14% of everyone living there. In 1867, 18% of Kaufman County's registered voters were freedmen, 189 of 1,064. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Kaufman County: Nacogdoches County.
For African American genealogy beyond Kaufman County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Kaufman County