Live Oak County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Live Oak County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Live Oak County

In 1860 the census counted 85 enslaved people in Live Oak County, 14% of everyone living there. Seven years later 3 freedmen registered to vote there, 2% of the county's voters. Most were born in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and 3 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Live Oak County highlighted
Live Oak County on the 1870 county map
85
Enslaved in 1860
14%
Of the county in 1860
149
Registered voters
3
Freedmen
2%
Freedmen
North Carolina
Largest birthplace
15 years
Median time in Texas
4
Register pages

Where Live Oak County's freedmen were born

Reported birthplaces of Live Oak County registrants
BirthplaceRegistrants%
North Carolina133%
South Carolina133%
Virginia133%

When they arrived in Texas

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

Reported arrival decades for Live Oak County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1850s
3

Surnames of freedmen in Live Oak County

Live Oak County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 3 names in the Live Oak County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Live Oak County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Dabe, AbrahamVirginia18527
Durant, WilliamSouth Carolina18598
Fredrickson, HenryNorth Carolina18528

Search Live Oak 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. Live Oak County's entries fill 4 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Live Oak County was formed out of Nueces County by 1860.

Questions about the Live Oak County records

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

Search the Live Oak 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 Live Oak County in 1867?

3 freedmen registered in Live Oak County between 1867 and 1870, 2% of the county's 149 registered voters.

Where were Live Oak County's freedmen born?

North Carolina (1), South Carolina (1) and Virginia (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.

Was slavery widespread in Live Oak County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 85 enslaved people in Live Oak County, 14% of everyone living there. In 1867, 2% of Live Oak County's registered voters were freedmen, 3 of 149. 3 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Live Oak County: Nueces County.

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

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Live Oak County