Matagorda County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Matagorda County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Matagorda County
In 1860 the census counted 2,107 enslaved people in Matagorda County, 61% of everyone living there. Seven years later 174 freedmen registered to vote there, 23% of the county's voters. Most were born in Virginia, Alabama and North Carolina, and 52 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 2,107
- Enslaved in 1860
- 61%
- Of the county in 1860
- 743
- Registered voters
- 174
- Freedmen
- 23%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 15 years
- Median time in Texas
- 19
- Register pages
Help finish Matagorda County. 106 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Matagorda County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 16 | 31% |
| Alabama | 7 | 14% |
| North Carolina | 6 | 12% |
| South Carolina | 4 | 8% |
| Tennessee | 4 | 8% |
| Georgia | 3 | 6% |
| Maryland | 3 | 6% |
| Mississippi | 3 | 6% |
| Africa | 1 | 2% |
| Arkansas | 1 | 2% |
| Florida | 1 | 2% |
| Kentucky | 1 | 2% |
| Texas | 1 | 2% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Matagorda County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 3 |
| 1840s | 19 |
| 1850s | 23 |
| 1860s | 8 |
Surnames of freedmen in Matagorda County
Matagorda County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Matagorda 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. Matagorda County's entries fill 19 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Questions about the Matagorda County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Matagorda County, Texas?
Search the Matagorda 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 Matagorda County in 1867?
174 freedmen registered in Matagorda County between 1867 and 1870, 23% of the county's 743 registered voters.
Where were Matagorda County's freedmen born?
Virginia (16), Alabama (7) and North Carolina (6) were the birthplaces reported most often; 1 was born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Matagorda County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 2,107 enslaved people in Matagorda County, 61% of everyone living there. In 1867, 23% of Matagorda County's registered voters were freedmen, 174 of 743. 52 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Matagorda County: Wharton County.
For African American genealogy beyond Matagorda County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Matagorda County