Nueces County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Nueces County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Nueces County
In 1860 the census counted 216 enslaved people in Nueces County, 7% of everyone living there. Seven years later 69 freedmen registered to vote there, 13% of the county's voters. Many were born in Texas, Virginia and Kentucky, and 58 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 216
- Enslaved in 1860
- 7%
- Of the county in 1860
- 547
- Registered voters
- 69
- Freedmen
- 13%
- Freedmen
- Texas
- Largest birthplace
- 9 years
- Median time in Texas
- 14
- Register pages
Where Nueces County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 13 | 16% |
| Virginia | 13 | 16% |
| Kentucky | 9 | 11% |
| Georgia | 8 | 10% |
| Mississippi | 7 | 9% |
| Louisiana | 5 | 6% |
| South Carolina | 5 | 6% |
| Alabama | 3 | 4% |
| New York | 3 | 4% |
| North Carolina | 3 | 4% |
| Tennessee | 3 | 4% |
| Maryland | 2 | 3% |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 3% |
| Africa | 1 | 1% |
| Arkansas | 1 | 1% |
| District of Columbia | 1 | 1% |
| Florida | 1 | 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Nueces County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1820s | 1 |
| 1830s | 1 |
| 1840s | 13 |
| 1850s | 31 |
| 1860s | 34 |
Surnames of freedmen in Nueces County
Nueces County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Nueces 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. Nueces County's entries fill 14 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Nueces County was formed out of San Patricio County by 1850. The registers also spell this county Duval and Nueces And Duval, and entries under either spelling are counted here.
Questions about the Nueces County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Nueces County, Texas?
Search the Nueces 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 Nueces County in 1867?
69 freedmen registered in Nueces County between 1867 and 1870, 13% of the county's 547 registered voters.
Where were Nueces County's freedmen born?
Texas (13), Virginia (13) and Kentucky (9) were the birthplaces reported most often; 13 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Nueces County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 216 enslaved people in Nueces County, 7% of everyone living there. In 1867, 13% of Nueces County's registered voters were freedmen, 69 of 547. 58 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Nueces County: San Patricio County, Live Oak County.
For African American genealogy beyond Nueces County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Nueces County