Orange County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Orange County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Orange County
In 1860 the census counted 392 enslaved people in Orange County, 20% of everyone living there. Seven years later 54 freedmen registered to vote there, 20% of the county's voters. Most were born in Louisiana, Texas and Virginia, and 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 392
- Enslaved in 1860
- 20%
- Of the county in 1860
- 264
- Registered voters
- 54
- Freedmen
- 20%
- Freedmen
- Louisiana
- Largest birthplace
- 1 years
- Median time in Texas
- 7
- Register pages
Where Orange County's freedmen were born
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Orange County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1850s | 1 |
| 1860s | 58 |
Surnames of freedmen in Orange County
Orange County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Orange 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. Orange County's entries fill 7 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Orange County was formed out of Jefferson County by 1855.
Questions about the Orange County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Orange County, Texas?
Search the Orange 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 Orange County in 1867?
54 freedmen registered in Orange County between 1867 and 1870, 20% of the county's 264 registered voters.
Where were Orange County's freedmen born?
Louisiana (13), Texas (9) and Virginia (8) were the birthplaces reported most often; 9 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Orange County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 392 enslaved people in Orange County, 20% of everyone living there. In 1867, 20% of Orange County's registered voters were freedmen, 54 of 264. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Orange County: Jefferson County.
For African American genealogy beyond Orange County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Orange County