Smith County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Smith County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Smith County
In 1860 the census counted 4,982 enslaved people in Smith County, 37% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,318 freedmen registered to vote there, 51% of the county's voters. Most were born in Virginia.
- 4,982
- Enslaved in 1860
- 37%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,564
- Registered voters
- 1,318
- Freedmen
- 51%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 1 years
- Median time in Texas
- 65
- Register pages
Help finish Smith County. 1,317 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Smith County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 1 | 100% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Smith County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1860s | 1 |
Surnames of freedmen in Smith County
- Anderson 1
Smith County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 1 names in the Smith County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson, James | Virginia | 1866 |
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. Smith County's entries fill 65 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Smith County was formed out of Nacogdoches County by 1850.
Questions about the Smith County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Smith County, Texas?
Search the Smith 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 Smith County in 1867?
1,318 freedmen registered in Smith County between 1867 and 1870, 51% of the county's 2,564 registered voters.
Where were Smith County's freedmen born?
Virginia (1) was the birthplace reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Smith County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 4,982 enslaved people in Smith County, 37% of everyone living there. In 1867, 51% of Smith County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,318 of 2,564.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Smith County: Nacogdoches County.
For African American genealogy beyond Smith County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Smith County