Van Zandt County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Van Zandt County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Van Zandt County
In 1860 the census counted 322 enslaved people in Van Zandt County, 9% of everyone living there. Seven years later 153 freedmen registered to vote there, 17% of the county's voters. Many were born in Alabama, Virginia and Georgia, and 57 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 322
- Enslaved in 1860
- 9%
- Of the county in 1860
- 915
- Registered voters
- 153
- Freedmen
- 17%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 1 years
- Median time in Texas
- 23
- Register pages
Help finish Van Zandt County. 6 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Van Zandt County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 26 | 18% |
| Virginia | 24 | 16% |
| Georgia | 22 | 15% |
| Tennessee | 19 | 13% |
| North Carolina | 11 | 8% |
| Mississippi | 10 | 7% |
| South Carolina | 8 | 5% |
| Kentucky | 7 | 5% |
| Texas | 6 | 4% |
| Arkansas | 5 | 3% |
| Louisiana | 4 | 3% |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 1% |
| Maryland | 2 | 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Van Zandt County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 7 |
| 1850s | 20 |
| 1860s | 120 |
Surnames of freedmen in Van Zandt County
Van Zandt County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Van Zandt 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. Van Zandt County's entries fill 23 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Van Zandt County was formed out of Nacogdoches County by 1850.
Questions about the Van Zandt County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Van Zandt County, Texas?
Search the Van Zandt 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 Van Zandt County in 1867?
153 freedmen registered in Van Zandt County between 1867 and 1870, 17% of the county's 915 registered voters.
Where were Van Zandt County's freedmen born?
Alabama (26), Virginia (24) and Georgia (22) were the birthplaces reported most often; 6 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Van Zandt County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 322 enslaved people in Van Zandt County, 9% of everyone living there. In 1867, 17% of Van Zandt County's registered voters were freedmen, 153 of 915. 57 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Van Zandt County: Nacogdoches County.
For African American genealogy beyond Van Zandt County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Van Zandt County