Young County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Young County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Young County

In 1860 the census counted 92 enslaved people in Young County, 16% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1 freedman registered to vote there, 10% of the county's voters. Most were born in Kentucky and Tennessee, and 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Young County highlighted
Young County on the 1870 county map
92
Enslaved in 1860
16%
Of the county in 1860
10
Registered voters
1
Freedmen
10%
Freedmen
Kentucky
Largest birthplace
7 years
Median time in Texas
1
Register pages

Where Young County's freedmen were born

Reported birthplaces of Young County registrants
BirthplaceRegistrants%
Kentucky150%
Tennessee150%

When they arrived in Texas

Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Young County.

Reported arrival decades for Young County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1860s
1

Surnames of freedmen in Young County

Young County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 2 names in the Young County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Young County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Blackwell, JackTennessee
Smallwood, DennisKentucky18607

Search Young County freedmen records by 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. Young County's entries fill 1 page of the handwritten register.

Young County was formed out of Bexar County by 1860.

Questions about the Young County records

How do I find African American ancestors in Young County, Texas?

Search the Young 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 Young County in 1867?

1 freedman registered in Young County between 1867 and 1870, 10% of the county's 10 registered voters.

Where were Young County's freedmen born?

Kentucky (1) and Tennessee (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.

Was slavery widespread in Young County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 92 enslaved people in Young County, 16% of everyone living there. In 1867, 10% of Young County's registered voters were freedmen, 1 of 10. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Young County: Bexar County.

For African American genealogy beyond Young County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Young County