Zapata County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

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

Slavery in Zapata County

In 1860 the census counted 0 enslaved people in Zapata County, 0% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1 freedman registered to vote there, 1% of the county's voters.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Zapata County highlighted
Zapata County on the 1870 county map
0
Enslaved in 1860
0%
Of the county in 1860
72
Registered voters
1
Freedmen
1%
Freedmen
1 years
Median time in Texas
2
Register pages

When they arrived in Texas

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

Reported arrival decades for Zapata County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1860s
1

Surnames of freedmen in Zapata County

Zapata County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 1 names in the Zapata County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Zapata County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Kelley, ThomasUnited States1866

Search Zapata 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. Zapata County's entries fill 2 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Zapata County was formed out of Starr County by 1860.

Questions about the Zapata County records

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

Search the Zapata 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 Zapata County in 1867?

1 freedman registered in Zapata County between 1867 and 1870, 1% of the county's 72 registered voters.

Was slavery widespread in Zapata County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 0 enslaved people in Zapata County, 0% of everyone living there. In 1867, 1% of Zapata County's registered voters were freedmen, 1 of 72.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Zapata County: Starr County.

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

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Zapata County