53) reportedly includes a total of 4,921 slaves. An 1825 law created the slave patrol, an institution that enforced such limits across the countryside, the existence of which further indicated the contradictory character of white perceptions of their slave property. African Americans in the 1870 census was obtained using Heritage Quest's CD "African-Americans in the 1870 U.S. Federal 
Chartered by Congress in early 1865 for the benefit of ex-slaves, the surviving records relating to the bank and its collapse are a rich source of documentation about the African American family. 100 Rock Street Slavery in Washington County, Arkansas, 18281860. MA thesis, University of Arkansas, 1995. The first people enslaved by Europeans entered what was to become Arkansas in about 1720, when settlers moved into the John Law colony on land given to them on the lower Arkansas River by the king of France. The agent at Arkadelphia, however, also recorded the color of the persons marrying, the color of their parents, the number of years they had lived with another person, the reason for the separation, and the number of children by the previous union. surname of a former owner in 1870, vary widely and from region to region.
antebellum south painting century slave african blacks states late Economics of Slavery Numerous statutes made it clear that the white community knew their slaves were human beings and could not be dealt with in the same way as livestock. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Heirs inherited slaves upon an owners death. Aaron Hurvey Aaron Hurvey, an escaped slave, is one of 5,526 recorded black soldiers who joined the Union Army in Arkansas during the Civil War. slave descendants owners slaves owner slavery families south 1850 ancestors plantation children master history slaveholders nurse american mixed quadroon reclaiming For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. In Arkansas in 1860 there were 69 farms of . This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The development of this area and its creation as Arkansas Territory in 1819 spurred a rapid growth in the enslaved population. Doubtless Guilty: Lynching and Slaves in Antebellum Arkansas. In Bullets and Fire: Lynching and Authority in Arkansas, 18401950, edited by Guy Lancaster. Thompson, George H. Slavery in the Mountains: Yell County, Arkansas, 18401860. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 39 (Spring 1980): 3552. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2000. Bolton, S. Charles. Among the most underused bodies of federal records useful for African American genealogical research are the records of the Freedmans Savings and Trust Company. West, Cane W. Learning the Land: Indians, Settlers, and Slaves in the Southern Borderlands, 15001850. PhD diss., University of South Carolina, 2019. This transcription includes 25 slaveholders who held 50 or more slaves in These cookies do not store any personal information. White sources affirm that slave labor often was harsh. showed a significant increase. & GOODMAN, S., 138 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 1B (out of sequence), DUNN?, William T.?, 77 slaves, Old River Twp., page 21B, FLETCHER, Thomas, 81 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 4B, FOSTER, Robert C., 73 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 16, GARRATT, Samuel G., 70 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 8, GOODLOW, John Calvin?, 67 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 2 (out of sequence), GORCE?, James L., 57 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 10B, HORTON, Edward C., 228 slaves, Cilimont? 2d ed. The diet of people in slavery varied from plantation to plantation but mostly consisted of pork and corn supplemented with some vegetables grown on the farm. iowa oak hill rapids cedar 1920 renaissance harlem 1950 african domain american blackpast ownership independence rutkowski kelli Unfortunately, that was not the case. If the surname is found, they can then view the microfilm for the details listed regarding the sex, age and color of the slaves. While barely adequate, slaves survived such conditions and, in Arkansas, possibly did relatively better than those in other Southern states. It is possible to locate a free person on the Arkansas County, Arkansas census for 1860 and not know whether that person was also listed as a slaveholder on the slave census, because published indexes almost always do not include the slave census. Orville Taylor traces the growth of slavery from John Laws colony in the early eighteenth century through the French and Spanish colonial period, territorial and statehood days to the beginning of the Civil War. The page numbers used are the rubber stamped numbers in the upper right corner of every set of two pages, with the In some cases, the supplements came from plantation gardens.
inconsistent counting and page numbering methods used by the census enumerators, interested researchers should view the Gigantino, James J. III. All Rights Reserved. Griffith, Nancy Snell. TERMINOLOGY. By 1830, the enslaved population reached 4,576; then 19,935 in 1840; 47,100 in 1850; and 111,115 in 1860. They devoted most of their time to the cultivation of cottonplowing fields and planting the crop in late February, keeping the fields clear of grass and weeds until what was called lay-by time. Many more probably benefited from slavery, however, as leasing the enslaved was not an uncommon practice. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2015. slaves beating echoes exceedingly precis plantations mostateparks clara brown aunt history encyclopedia rockies angel unl plainshumanities edu colorado 2021 1875 1880 between entrepreneurs plains african recorded denver Slavery in Arkansas encouraged the states economic development in the antebellum period, but it also played a major role in determining the states catastrophic course in the sectional crisis of the 1850s. Efforts at reuniting family members who had been separated by masters and at legalizing marriages at the end of the Civil War demonstrate the importance of family to those held in bondage. Although slavery clearly touched the lives of many white Arkansans, most slave-owners possessed only a few. (As a side note, by 1960, 100 years Slaves quickly transformed the beliefs of their masters, however, into a faith emphasizing equality before God and ultimate release from slavery. This transcription lists the names of those largest slaveholders in the County, the number of slaves they held in An Arkansas Fugitive Slave Incident and Its International Repercussions. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 16 (Summer 1957): 139149. enumeration. Strong Unionist sentiment delayed that action, but ultimately the outbreak of war between the United States and the Confederacy in April of 1861 turned the tide in favor of secession locally. Arkansas County, accounting for 2,542 slaves, or 51% of the County total. As the above chart indicates, every county in Arkansas, from the moment of its establishment, recorded the enslaved population in the three censuses taken following the states admission to the Union. research techniques involving all obtainable records of the holder. . Your email address will not be published.
If you have a genealogy-related site youd like people to find, please contact [emailprotected] and well list your business in our directory. If the ancestor is not on this list, the 1860 slave census microfilm can be viewed to find out whether the ancestor was a holder of a fewer number of slaves or not a slaveholder at all. Online at https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2044/ (accessed April 28, 2021). Much is known about slavery from the perspective of whites, but less is known about the enslaved themselves, especially from their point of view.
Freedmens Bureau Marriage Records In Arkansas, superintendents issued marriage certificates, occasionally performed the ceremonies themselves, and made regular reports to the assistant commissioner in Little Rock. Probably the most complete work done on slavery in Arkansas was written by Orville W. Taylor in 1958 and called Negro Slavery in Arkansas. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material
were enumerated with the same surname. Slavery and the Defining of Arkansas. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 58 (Spring 1999): 123. sharecropper dependency economic picryl MIGRATION OF FORMER SLAVES: According to U.S. Census data, the 1860 Arkansas County population included At this point, usually in July, crops generally did not require intensive cultivation, and field work ended. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2018. Those who have found a free ancestor on the 1860 Arkansas County, Arkansas census can check this list to learn if their ancestor was one of the larger slaveholders in the County. the same at 3,982, while the "colored" population had decreased over 14% to 4,212. PLANTATION NAMES. This article sheds light on some of the more relevant military records which would assist researchers tracing their African American roots. The information on surname matches of 1870 African Americans and 1860 slaveholders is intended merely to provide data for consideration by those seeking to make connections between slaveholders and former slaves. mason biddy bridget african american famous history americans slave hemings 1818 california mississippi blackpast county 1891 sally slavery jefferson children Some of the enslaved did not engage in field work, however. Historian Orville Taylor estimated that roughly one in four white Arkansans either owned slaves or lived in families that did. They were owned, however, by only about twenty-six percent of the states slave owners. The majority of those enslaved probably did not see it that way. Large Slaveholders of 1860 Published information giving names of slaveholders and numbers of slaves held is almost non-existent. Little Rock, AR. addressed in this transcription. Census data on The transcriber noticed no such slave on this Mastering Farm and Family: David Walker as Slaveholder. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 58 (Spring 1999): 6179. Elisha Worthington of Chicot County was the states largest slave owner, holding more than 500 people on the eve of the Civil War. The last U.S. census slave schedules were enumerated by County in 1860 and included 393,975 named persons holding 3,950,546 unnamed slaves, or an average of about ten slaves per holder. Hancox, Louise M. Picturing a Nation Divided: Art, American Identity, and the Crisis over Slavery. PhD diss., University of Arkansas, 2018. By the 1870 census, the white population of Arkansas County was almost A Rough, Saucy Set of Hands to Manage: Slave Resistance in Arkansas. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 71 (Spring 2012): 121. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. The enslaver, on the other hand, could dispose of slave property just like any other asset, including hiring them out, selling them, or even sending children away from their parents. Though the census schedules speak in terms of "slave owners", the transcriber has chosen to use the up 31,000 (8%); Florida, up 27,000 (41%); Ohio, up 26,000 (70%); Indiana, up 25,000 (127%); and Kansas up from 265 to plantations slavery plantation idyllic Carl H. Moneyhon slave alabama slavery slaves photographs story unknown name word american Racially related terms such as African American, black, mulatto and colored are used as in african american children sheppard ella slaves slave history fisk jubilee slavery owners 1915 1851 colorism blackpast america hair plantation child can be difficult because the name of a plantation may have been changed through the years and because the sizeable number Twenty counties were created after 1860 from parts of earlier counties; therefore, not every county existing today is shown on the chart. Enter your email address to subscribe to this website and receive notifications of new posts by email. Bearing Witness: Memories of Arkansas Slavery: Narratives from the 1930s WPA Collections. . It is possible to locate an ancestor on a U.S. census for 1860 or earlier and not realize that ancestor was also listed as a slaveholder on the slave schedules, because published indexes almost always do not include the slave census. . Adventures. on the 1860 census, the free census for 1860 should be checked, as almost 11% of African Americans were enumerated as harriet tubman cause . The US War Department created the Bureau after the Civil War, to bring social assistance to over 3 million former slaves and poor whites in the southern states. A Weary Land: Slavery on the Ground in Arkansas. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. Lankford, George E., ed. As a percentage of the population, slave populations ranged from less than one percent (in Newton County) to over eighty percent (in Chicot County) in 1860. 1866 Treaty with Cherokee Nation Articles Pertaining to African Cherokee Citizens and Ending Slavery in the Nation All the Cherokees and freed persons who were formerly slaves to any Cherokee, and all free Negroes not having been such slaves, who resided in the Cherokee Nation prior to June first, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, who may within two years elect not to reside northeast of the Arkansas River. Shafer, Robert S. White Persons Held to Racial Slavery in Antebellum Arkansas. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 44 (Summer 1985): 134155. The largest number of enslaved were the property of the owners of large plantations in the states lowlands, particularly in the rich valley and delta lands along the states waterways. Invariably, the earliest white settlers who moved into Arkansas brought slave property with them to work the areas rich lands, and slavery became an integral part of local life. For the most part, the enslaved attempted to establish family life in the slave quarters even though the law prevented legal marriage. Escape of a Slave.: An Account of the Flight of Nelson Hackett, May 27, 1842. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 79 (Summer 2020): 133141.
But archivists ability to respond effectively to reference requests is hampered by the lack of finding aids on records of military agencies, particularly records created immediately before and after World War II. We showcase libraries, societies, and genealogy businesses so researchers will find these great resources and the industry will flourish. later, the County was listed as having 17,584 whites, over a four fold increase, but the 1960 total of 5,757 "Negroes"was On file in the Washington office in August, 1939, was a large body of slave narratives, photographs of former slaves, interviews with white informants regarding slavery, transcripts of laws, advertisements, records of sale, transfer, and manumission of slaves, and other documents.
Learn how your comment data is processed. By 1820, it had risen to 1,617. slavery slaves american states united slave african america enslaved plantation africans south mississippi conditions living 1865 carolina beaufort were history Ironically, the war contained the seeds of destruction for the institution it was intended to protect. Learn more. Thanks for visiting! PURPOSE. As the enslaved population grew, it also constituted a larger and larger portion of the total population, growing from eleven percent in 1820 to twenty-five percent by 1860. Even though it defined people held in slavery as less than human, the law recognized the enslaved as a unique form of property. If you have a genealogy business or resource, we'd love to add you to our listings! Chattels, Pioneers, and Pilgrims for Freedom: Arkansass Bonded Travelers. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 75 (Winter 2016): 319335. source film personally to verify or modify the information in this transcription for their own purposes. However, the data should be checked for the particular surname to see the extent of the matching. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If your ancestor was a free black during that time he would be found in the general 1850 and 1860 census, instead of the slave schedules. slave nc north slaves carolina slavery were names of plantations in this County with the names of the large holders on this list should not be a difficult research task, but such age enumerated, out of a total of 3,950,546 slaves nationwide.
of large farms must have resulted in lots of duplication of plantation names. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Howard, Rebecca A.
To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, there were few slaves in Arkansas; after 1836 though, the numbers increased as white settlement moved west from the South-East.Most slaves resided in the agricultural areas, especially the early plantations, however, there were slave owners, and hence slaves, in every county in Arkansas at one time or another prior to the Reconstruction period. In comparing census data for different years, Before presuming an African American was a slave The enslaved played a major role in the economic growth of the territory and state. Black and White on Slaverys Frontier: The Slave Experience in Arkansas. In Race and Ethnicity in Arkansas: New Perspectives, edited by John A. Kirk. 72201. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2000. Using plantation names to locate ancestors Between 1860 and 1870, the Arkansas colored population increased by 11,000, to 122,000, The Code Noir, or Black Code, of French Louisiana and additional legislation during Arkansass territorial and statehood periods established the basic legal definition of slavery and helped determine the world in which the individual slave lived. The 1860 U.S. Census Slave Schedules for Arkansas County, Arkansas (NARA microfilm series M653, Roll Slave Culture Slaverys Origins in Arkansas Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2021. Henry Turner He was born a slave in northern Mississippi near the small towns of Red Banks and Byhalia, was the property of his owner, Edmond Turner, and was brought to Phillips County by his white folks some months before the war. The patrol, upon which all adult white men served periodically, policed the countryside, punishing enslaved people who were off a farm or plantation without a pass, searching for runaways, and ensuring against slave revolts and other forms of resistance. BINAM?, O. H., 103 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 3, BRADFORD, Thomas H., 67 slaves, Old River Twp., page 19B, CLAY, Sarah, 226 slaves, Douglas Twp., page 14B, DOUGLAS, A. Arkansas African American Cemeteries Online, Homemakers Survey of Nevada County Arkansas Cemeteries, 1866 Treaty with Cherokee Nation Articles Pertaining to African Cherokee Citizens and Ending Slavery in the Nation, Arkansas Genealogy and Historical Societies, Old Potter Cemetery, Potter Junction, Arkansas, Old Dallas Cemetery, Old Dallas, Arkansas, Lott Burgy Cemetery (searchable database). Legal Protection for Slavery Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. Following the holder list Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Taylor, Orville W. Negro Slavery in Arkansas. arkansas slave map 1861 county population slaves dallas states statistics united roots stories entitled distribution showing colored population during that time, and were therefore more likely possible places of relocation for colored persons from Particularly in the case of these larger slaveholders, the data seems to show in general not many freed slaves in 1870 were using the surname of their 1860 slaveholder. . A relatively large slave holding would have been ten people, a work force valued at about $9,000 on the average in 1859, an amount equal to approximately $200,000 in 2002. The data found in the files provide researchers with a rare opportunity to document the black family for the period immediately following the Civil War. New relationships between those formerly enslaved and white Arkansans would have to be forged after the war, although white people proved reluctant to surrender the power that they had exercised for so long. by a total of 235 slaveholders, and those slaveholders have not been included here. The Peculiar Institution on the Periphery: Slavery in Arkansas. PhD diss., University of Arkansas, 2014. Lankford, George E. Austins Secret: An Arkansas Slave at the Supreme Court. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 74 (Spring 2015): 5673. The weekly newspaper advertisements placed by owners attempting to recover runaway slaves clearly indicated the dissatisfaction of the enslaved with their condition and a willingness to risk extreme punishment to get away. slaves jefferson thomas frontline slave monticello american field pbs story center Walz, Robert. Slavery in Independence County. Independence County Chronicle 41 (AprilJuly 2000). Music also constituted an important part of slave culture. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. They often could secure concessions from masters or overseers by sabotaging crops or outright defiance against their demands. arkansas ancestor name Pulaski County saw an increase of 10,000 in the colored population in those ten years, but no other County in the State . Many of these records have been put online by Ancestry and are provided below in their own section: Ancestry African American Databases. 2022 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. these surnames is found on the 1870 census, then making the link to finding that ancestor as a slave requires advanced Try using the location as an alternate keyword in the Find box and search without a location in the Near box. Even the Confederate governments appropriation of enslaved laborers changed the character of the institution behind Confederate. changes in County boundaries, such as the taking of part of Arkansas County in 1871 to form part of Lincoln County, have census and they may have still been living in the same State or County. Durning, Dan. The register kept at Fort Smith shows no information about the individuals who were married beyond their name, age, and residence. wiley
slaves slavery huts slave shelter history housing homes cabin where shacks american clothing spartacus educational lived outside were usa wooden By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Some planters allowed slaves to tend small patches of their own. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Jackson Countians Value Slavery. Stream of History 53 (2020): 1223. not been considered, on the presumption that the changes would have affected the comparison groups equally. Little Rock: Butler Center Books, 2018. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Craig, Robert D. Civil War Breaks the Shackles of Slavery. Stream of History 53 (2020): 2440. In an effort to protect the interests of depositors and their heirs in the event of a depositors death, the branches of what is generally referred to as the Freedmans Bank collected a substantial amount of detailed information about each depositor and his or her family.
