1. Location   2. County   3. State   4. Date of enumeration   5. Census enumerator   6. Name of slave owner   7. Number of slaves   8. Age of slave   9. Sex of slave   10. Color of slave   11. Fugitives from the State   12. Number of slaves manumitted (freed)   13. Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic

Slave Schedule 1850 Federal Census

Slave Schedule

Slave schedules were included as a separate section of a federal census in 1850 and 1860. Prior to those years, the 1790, 1800, and 1810 censuses asked for the total number of slaves in a household.

The 1820 census lists the number of male and female slaves according to age groups.

The 1830 and 1840 census did not ask for information about slaves.

The 1850 and 1860 slave schedules ask for more detailed description of an owner's slaves, only the owner is listed by name.

Use the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules to determine who owned slaves in the area where your ancestors lived immediately after their emancipation. Then search county probate and property records for those slave owners to see if your ancestor's names appear in the records.

Also attempt to find plantation records that might have survived for the area.

© Palladium Interactive, Inc. 1997.