Records that name the enslaved
Browse re-created pre-1865 records with digitized transcriptions. Each entry indexes the individuals named within, so you can search for an ancestor by name.
Deed of Gift — Fairfield District
A deed of gift conveying enslaved people from a father to his children, recorded in the district deed books.
Bill of Sale — Charleston District
A recorded bill of sale transferring ownership of an enslaved woman and her child between two Charleston merchants.
Last Will & Testament of Nathaniel Burroughs
A planter's will bequeathing enslaved people to heirs, naming individuals and family groupings.
Probate Inventory of the Estate of Josiah Harwell
Estate inventory listing enslaved individuals by name and appraised value, filed in Dallas County probate court following the death of planter Josiah Harwell.
Runaway Notice — Columbus Enquirer
A newspaper advertisement seeking the return of a self-emancipated man named Isaac, describing physical appearance and suspected destination.
Plantation Journal of Oakhurst — Birth Register
A page from a plantation daybook recording births among enslaved families, a vital record often absent from official registers.
1860 Slave Schedule — Montgomery County
An extract from the 1860 Federal Census Slave Schedule, listing enslaved persons by age, sex, and color under the enslaver's name.
Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contract — Wake County
An early post-emancipation labor agreement registered with the Freedmen's Bureau, naming formerly enslaved laborers and former enslaver.