A path to your enslaved ancestors
Research before 1865 requires a different approach. Begin with the state where your ancestors were held (from the first arrivals of the 1600s to Emancipation), then work backward from the 1870 census — the first to name formerly enslaved people.
Maryland
Statehood 1788 · Border States & D.C.
Tobacco plantations in Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore relied on enslaved labour from the 1600s. By 1860 Maryland had the largest free Black population in the nation. Baltimore was a major port for shipping enslaved people south. Maryland abolished slavery in November 1864.
Slavery Research Institutions
Where to Search Maryland Records
Open a pre-filled Maryland search on each repository. You don't need an account to start.
Ancestry.com is a subscription service, but searching is free and you can preview results before subscribing.
Key Records
- County wills, inventories and accounts (Prerogative Court and Register of Wills)
- Certificates of freedom and manumission records
- 1867–68 slave statistics (compensation claims listing enslaved people by name)
- Outward slave manifests from Baltimore (NARA RG 36)
- Jesuit plantation records (Georgetown sale of 1838)
Research Tips
- The 1867–68 'Slave Statistics' list people freed in 1864 with ages, sometimes by family.
- Use the Maryland State Archives' Legacy of Slavery database.
- For ancestors sold south, compare Baltimore outward manifests with New Orleans inward manifests.
National Resources, 1600s to Emancipation
Databases that cover every state, from the Atlantic crossings to the search for family after freedom.