Enslaved People Named in Deeds

The project seeks to examine records from every state before 1865 to extract the names of enslaved people documented in deeds—whether in the Northwest, Midwest, or the South. These names are often buried deep within the records, obscured by difficult handwriting and indexing practices that favor enslavers’ names over those of the enslaved. By systematically reviewing these deeds, volunteers are bringing these names to light, making them searchable and accessible for families and researchers working to recover and reconnect with their histories.

Volunteers are beginning this work in Missouri and North Carolina. 

In Missouri, where slavery was embedded in the legal and economic systems, volunteers are extracting names of enslaved individuals from 114 county deed books. These legal documents—sales, mortgages, inheritances—are among the few places where enslaved people were named.

North Carolina had one of the largest enslaved populations in the country, with over 331,000 people enslaved by 1860. Yet the records documenting their lives remain scattered and largely unindexed.

Volunteers are reviewing deeds in all 100 counties, making the names of enslaved people searchable and accessible for families seeking their histories.
 

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