To find information on an enslaved individual, the enslaver must be identified because references to enslaved individuals are most often found in the records of the enslaver. The surname of an individual who was formerly enslaved may be a hint, because some individuals who were formerly enslaved took the surname of their former enslaver. Many other individuals who were formerly enslaved had a surname while still enslaved, took the name of a previous enslaver, or simply chose a name. Surnames could change between the end of slavery and 1870.
If an individual was enslaved from the time of his or her birth and was born between 1853 and 1865, he or she may be listed in Bureau of Vital Statistics birth records along with the name of the individual’s enslaver and mother. If an enslaved individual died between 1853 and 1865, he or she may be included in the Bureau of Vital Statistics death records, along with the name of his or her enslaver.
The 1850 and 1860 “slave schedules” that are a part of the federal census provide the names of enslavers in a locality and the age, sex, and color of enslaved individuals. Looking for enslavers who lived near to where a formerly enslaved person lived in 1870, or enslavers who owned enslaved individuals whose descriptions match those of the individuals for whom you are searching, may provide clues as to who the former enslaver was.
Once the name of enslaver is determined, search his or her records, including the 1850 and 1860 federal census “slave schedules,” deeds and wills (for names, ages, enslavers, and possible manumission), personal property tax records (for number of enslaved individuals), personal papers that may include lists of enslaved individuals and other information about them, church registers, and court order and minute books for cases that may involve enslaved individuals.