United States Census, Slave Schedule, 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The schedules consist of large preprinted forms with two columns on each page.

Census enumerators created slave schedules at the same time as population schedules. Slave schedules for 1850 exist for the following places:


 * Alabama
 * Arkansas
 * Delaware
 * District of Columbia
 * Florida
 * Georgia
 * Kentucky
 * Louisiana
 * Maryland
 * Mississippi
 * Missouri
 * North Carolina
 * South Carolina
 * Tennessee
 * Texas
 * Utah Territory
 * Virginia

While nearly one-third of Southern families owned slaves, the number of slave owners named in the slave schedules is 1.7 percent of the total population (in 1860). Depending on the state, slaves numbered less than one to nearly 50 percent of the population (12.5 percent of the total population in 1860).

For a list of records by localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

U.S. Census Slave Schedule, 1850

Census slave schedules are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator

The schedules consist of large preprinted forms with two columns on each page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Slave schedules include the following genealogical information:




 * Name of slave owner
 * Number of slaves owned
 * Age, gender, and color of slave
 * If slave is a fugitive, from what state
 * Has slave been emancipated
 * Very few schedules list the names of the slaves

How to Use the Records
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Use slave schedules to identify the slave holdings of owners. Since they do not provide the slaves’ names, they can be used only in conjunction with other sources to identify individuals and families who were slaves.

To search the collection image by image, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "State" category ⇒Select the "County" which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Related Websites
United States Census Online

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States
 * United States Census Slave Schedules

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ," database and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVHW-T16 : accessed 4 April 2012), Mary Adams (Washington city, Washington, District of Columbia).