District of Columbia Court and Emancipation Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States District of Columbia

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of images of National Archives records from three microfilm publications:

The collection covers the years 1820 to 1863.
 * Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-1863, M520, 4 rolls in Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department the Treasury, RG 217
 * Records of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia relating to slaves, 1851-1863 M433, 2 rolls
 * United States, Circuit Court (District of Columbia), Habeas Corpus Case Records, 1820-1863, M434, 2 rolls in Records of the District Courts of the United States in RG 21.

The following related digital book contains lists and claim numbers of petitioners Emancipation in the District of Columbia 

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in the records varies by case. You may find any of the following:


 * Name
 * Age or birth date (these may be approximated)
 * Gender
 * Name of former owner
 * Residence
 * Names of other family members or witnesses
 * Document dates

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the individual
 * Approximate birth date or residence

View the Images
You will be able to search this collection once it is published.

View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select National Archives Microfilm Publication
 * 2) Select NARA Roll Number and film description

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records. (Make sure that if it’s a marriage article, you take the word marriage out, if it’s a birth article, take the word birth out, etc.)
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses. Witnesses were usually family members.
 * Emancipated individuals may still have family members who are slaves. Be sure to look for other individuals who may be related.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now ?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

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