Description

This volume is a compilation of fifteen "Registers of Negroes and Mulattoes" maintained by the Clerk of County Courts between 1852 and 1865. They were mandated by "An Act to enforce the thirteenth article of the Constitution approved in 1852." For the first time these registers have been made available in one publication, fully indexed, with documentation. An important source of African American history during the antebellum era, this book also contains a wealth of genealogical information. "Over two thousand registrants are identified as free people of color and Hoosier residents, primarily in the southern region of the state." Counties represented in the collection are: Bartholomew, Floyd, Franklin, Gibson, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Martin, Ohio, Orange, Switzerland, and Washington. Each entry includes: name, age, description, place of birth, residence, names of witnesses, and date registered. The description category often includes names of parents (when available) and physical characteristics.