A path to your enslaved ancestors
Research before 1865 requires a different approach. Begin with the state where your ancestors were held (from the first arrivals of the 1600s to Emancipation), then work backward from the 1870 census — the first to name formerly enslaved people.
Florida
Statehood 1845 · Deep South
Slavery in Florida began with Spanish St. Augustine in 1565. Spanish Florida also gave sanctuary to people escaping Carolina at Fort Mose, the first legally free Black settlement in North America. Middle Florida cotton plantations grew under U.S. rule, and Black Seminoles formed distinct communities.
Slavery Research Institutions
Where to Search Florida Records
Open a pre-filled Florida search on each repository. You don't need an account to start.
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Key Records
- Spanish colonial records and Catholic parish registers (St. Augustine)
- County probate and deed records (Leon, Jefferson, Gadsden, Jackson)
- 1850 & 1860 Slave Schedules
- Seminole War claims and Black Seminole records
- Freedmen's Bureau records (Tallahassee, Jacksonville)
Research Tips
- Use Florida Memory's free digitised collections and photographs.
- Many Middle Florida enslaved people came from Georgia and the Carolinas. Search those states' records too.
- For colonial ancestors, search Spanish names and baptismal records.
National Resources, 1600s to Emancipation
Databases that cover every state, from the Atlantic crossings to the search for family after freedom.