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.
Mississippi
Statehood 1817 · Deep South
Mississippi's enslaved population grew enormously after 1820, mostly through forced migration from Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas. Natchez's Forks of the Road was the state's largest slave market. Chancery and probate records in each county are essential.
Slavery Research Institutions
Where to Search Mississippi Records
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Key Records
- County probate and chancery court records (estates, guardianships, divisions)
- Deed records naming enslaved people as property in sales and mortgages
- 1850 & 1860 Slave Schedules
- Natchez Trace and Forks of the Road trader records and bills of sale
- Freedmen's Bureau and Freedman's Savings Bank records (Vicksburg, Natchez)
Research Tips
- Many Mississippi ancestors were born in Virginia or Maryland. Check the 1870/1880 census birthplace column.
- Courthouse fires destroyed some records, so check the MDAH county microfilm inventory first.
- Plantation papers are often filed under the enslaver's family name at university libraries.
National Resources, 1600s to Emancipation
Databases that cover every state, from the Atlantic crossings to the search for family after freedom.