Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva's Black History

Source Information

1820 U.S. Census Free Black Heads of Household

Censuses & Lists • 550 Records • Uploaded January 18, 2022 • Data Website: freeafricanamericans.com

The 1820 census was the fourth recorded in the United States. Questions from this census differed from years prior by asking for the number of individuals either free or enslaved within their household and their age groups. These records include individuals who were listed as "negro" or "mulatto" on the Delmarva Peninsula. These records were originally transcribed by historian Paul Heinegg.

Census records are preserved at the National Archives and Records Administration, which makes digitized copies of the censuses available through digitization partners. These partners include FamilySearch and HeritageQuest (accessible with most local library cards directly from website; for example, see Wicomico Public Libraries' database listings).

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Fields Included

The list below shows the data fields included in this source. If a field is marked as Indexed, it is searchable.

  • State
  • County
  • District Indexed
  • Household Number
  • Page in Original Document
  • Name Indexed
  • Slaves Under 14 Years Old
  • Slaves 14 to 26
  • Slaves 26 to 45
  • Slaves 45 and Older
  • Free Blacks Under 14
  • Free Blacks 14 to 26
  • Free Blacks 26 to 45
  • Free Blacks 45 and Older
  • Transcriber Notes Indexed
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