Texas, U.S., Voter Registration Lists, 1867-1869

This database contains names of men who registered to vote in Texas shortly after the Civil War.

Historical Background

The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment, draft new state constitutions, and register voters, both black and white, to vote in state constitutional conventions. In order to vote, men had to swear an oath of allegiance to the United States, and some were disqualified for their participation in Confederate government posts.

These records list the names of more than 139,000 men age 21 and over who registered to vote in Texas between 1867 and 1869. This would be the first time many of these men would be given the vote, and the records are of particular importance to African American research because they include the names of former slaves who now had the right to vote.

What You May Find in the Records

The forms can provide the following information:

• name
• residence
• length of residence
• nativity (county or state)
• naturalization status (often blank)
• race

The records may include a few registrations from 1870 and later.