Position:Home>Genealogy> The 1850 Census and Slavery.....?

In all likelihood, the zero or two-year old on this 1850 Slave Schedule is your John!. Once freed, they didn't have anywhere to go so they ended up living on the land where they used to be slaves!. Their "status" just changed from slave to sharecropper!. Mary Foster's land conveniently coincides with his residence in Mayo, Patrick Co!.

Mary Foster South District, Patrick, Virginia

Slave Information

Age Gender Race View Census

57 Female Black
42 Male Black
22 Female Black
4 Male Black
2 Male Black
0 Male Black

Here's the same family in the 1860 Census Slave Schedule:
Mary Foster South District, Patrick, Virginia

Slave Information

Age Gender Race View Census

74 Female Black
52 Male Black
12 Male Black
9 Male Black
6 Female Black

BTW, Mary Foster was born in 1780!. She was an elderly woman and her slaves were the only people living with her!. She died between 1860 and 1870, which puts the possibility of her not making through the Civil War very high!. If that's the case, the Patrick Co Courthouse probably has a probated will for her!. The land passed to her children by 1870 and they were continuing the farm!. I'll make a huge guess, but if you can find her will, it's very possible that there is a provision made for her slaves, probably listed by name, if she died before the end of the war!. And if she died after the war and the former slaves were still living on her land and farming it for her, there's still probably a provision made for them so that they could continue living there!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Slaves were usually counted in censuses, since Southern states received 3/5ths representation in Congress for their slave populations!. Because slaves were captive and considered property, which meant their owners had records of each of his slaves, they were also fairly easy to count!.

The records of the 1850 census might have been lost due to the Civil War or to some other historical event!. The 1860 census would have been interrupted by the Civil War, particularly in some parts of Virginia, which succeeded from the Union!.

In 1870, he may not have been counted!. Just as we miss people in our censuses today, they missed people in the 1870s!. Since whites were doing the census, and since political rights for blacks were still in the air in 1870, a census taker in 1870 might not make a strong effort to find your relative!.

By 1880, political rights had been taken away from many Southern blacks and there was a need, again, to ensure everyone was counted for Congressional representation!. Remember, the House of Representatives is apportioned among the states by population, not by voters!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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1870 United States Federal Census
Patrick County, VA
Name: John Foster
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849
Age in 1870: 21
John Foster abt 1849 Virginia Black Male
Eliza Foster 1845 Virginia Black Female
Henry Foster abt 1860 Virginia Black Male
Southern Foster abt 1863 Virginia Black Male
William Foster abt 1869 Virginia Black Male

If you look at the 1880 Census records in Mayo Creek, Patrick Co, VA, you'll see white families with the surname Foster, Penn, Hairston, Koger and then a few farms down the road there are black families with the same surnames!.

You should be able to find John if you search the 1860 Slave Schedule for Patrick County which lists Abram and Mary Foster as slave owners and shows the ages of the "slaves", including an 11 year old male!. When I look records like these, I just can't believe that it was recognized by law for a person to "own" another person as their property and how it was illegal to teach them to read or write!. !.

There are websites listed at this link that may help you with your research!. Good luck!.
http://www!.cyndislist!.com/african!.htm


Edit:
I just noticed Wendy is back to help you!. Take her up on her offer, she is very experienced and knowledgeable in genealogy research!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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The 1850 census is totally complete and available for research, as is 1860 and 1870!. Slaves were not enumerated as persons, but there were lists of slave owners and brief description of those (but not by name) on separate schedules!. All census records can be searched at ancestry!.com (which is a fee service)!. If he was Black, it is very possible this is why you don't find him in 1850/1860!. SOME were listed on the normal census as free blacks, if that in fact, was his status!. If you would like to post his name (or send it to me through my profile,) I can run a search for him!. Among other things!.!.!. a good approach for even 1880, is to pull a list of all blacks with his name who are in the same county, in hopes of finding any relatives, especially mother/ father who are often living with married children in 1880!.
Earlier records, needless to say, are a challenge!. I don't know if you are familiar with www!.usgenweb!.com!.!. I have seen some southern county research sites that have gone to the effort to try and correlate records of slave owning white families in the area, ie estate records, so forth, to benefit those looking for African American ancestors!.
edit
I have him for you in 1870, not 1860!. Very intriguing when pulling up all Fosters in Patrick county, both white and black!.
If you are up to some indepth work, you may be surprised what can be located!. Example, would love to connect your John to Bretannia Foster, black female who was born @ 1790!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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