Free People of Color

During the slavery era in America, we were viewed as an undesirable element in a society of black slaves and free white persons. Shades of brown, black and even white skin cloaked our bodies. We were joined by a common thread-"the so called 1/8th of Negro blood that flowed in our veins". Nevertheless, we were legally free. So they called us "Free Persons of Color". However, laws regulated evey aspect of our lives. They stipulated where we could live and work.They prohibited us from learning to read and write. A law even required us to register annually as "Free Persons of Color". Laws tried to stifle the very life out of us. Yet, we survived and some of us thrived.

The 1860 Georgia federal census recorded over 3,000 free persons of color. Prior to 1870, only free blacks or persons of color were enumerated in census records. Some free persons of color were born free. Others were emancipated by their holders. Still others purchased their own freedom. Regardless of how they became free, persons of color constantly struggled to remain so.

An Act passed by the Georgia legislature in 1818 requiring all free persons of colour (color) to register annually. The county Inferiior Court clerk was charged with recording their names,places of nativity, descriptions, occupations, and times of coming into the state.

Georgia Free People of Color & Slaves

County	Free	Slaves
Baldwin	94	4562
Bibb	37	6003
Burke	90	11500
Chatham	724	13175
Cherokee	23	1225
Columbia	66	8300
Crawford	14	4033
Elbert	23	5755
Floyd	-	-
Greene	37	7672
Hancock	56	8014
Harris	28	7527
Jones
Pike	39	4562
Putnam	53	7365
Richmond	346	8109
Taliaferro	71	2897
Thomas	47	6690
Twiggs	80	5039
Washington	69	5941

Wilkes County