District of Columbia, Court and Emancipation Records, 1820-1863
Images of National Archives records from three the microfilm publications. Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-1863, M520, 4 rolls in Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, RG 217, Records of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia relating to slaves, 1851-1863 M433, 2 rolls and United States. Circuit Court (District of Columbia), Habeas Corpus Case Records, 1820-1863, M434, 2 rolls in Records of the District Courts of the United States in RG 21.
District of Columbia, Court and Emancipation Records
What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images of National Archives records from three microfilm publications:
- Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-1863, M520, 4 rolls in Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department the Treasury, RG 217
- Records of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia relating to slaves, 1851-1863 M433, 2 rolls
- United States, Circuit Court (District of Columbia), Habeas Corpus Case Records, 1820-1863, M434, 2 rolls in Records of the District Courts of the United States in RG 21. The collection covers the years 1820 to 1863.
National Archives Catalog
- Manumission Records, 1856-1863. US District Court for the District of Columbia. NAID 4314538
- Writs of Habeas Corpus, 1820-1863. US District Court for the District of Columbia. NAID 6277088
- Fugitive Slave Case Files, 1851-1863. US District Court for the District of Columbia. NAID 4306299
- Emancipation Records, 1862-1863. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. NAID 4314547
National Archives: Know Your Records Program Power Point Presentation
Related Publications
- The following government document contains lists and claim numbers of petitioners Emancipation in the District of Columbia
- Dorothy S Province. Compensated Emancipation in the District of Columbia: petitions under the Act of April 16, 1862. Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2005. FS Library 975.3 H2pc
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for District of Columbia Court and Emancipation Records, 1820-1863. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Name
- Age or birth date (these may be approximated)
- Gender
- Name of former owner
- Residence
- Names of other family members or witnesses
- Document dates
Collection Content
Sample Images
1862 Manumission Papers (example 1)
1862 Manumission Papers (example 2)
1862 Manumission Papers (example 3)
_Manumission_Papers_(example_1)_DGS_7795187_11.jpg)
_Manumission_Papers_(example_2)_DGS_7795187_12.jpg)
_Manumission_Papers_(example_3)_DGS_7795187_16.jpg)
Inventory
| Film | Item | DGS | Roll | Collection | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Relating to Slaves, 1851–1863, M433 | |||||
| 1299307 | 7795186 | 1 | Emancipation papers resulting from the Act of April 16, 1862 A - L | Image 9 -1174 | |
| 1299307 | 7795186 | 2 | M-Y | Images 1179-2280 | |
| 1299308 | 7795187 | 3 | Manumission papers, 1857-1863 Fugitive slave case papers, 1851-1863 | ||
| Habeas Corpus Case Records, 1820–1863, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, M434 | |||||
| 1601546 | 7795260 | 1 | 1820-1843 (1823-1824, 1828 & 1841 have no files) | ||
| 1601547 | 7795261 | 2 | 1844-1863 (1845 & 1847 have no files) | ||
| Records of the Board of Commissioners for the Emancipation of Slaves in the District of Columbia, 1862-63, M520 | |||||
| 1299303 | 1 | 7795182 | 1 | Minutes of meetings, April 28, 1862-January 14, 1863 (indexed) Record of petitions filed, April 29-July 15, 1862 (indexed) Docket Book, April-December 1862 (indexed) Summary list of awards Final report of the Board of Commissioners, January 14, 1863 | Images 12-668 |
| 1299303 | 2 | 7795182 | 2 | Petitions filed under the Act of April 16, 1832 1 - 200 (indexed by petitioner in Record of petitions filed and Docket book) | Images 675-1713 |
| 1299304 | 7795183 | 3 | 201 - 400 | Images 6 -1068 | |
| 1299304 | 7795183 | 4 | 401 -600 | Images 1073 -2068 | |
| 1299305 | 7795184 | 5 | 601 - 800 | ||
| 1299306 | 7795185 | 6 | 801 - 966; Petitions filed under the Act of July 12, 1862 (no index) |
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"District of Columbia, Court and Emancipation Records, 1820-1863." Images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 3 December 2024. Citing NARA microfilm publications M520, M433, and M434. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
