Finding Enslaved Ancestors in Puerto Rico Through Registries Online

Finding enslaved ancestors in some parts of the world is much easier than in the United States. The slaveholders of many Africans and African descents were usually counted as notches in the United States census and records. One pattern that I noticed with countries held by Spain is that that was not the case.  While in the United States, Africans and African descendants were not considered humans or were even considered subhumans in the minds of Europeans, in places held by Spain, they were considered humans but still below them.  In Spain held countries, you were documented with a name, could sue your owner, and even had the right to purchase your freedom. When it came to censuses, those enslaved were captured by name, age, and included marital status. Some even have their parents listed.

If you could communicate with priests, you also could point out where you were originally born as I’ve shown in a prior post. Not all Africans were illiterate either. Many captured and enslaved were also well educated and caught in enslavement due to treachery and the horror of being kidnapped.

The reason I am pointing this out is that there are countless records available to research your African roots in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. It requires using Google Translate in many cases but also PLENTY of patience. This is the case with Puerto Rico. While this is a minute amount of records, there are plenty of available records offline. So if I did not list the municipality, it does not mean that they do not exist.

So here are some of the digitized Census records of enslaved people going back to the 1840s in Puerto Rico. Keep in mind that there are plenty of church records that provide names and potential locations of where they came from available online.  There are even records of those that were emancipated.

It is important to know that there was the main port in Barbados where African and African descendants that were enslaved were sold. If you can afford a trip to the archives in Puerto Rico, even better, and more information is available there.

What I also came across was that there was no segregation in schools as Black children went to school with those that identified as White children in the 1800’s. If they exist for the town and are available to be viewed from home, I provided them below.

Camuy

• Slave Census 1849 -1890 (Image 436)
• Schools 1880 – 1899 (Image 1159)

Dorado

• Slave Census 1868 (Image 4)
• Slave Census 1868 (Image 347) – Additional

Toa Alta & Toa Baja

• Slave Census 1871 (Image 856)

Arecibo

• Slave Census 1868 (Image 1426)
• Emancipated Slave Census 1876 (Image 1365) 
• Slave Census 1871 (Image 1935)

Bayamon

• Emancipated Slave Census 1876 (Image 1361)

Utuado & Manati

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 4)

Aguada, Aguadilla & Lares

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 511)

Aguadilla

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 796)

Manati, Arecibo, & Utuado

• Slave  Registry Census 1871 (Image 1297)

San German

• Slave Registry Census 1868 (Image 1798)

Anasco

• Slave Registry Census 1868 (Image 2305)

Mayaguez & San German

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 4)

Moca, Aguadilla, Aguada, Isabela, San Sebastian, & Lares

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 225)

Guaynilla & Aibonito

• Slave Registry Census 1868 (Image 721)

Guaynilla

• Slave Registry Census 1868 (Image 1234)

Juana Diaz

• Slave Registry Census 1868 (Image 1739)

Guaynilla, Barranquitas, & Coamo

• Slave Registry Census 1869 (Image 2153)

Penuelas & Santa Isabel

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 4)

Barros & Coamo

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 435)

Guaynilla & Juana Diaz

• Slave Registry Census 1871 (Image 940)

Guayama

• Slave Registry Census 1867 (Image 1444)

Gurabo, Hato Grande, & Cayey

• Slave Registry Census 1869 (Image 1478)

Naguabo & Maunabo

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 1986)

Cayey, Sabana del Palmar, & Juncos

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 4)

Arroyo

• Slave Registry Census 1869 (Image 505)

Salinas, Arroyo, & Cayey

• Slave Registry Census 1869 (Image 1020)

Salinas, Guayama, Hato Grande, & Aguas Buenas

• Slave Registry Census 1870 (Image 1524)

Dorado, Trujillo Alto, & Trujillo Bajo

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 2032)

San Juan

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 5) – includes other regions

Río Grande, Loiza, Guaynabo, & Vega Alta

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 525)

Vega Alta, Toa Baja, & Toa Alta

• Slave Registry Census 1872 (Image 1028)

Bayamon, Guaynabo, Trujillo Alto, & Rio Piedras

• Slave Registry Census 1873 (Image 1542)

Rio Piedras, Toa Alta, Rio Grande, Vega Alta, & Loiza

• Slave Registry Census 1873 (Image 2048)

Toa Baja, Corozal, Trujillo Bajo, & Dorado

• Slave Registry Census 1873 (Image 5)

Carolina & Vega Baja

• Slave Registry Census 1873 (Image 518)

Toa Alta, Carolina, & Vega Baja

• Slave Registry Census 1873 (Image 1028)

The following references which show the Item number refers to where on the film they can be viewed. These films are digitized and available via online process but only from a Family History Center. I provide how to find you local Family History Center, just click the words. The images are as follows:

Caguas

• Esclavos (Slaves) Census 1863-1865, 1867-1871, 1868 – Items 3 through 7 – Film# 1667559
• Esclavos (Slaves) Census 1869-1870, 1872-1873, 1875, 1876, 1879 – Entire Film – Film# 1667560

Lares

• Contratos de libertos 1873 – Freed slaves contracts – Item 5 – Film #1511709
• Registro de libertos 1873 – Registration of freed slaves – Item 6 – Film #1511709
• Esclavos 1873 – Slaves – Item 7 – Film #1511709

Fajardo

• Esclavos 1851 – 1868 – Items 2 and 3 – Film #1511709

Juncos

• Esclavos (Slaves) Census 1842-1873 – Item 1 – Film #1511709

San German

• Administración pública Esclavos (Slaves) 1859 – 1873