Bondage Biographies: Enslaved People of Shenandoah County
Title: Bondage Biographies: Enslaved People of Shenandoah County
Description: In 2018, the Truban Archives began compiling information to create a searchable database of enslaved people in Shenandoah County during the years 1772 to 1865. Under the direction of the archivist, several volunteers pored over various resources to compile spreadsheets of information. The data compiled included the following information (if known): names, names of enslavers, locations related to the person, birthdates, relationships, what happened to them (e.g., emancipation, willed, ran away), the records’ citations, and other notable information.
The resources used to discover this information are varied, and all can be found at the Truban Archives. Volunteers examined newspaper clippings and several books, including abstracts of wills, research notebooks, births indexes, and a publication on the history of Edinburg, Virginia.
Once the data of several hundred people were assembled, the spreadsheet was uploaded to the digital archives for public consumption. More people will be uploaded as the research progresses.
Though much information has been found and made available to the public, unfortunately, Bondage Biographies: Enslaved People of Shenandoah County Collection will never truly be completed. This is due to lost records, including missing newspaper copies and unrecorded information. Because of this, the collection is an ongoing process, with more entries being made as new information is discovered.
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