Finding Freedom
"Slavery was interwoven with everything civil, political, social and
ecclesiastical."
~ Frederick Douglas, 19 May 1870
The bedrock of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Program is its long study of enslavement and freedom seeking from colonization through the Civil War. Today, a quarter-century of research is conveyed through a database that encapsulates the demographics and statistics of slavery in Maryland. Original historical research produced by the Program's volunteers, interns, and staff — found under the "Stories of Flight" tab — complement the database's findings. Taken together, the database and the additional original research forms the Finding Freedom Project.
Harriet Tubman, born in Dorchester County, Maryland, is perhaps the most iconic freedom seeker in United States history.
Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser (05 June 1860): 1.
Originally, the Finding Freedom Project mined certificates of freedom and manumission records from seventeen Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Work on the project, however, will never be complete. Fugitive slave advertisements, assessment records, census records, chattel records, jail committal records, slave schedules, and Slave Statistics are now incorporated in the Finding Freedom database.
Work on the Finding Freedom Project will never be complete. We encourage interested parties to join us as volunteers or inquire about internship opportunities with the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Program.
Counties in Maryland with Records of Manumissions
Counties in Maryland with Records of Manumissions in our online database include Anne Arundel, Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties.
Once you are ready to search the database, note that you can click the 'Browse by County' large blue button. Select the county name, and then in the left box called 'Record Type' you can select 'Manumissions' and you will see your search results. In addition, if you click on the title of a column in the search results, for example 'First Name', then it will sort the search results from A-Z. Then if you click the title again, from Z-A.
Visit the DatabaseCounties in Maryland with Records of Certificates of Freedom
Counties in Maryland with Records of Certificates of Freedom in our online database include Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, Talbot and Washington Counties.
Once you are ready to search the database, note that you can click the 'Browse by County' big blue button. Then click the county name, and then in the left box called 'Record Type' you can select 'Certificates of Freedom' and you will see your search results. In addition, if you click on the title of a column in the search results, for example 'First Name', then it will sort the search results from A-Z. Then if you click the title again, from Z-A.
Visit the DatabaseAn NHPRC Documenting Democracy Access to Historical Records Grant
The Maryland State Archives holds two essential types of records documenting freedom within its collections. The first are Manumissions, legal documents that frees an enslaved person from slavery on behalf of the slave holder. The second are Certificates of Freedom, documents that resulted from a 1805 General Assembly law that sought to identify Maryland's free African American population and to control the availability of freedom papers. This legislation required those who were born free, or those who received their freedom from a slave owner, to record proof of their status in the county court.
These documents, found in 111 record series at the Maryland State Archives arranged by the county of issuance, contain vital information about those who were enslaved. Everything from the names, age, physical description, location of the recipient's birth and rearing, and names of the slave holder or witness who confirmed the person's free status is usually included. These records have been uploaded and made available through the Legacy of Slavery searchable database.
Full Listing of Records Consulted