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The Fruits of a County Research Project

Where on Earth is Upson County?

Upson County 1864

upson county population 1830-70

slaves named in pre-1865 upson county sources

conclusions from the county project - pt I

conclusions from the county project - pt II

do the conclusions in upson county apply to other places?

how to learn about antebellum state court systems?

"lesser known records of slavery"

Antebellum State Court Systems

  • Researchers expecting to spend a serious amount of time exploring public records should first familiarize themselves with the state's antebellum court systems. This knowledge will help you identify what records you want to look at and will make best use of limited time on any visit to a state or county archive.
     

  • For some states, there may be useful online guides to state court systems like this very brief example for Alabama: Alabama Research Outline - Court Records.
     

  • Some states offer printed guides like this excellent booklet that can be purchased from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History: South Carolina Court Records: An Introduction for Genealogists.