Slavery in Puerto Rico: History and Genealogical Research
Slavery in Puerto Rico formed part of the island’s history for centuries under Spanish colonial rule. Enslaved Africans and their descendants contributed to the development of Puerto Rican communities, families, agriculture, culture, and society. For genealogists, understanding this history is essential because records of enslaved individuals can reveal family relationships that are often difficult to reconstruct through traditional sources alone.
Researching enslaved ancestors in Puerto Rico may require examining many different types of historical documents. Catholic parish registers, census records, slave registries, civil records, notarial documents, court proceedings, and emancipation records can contain names and relationships involving enslaved individuals and their descendants.
Historical records may identify an enslaved person by a given name without a surname or through the name of the individual who enslaved them. Racial and social classifications also changed over time and were not always recorded consistently. Terms found in original records may include esclavo, liberto, pardo, moreno, and other classifications used during the Spanish colonial period.
For this reason, researchers should compare information across multiple sources when tracing enslaved and Afro-Puerto Rican ancestors.
Genealogical Records of Enslaved People in Puerto Rico
Hijos de Coamo Puerto Rico provides access to historical records, transcriptions, indexes, and research materials concerning enslaved people and their descendants. The collections below include resources from different municipalities and historical periods.
These materials can help genealogists identify individuals, reconstruct family relationships, locate original records, and better understand the historical circumstances in which their ancestors lived.
Enslaved Registration Records by District – 1872
Registration records from the final years of slavery provide valuable information about enslaved individuals living throughout Puerto Rico. Records are organized geographically and can help researchers identify individuals by municipality or district.
Enslaved Residents of Northeastern Puerto Rico, 1868–1873
This collection contains transcriptions associated with enslaved residents of Carolina, Trujillo Bajo, Loíza, Río Grande, and Trujillo Alto. It also provides historical context about Puerto Rico’s enslaved population during the years immediately preceding abolition. LINK
Enslaved Families of Puerto Rico: Genealogical Records and Descendants
This 528-page genealogical compilation by Aníbal López Roig documents enslaved individuals, family relationships, and descendants identified through Puerto Rican parish records and other historical sources. It can be especially useful for reconstructing generations of enslaved and Afro-Puerto Rican families. LINK
Freedom and Emancipation Records
Historical records concerning manumission and other paths to freedom can provide important evidence about formerly enslaved individuals and their families. LINK
Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico
Slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico on March 22, 1873. For genealogical research, records created during the years surrounding abolition can be particularly important. Individuals who previously appeared in documents as enslaved may later appear as free persons in parish, civil, census, and other records.
Researchers should therefore continue tracing individuals beyond 1873 whenever possible. Later marriage, death, baptismal, and civil registration records may provide surnames, parentage, birthplaces, occupations, and family relationships that were not documented in earlier records.
Historical Documents and Research
Historical documents can reveal details about enslaved individuals whose lives may otherwise be poorly documented. Newspaper notices, legal proceedings, parish registers, notarial records, and other contemporary sources can preserve names, locations, family relationships, physical descriptions, and information about enslavers.
- Puerto Rican Civil Court Documents Collection, Box 1, Folder 1, 1844-1845.
- The collection consists of civil court case records from the Appellate Court “Corte de Primera Instancia” and some verbal trials “juicios verbales.”
1847 Runaway Notice from Puerto Rico
This notice concerning an enslaved man who escaped appeared in the Gaceta de Puerto Rico on May 4, 1847. Historical newspaper notices such as this can preserve names, locations, physical descriptions, enslavers, and other details that may assist genealogical research.
I found this article about a runaway Slave from Trujillo Bajo that appeared in 1847.
