Washington, D.C. Emancipation, 1862
3,096 Names
In April 1862, Washington, DC ended slavery and paid the enslavers. Not the people.
They billed the federal government $2,290,557 for 3,096 human beings. In today's money that is about seventy six million dollars. America paid out around $894,780, call it twenty nine and a half million now, and told them no on the rest.
Every name and every price ran in the newspaper. I typed all of it out, then I found the government's ledger of what it actually paid and typed that out too.
It is here. Free. Find your people.
Search the names
Search by the name of the person, the name of the enslaver, a surname, or an age, including ages written in months. Every name now carries what the enslaver asked and what the government actually paid. Click any row for the full record, the print notes, and the historical notes.
3,096 people from the two published lists, plus 172 who petitioned for themselves under the supplemental act. 969 enslaver petitions.
Plus 41 more people who filed for their own freedom and were left out of the government's printed summary.
| Aaron Adams | — | $350 | $131.40 |
| Aaron Edmonson | — | $500 | $109.50 |
| Aaron Hall | about sixty years | $500 | — |
| Abigail Montgomery | 50 years | $250 | — |
| Abra'm L. Hawkins | — | — | $43.80 |
| Abraham Cox | Thirty Seven Years or thereabouts | $500 | $525.60 |
| Abraham Dent | — | $200 | — |
| Abraham Dixie Gray | Eighteen months | $400 | $43.80 |
| Abraham Gibson | 55 years old | — | $65.70 |
| Ad'e Frances Coquia | — | — | — |
| Adam Bell | — | $2000 | — |
| Adam Brown | Sixty (60) years | $1000 | $219.00 |
| Adam Lee | about twenty seven years | $1500 | — |
| Addel Davis | — | $1400 | $481.80 |
| Addie Lee | — | $800 | — |
| Addison Allen | Thirty Two years | $700 | $394.20 |
| Addison Jones | thirty two years | $1400 | No award |
| Addison Webster | — | — | Withheld |
| Adel Frances Davis | — | $800 | $438.00 |
| Adelaide (Lucy's child) | — | $300 | $65.70 |
| Adelaide C. Forrest | — | — | $438.00 |
| Adelaide Carter | 9 years | $750 | $219.00 |
| Adelaide Etchison | — | — | $219.00 |
| Adelaide Nash and infant | infant: three months old | $700 | $416.10 |
| Adeline | — | $300 | — |
| Adeline Jones | about 10 years | — | $306.60 |
| Adeline Meredith | — | $400 | $438.00 |
| Adeline Miles | — | $800 | $481.80 |
| Adeline Smith | — | — | $459.90 |
| Adeline Williams | thirty five years | $1000 | $350.40 |
| Agnes | 12 months old | $75 | $43.80 |
| Agnes | about fifty-eight years | — | $43.80 |
| Agnes Brooks | Seventeen Years | $800 | $394.20 |
| Agnes Curtis | 2 years old | $50 | $43.80 |
| Agnes Fletcher | — | $700 | — |
| Agness Bennett | Five years | — | $481.80 |
| Ailcey Pleasants | — | $1000 | $394.20 |
| Ailsey Steward | 75 years | $50 | No award |
| Airy Brown | — | $100 | $87.60 |
| Albert (Lydia's son) | 18 months | $150 | $43.80 |
| Albert Bodely | Twenty Seven years | $900 | $153.30 |
| Albert Campbell | — | — | Granted |
| Albert Clarke | 19 years | $1600 | $613.20 |
| Albert Cole | — | $400 | $240.90 |
| Albert Gutridge | Thirteen years | $1000 | $394.20 |
| Albert Hickman | twenty one years | $500 | $197.10 |
| Albert Hollyday | seven years old | $450 | $175.20 |
| Albert Lyles | — | $400 | $43.80 |
| Albert Rigney | 13 years | $100 | $21.90 |
| Albert Steward | 15 years | $1200 | $328.50 |
Showing 1 to 50 of 3,309