Alachua County, Florida was home to nearly 60 plantations before the end of the Civil War. Hundreds of enslaved people were brought here to labor on these plantations that generated a lot of the area's wealth.

Alachua County Black Book traces the stories of enslaved people and their enslavers as told through excerpts of ancient legal documents including bills of sale, wills, and mortgages dating from 1815-1865. Because enslaved people were considered personal property they are found in these records alongside other personal property including cattle, horses, and pigs.

This book is not an official record. It is a compilation of public documents about the half century of slavery in Alachua County. There may very well be more records that I am not aware of. Any errors or omissions are unintentional. A book index containing names of the enslaved, their enslavers, and other parties mentioned in these archives is provided to help make this information more accessible.

Alachua County Black Book is written in honor of the enslaved people who lived and toiled and helped to build our country before their names and stories are lost to time and memory.

You are not forgotten.