Adopt-A-County is a program for sustained research and a community of practice dedicated to locating freedom colonies and information about the freedom colonies (i.e. plat maps, obituaries, photos, documents, homecoming programs, etc.) The goal of the program is to add all missing freedom colony stories and locations to the Atlas by asking descendants and the public to help us find data.
There are many freedom colonies that have not yet been located, or that need more research. To find more information about these communities and to deepen our knowledge of all freedom colonies, The Texas Freedom Colonies Project established Adopt-A-County. Volunteers “adopt” a county to research and are grouped into regions for support and community. A new intranet has been set up for volunteers to store, organize, and share research materials. We hold regular events that are open to everyone but geared towards volunteers to broaden their research skills.
We have over 50 talented volunteers, and the program is growing!
Interested in volunteering?
Want to learn more about the program or ask questions about your county? Email freedomcoloniesproject@gmail.com
Freedom Colony Research Resources
A guide with clickable links to resources for researching Texas freedom colonies. Includes resource name and link, description, and the types of information the resource can help you find or confirm. Click here to download a copy with clickable links.
Volunteer Roles
County Captain
Responsibilities
- Be the liaison between group members and the research team
- Be the first line of contact for the members to ask questions
- Organize virtual and/or in-person activities amongst the group volunteers
- Distribute, collect and process surveys for their respective county
Criteria
- Be a freedom colony descendant
- Be a skilled researcher with genealogical research and managerial experience
County Crew Member
Responsibilities
- Research, scan, and collect documents and other artifacts related to documenting the histories of freedom colonies
- Locate sources (persons) with knowledge about the freedom colony of focus
- Distribute and collect surveys around the freedom colony communities within the county adopted and to other sources
- Record freedom colony oral histories
Criteria
- Express interest in the project
- Be a diligent researcher
- Be able to follow instructions and guidelines