What Is the Georgia Enslaved People Database?

The Data Mining and Mapping Antebellum Georgia (DMMAG) project is the official name of the database that continues the initiative undertaken by Georgia State University (GSU) to centralize digital collections of property and legal documents related to slavery in antebellum Georgia, especially in Harris County.

The DMMAG extracts data from historical deeds, probate records and other legal documents. Users can navigate the dataset through a web interface with visual dashboards and a keyword-searchable layout. The database is publicly available and does not require registration, and data can be exported as a CSV file.

Key Data Fields Available:

• Action type (e.g., sale, transfer)
• State and county
• Transaction date
• Seller first and last name, seller’s county and state
• Legal ward or guardian (if applicable)

Clicking the blue icon in the “Actions” column reveals additional transaction-level details:

• Legal ward’s first name
• Buyer’s full name and location
• District and lot number
• Transaction amount and acreage
• Notes and links to the original deed

These elements provide information on the structure and participants of property transactions involving enslaved individuals.

Purpose and Relevance of the Georgia Enslaved People Database

Enhancing Access to Historical Records

The DMMAG platform makes archival data accessible to researchers, educators, genealogists, and the general public. By organizing the data in a structured format, the project facilitates broader analysis of the individuals and systems involved in slavery in Georgia.

A Resource for Genealogical and Academic Research

Users researching familial ties or historical patterns in antebellum Georgia can benefit from the searchable structure. Search parameters include names, dates, transaction types, and geographic locations, making it a practical tool for identifying historical actors and property transfers.

Contextual Analysis Through Visual Dashboards

The database includes visual tools for analyzing macro-level trends, including:

• Total number of recorded transactions
• Aggregate monetary value and acreage
• Top buyers by transaction value
• Distribution of transaction values

These dashboards offer quantitative insight into economic and demographic trends in the dataset.

How to Use the Georgia Enslaved People Database

Step-by-Step Access:

1. Visit the Georgia Enslaved People Database on GSU’s official DMMAG platform to begin your search.
2. Enter search terms such as a name, county, or date
3. Use filters to refine search results
4. Click the blue “Actions” icon for expanded transaction details
5. Export data as CSV if desired

Usage Tip:

Combining search terms (e.g., “Harris County 1845 sale”) can help narrow results and identify relevant records more efficiently.

Example Use Case: Researching the Georgia Enslaved People Database

A researcher examining economic conditions in Georgia during the 1840s might identify a record of a land and human property transfer between individuals in Harris County. The record could contain transactional details including acreage, buyer and seller names, transaction value, and links to original documents. This allows for source-based historical analysis grounded in primary data.

Assessment of the DMMAG Platform

Strengths:

• Open access with no paywall or registration
• Detailed and multi-parameter search functionality
• Exportable data for external analysis
• Integrated dashboards for macro-level trend visualization

Limitations:

• Current geographic focus is limited, primarily covering Harris County
• Some historical entries are incomplete or lack full contextual information

While the dataset is still growing, its initial scope offers a reference point for future regional or national historical data initiatives.

Broader Research Context

The DMMAG database contributes to a broader trend in digital humanities initiatives that aim to improve access to historical records. Comparable efforts, such as Brown University’s Stolen Relations Project, also focus on compiling structured historical data. These processes facilitate systematic research in paradigms like history, demography, and social studies.

Conclusion: Insights from the Georgia Enslaved People Database

The Georgia enslaved people database is a freely available resource documenting transactions regarding enslaved people in 19th-century Georgia. Through searchable records and visual dashboards, it provides users with a structured dataset for examining historical records related to property and labor. The database is accessible to a range of users and supports various forms of historical investigation.

For researchers interested in broader comparative studies of enslavement beyond Georgia, the Stolen Relations Database Guide offers a detailed overview of another important public resource. While the Georgia Enslaved People Database focuses on the documentation of African American individuals primarily in Harris County, Georgia, the Stolen Relations project centers on the enslavement of Indigenous peoples across North America. Together, these databases contribute to a growing network of digital tools that support critical, evidence-based historical analysis.

Sources

• Georgia Enslaved People Database – Official DMMAG Platform by Georgia State University
• WABE News article on the public release of GSU’s database of enslaved people’s names and locations
• Stolen Relations Digital Archive – ArcGIS StoryMaps Project

The post Georgia Enslaved People Database: Search Historical Data appeared first on The Database Search.

This article explores how the Stolen Relations Database, developed by Brown University researchers in collaboration with Native communities, documents over 7,000 lives impacted by Indigenous slavery. You’ll learn what kind of information it includes, how to use the platform effectively, and why this project marks a turning point in public history and digital humanities.

What Is the Stolen Relations Database?

The Stolen Relations: Recovering Stories of Indigenous Enslavement in the Americas initiative is an open-access, collaboratively maintained database housed at stolenrelations.org. Led by Professor Linford D. Fisher and an interdisciplinary group at Brown University, the database curates and consolidates historical documents chronicling the enslavement, forced servitude, and unfree condition of Native peoples from 1492 through the early 20th century.

We think of slavery as ending in 1865, but Native people were enslaved before and after that date,” said Professor Linford D. Fisher. “This project is about recovering those histories, documenting them, and making them accessible.” (Brown University, 2025)

The aim is not only archival but restorative: to bring dignity to individuals long rendered invisible by the historical record.

Key Features of the Stolen Relations Database

The Stolen Relations platform is divided into four primary interfaces:

1. People

This is the core of the database. The “Search People” tool lets users filter and browse thousands of individuals using detailed criteria such as:

• Name
• Location
• Record type (e.g., court case, church registry, advertisement)
• Tribal nation
• Sex and status (e.g., enslaved/unfree, free)
• Year and Age category
• Racial designation

Clicking on a person’s profile reveals even more granular data, including:

• Record date and geographic context
• Original document and citation
• Source acknowledgments
• Relationship tags (e.g., familial connections)

Each entry is traceable to its archival source, and CSV download options are available for further research or educational use.

2. Timeline

Spanning from 1492 to 2016, the interactive timeline highlights key events in the history of Indigenous slavery and legal changes affecting Native communities. These include moments like:

• The Pequot War (1636–1638)
• King Philip’s War (1675–1678)
• The 13th Amendment (1865)
• Federal policy changes in the 20th century

This contextualizes each record within broader historical movements and state-sanctioned systems of oppression.

3. Map

The geographic interface allows the user to view where individuals were recorded as enslaved or free. The location data is source-based, so it displays where the individual was recorded, not where they lived.

The project explicitly indicates that the map is not complete but a living map that will shift when more data is gathered. The team adheres to decolonizing principles and prioritizes respectful, participatory data practices.

4. Indigenous Voices

This section contains multimedia materials — video interviews, oral histories and interactive narratives — created collaboratively with Indigenous community members and scholars. These pieces emphasize the value of Indigenous agency in the retelling of history, while offering different forms of knowledge that challenge traditional academic means.

Why the Stolen Relations Database Matters

While archives and historical texts have long documented African American enslavement, Indigenous slavery remains poorly understood — often fragmented or misrepresented in colonial records. The Stolen Relations Database consolidates these dispersed records to:

• Acknowledge historical trauma among Native peoples.
• Support education in K–12 and university settings.
• Aid genealogical research for Native families.
• Provide data for reparative justice efforts and policy reform.

According to the Brown University press release, many of the people recorded in the database were enslaved within New England, often sold domestically or sent to the Caribbean. These findings disrupt long-held assumptions that Indigenous slavery was marginal or short-lived.

Practical Tips for Using the Stolen Relations Database

Whether you’re a historian, educator, student, or community researcher, here’s how you can make the most of the platform:

Tip 1: Start with a Broad Search

Use minimal filters to begin with — perhaps only a location or tribal nation — and let the database show a wider range of results. This helps uncover unexpected records and connections.

Tip 2: Use the Stolen Relations Database’s CSV Export for Comparative Research

The ability to download records in CSV format allows for sorting, analysis, and visualization in programs like Excel, R, or Tableau.

Tip 3: Cross-reference with Tribal Histories

Match database entries with oral histories and tribal archives. These additional sources can validate or challenge colonial-era records, offering a fuller picture of an individual’s life.

Tip 4: Integrate into Curriculum

Educators can use the timeline and map views in classrooms to introduce the concept of Indigenous slavery in a visually compelling way. Lesson plans are also in development by the research team.

Ethical Considerations: Decolonizing Digital Archives

The team behind Stolen Relations is acutely aware of the risks of extracting and misrepresenting Indigenous histories. Their design principles emphasize:

• Community partnership in all phases of the project
• Consent-based storytelling, especially for oral histories
• Contextual framing that challenges white-dominant narratives

This transparency is rare in large-scale archival projects and serves as a model for ethical database creation.

Conclusion

The Stolen Relations Database is not just a collection of names and dates — it’s a vital act of historical recovery. By making visible the lives and relationships of over 7,000 Indigenous individuals subjected to systems of unfreedom, it offers both a sobering and empowering resource. For researchers, teachers, descendants, and allies, this database is a call to remember, to question, and to act.

For those conducting region-specific research or tracing lineage in the U.S. South, our Georgia Enslaved People Database Guide offers a closer look at historical records of enslaved individuals in Georgia—complementing broader efforts to recover and honor the lives documented in databases like Stolen Relations.

For more research-focused digital projects and data platforms, explore our Science category for related resources.

References & Sources

• Stolen Relations Database – Explore Portal
• Brown University News Release, May 7, 2025

The post Stolen Relations Database: Explore Indigenous Slavery Data appeared first on The Database Search.