As we approach primary election season in Kentucky, one can’t help but wonder how our ancestors viewed election season and their right to vote. Rarely do we get a chance to sneak a peek at what they thought, let alone, how they voted. For those with white adult male ancestors in 1850s Adair County, we have quite a treat for you!

The front cover reads: New Constitution, Columbia Precinct, District No. 1, May Election, 1851, Adair County Kentucky.

Within the back pages, it explains that the Columbia Precinct includes the following Districts: East Fork, Big Creek, Harmony, Neatsville, and White Oak.

This 14 page, ledger-sized, booklet contains a basic spreadsheet that lists candidates and voters, with tallies indicating how each man voted. This is a wonderful example of how voting practices have changed! Only adult, white males were allowed to vote, and each vote cast was known by those in close proximity at the time, and by the officials recording the votes. The title page mentions the “New Constitution” which is important because Kentucky had just adopted a new Constitution in 1850 which had created a whole new range of voting laws. Under Article VI of this new Constitution it was stipulated that many local officials and judges were to be elected on the second Monday of May, 1851.

So, how is this related to your Adair County genealogy research? Voter lists/rosters can be valuable in various ways. The first and most obvious way to use this source is as another proof of residence in a certain area. Pre-Civil War records in Kentucky are variable, and pinpointing proof of residency can be a challenge. Another way, and perhaps my favorite way, to look at this record is through the lens of cultural/social genealogy. We must remember that our ancestors were not just names on a page or pedigree chart – but real people with beliefs and values. I always encourage genealogists to research the genealogy of a community. In that way, they learn more about their ancestors’ lives, and not just names with birth, marriage and death dates. This voter list is a prime example of how we can get a glimpse of the historical context in which our ancestors lived.

By picking one candidate over another, can we really tell much about our ancestor? Well, we can glean clues about voter eligibility and naturalization status. We might also be able to learn that they cared about civic duty and elections, or, as in some cases in Kentucky history, it may mean that they were pressured to vote. The underlying story behind who was running at the time and what they stood for can greatly supplement or add spice to your family history! For more information about the rich political/voting history of Kentucky and the United States, I will list a few titles at the end of the post!

However…..genealogy IS built upon a chart of names…..so here are just SOME of the surnames included in this voter list: Arnold, Atkins, Bailey, Barbee, Barton, Bradshaw, Bridgewater, Butler, Caldwell, Canterbery, Cheatham, Check, Coffey, Davis, Dohoney, Douglas, East, Estes, Eubank, Field, Fillman, Frazer, Gaither, Garrett, Gill, Grant, Hancock, Haskins, Hendrickson, Ingram, Jones, Lee, Lyon, Massie, McPete, Merrell, Miller, Montgomery, Morgan, Morris, Nally, Naylor, Owens, Page, Peck, Peebles, Pollard, Reynolds, Sallee, Smith, Sharp, Shepherd, Todd, Walker, Wallace, Watson, Wheat, Wheeler, Wilson – and that’s just some of the voters – I didn’t even list any running for office!

If you think this voter list might contain an ancestor of yours, just visit the KHS Library and ask us to bring this (Catalog number FF1.80) out of our Archival Storage vault for you to view in person. Here is the link to our catalog entry for this item: http://khscatalog.kyvl.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=24081

And by the way – if you just won the genealogy lottery by finding one of your ancestors in this record, tell us about it! We’d love to know more!

As promised, here is the list of books about U.S. and Kentucky voting practices you may find interesting:

Kentucky Votes (2 volumes), compiled by G. Glenn Clift, 1960.

History of American Electoral Behavior by Joel H. Silbey, Allan G. Bogue, William H. Flanigan, 1978.

Deliver the Vote: A History of Election Fraud, an American Political Tradition 1742-2004 by Tracy Campbell, 2005.

32 Votes Before Breakfast by Jesse Stuart, 1974

After realizing what occurred free sample merely need to bear in mind that the that nix aspiration alter.