Before the Civil War, most African American couples "jumped the broom" when they were wed. It was not until after the Civil War that most Counties/States started to record "Negro" Marriages. In 1866, the year after the Civil War ended, all "Negro" and "Mulatto" couples were requested to go to the Courthouse and have their declaration of Marriage recorded.
This document is a transcription of the original marriage record index. It was transcribed "as recorded," complete with all misspellings. The marriage records are alphabetized with each record listed twice, once under the name of the groom and once under the name of the bride.
