Dirty deeds: Finding and mapping race restrictions in local property records

Abstract

The digitization of county deed records creates new opportunities and challenges for historical research, rendering private deed or property restrictions—one of the root mechanisms of racial segregation in the United States—more discoverable, and more quantifiable. This essay surveys the baseline and varying organization of county deed records. It traces strategies for identified racial restrictions contained within those records, using a variety of research methods and tools. And it summarizes strategies and methods for analyzing and mapping the results.