Module 2 — Finding and Navigating the Records
How the 1872 Registro Central de Esclavos is organized by district and municipality, which films cover which towns, and how to browse unindexed digitized images efficiently.
BeginnerPart of the Puerto Rican Slave Record Research course.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will:
- Know how the 1872 registry is organized by district and municipality
- Identify the correct film for your target municipality
- Browse digitized images efficiently without a name index
- Know the access points for both FamilySearch collections
Step 1: Define Your Target
Before opening any records, write down:
- The municipality (municipio) where your ancestor lived, or your best guess
- An approximate age or birth year range
- Any known plantation, hacienda, or community connections
- Names of relatives, especially parents
If you have no name to start with, begin with the municipality and look for surnames that later appear among free families, godparents, or agricultural laborers in civil or church records.
Step 2: Identify the Correct District
The 1872 registry is organized by district (departamento) and then by municipality. The surviving filmed coverage includes Districts 1, 2, and 4–6. Use the table below to find your municipality.
Note: District 3 is not in the surviving filmed coverage.
| District | Municipalities Covered | FamilySearch Film |
|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Dorado, Naranjito, Trujillo Alto, Trujillo Bajo, San Juan | View Film 007529154 |
| District 2 | Arecibo, Camuy, Ciales, Hatillo, Manatí, Morovis, Quebradillas, Utuado | View Film 007529155 |
| District 4 (Part 1) | Añasco, Cabo Rojo, Mayagüez | View Film 007529156 |
| District 4 (Part 2) | Mayagüez, Sabana Grande, San Germán | View Film 007529157 |
| District 5 (Part 1) | Adjuntas, Barros, Coamo, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Peñuelas, Yauco | View Film 007529158 |
| District 5 (Part 2) | Barranquitas, Ponce | View Film 007529159 |
| District 6 (Part 1) | Arroyo, Cidra, Guayama | View Film 007529160 |
| District 6 (Part 2) | Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Cayey, Cidra, Gurabo, Hato Grande (San Lorenzo), Sabana del Palmar (Comerío), Salinas | View Film 007529161 |
Step 3: Browse the Digitized Images
The 1872 registry films are not name-indexed. You will need to browse them like a book.
Browsing strategy:
- Open the correct film link in FamilySearch (free account required)
- Use thumbnail view to scan for municipality heading or divider pages
- Locate the section for your target town
- Scan page by page for the person or owner you are researching
Tips:
- Entries within a municipality are often grouped by owner or hacienda
- Page margins sometimes note the owner’s name as a running header
- Look for familiar surnames even if you cannot yet read all the Spanish
The Related 1859–1880 Collection
FamilySearch has a partially searchable collection that overlaps with the 1872 registry:
Puerto Rico, Slave Registers, 1859–1880
Use this collection when you want a searchable starting point. When you find an indexed entry, pivot to the full film images for surrounding context and to identify additional unindexed individuals who appear nearby, often family members or people enslaved by the same owner.
What’s Next
In Module 3 — Extracting and Preserving Evidence, you will learn how to document what you find, build a working citation, and use the Registry Extraction Form.
← Module 1 · Course Overview · Module 3 →
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