The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 804 black Americans with Burdette as their last name. That represented 7% of the total of 11,284 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Burdette.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onward, all black Americans were included.
7 people named Burdette were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 4 as mixed.
There was a total of 86 people with the name.
Burdette In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 200 people with the last name Burdette as black within a total of 1,640 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 277 people named Burdette as black within a total of 5,207.
Historic Black Figures With The Burdette Surname
Here are some notable African Americans in history with Burdette as their last name.
Gwen Burdette
- Born: 1932
- From: Atlanta, Georgia
- Died: 1986
Although born in Atlanta, Gwen Burdette grew up in St Louis, Missouri. She married Eddie Giles and started working as a campaign manager for Missouri’s first black congressman, William Clay.
She was active in the civil rights movement through the 1960s and 70s. Gwen Burdette Giles was elected as a state senator in Missouri in 1977 and served until 1981. She was the first black woman in this role.
She strongly pushed legislation for equal rights for minorities and people with disabilities. She resigned her Senate seat in 1981 to become the first black head of the St Louis Assessor’s Office. She died young from illness.
Burdette In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of information for family history research. Some of the earliest for African Americans date back to the Civil War.
President Lincoln authorized the use of “colored troops” in combat in the Union Army in 1863, although some black units had fought before then.
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
One of the earliest military entries for Burdette was in May 1877. Samuel Burdette was a Officer in the U.S. Ninth Cavalry. He was stationed in May 1877 at .
The records show that Andy Burdette was a Private in the 87th US Colored Infantry. He was aged 24 in a military record of 1864.
Burdette In The Freedmen’s Bureau Records
The Freedmen’s Bureau was established after the Civil War to help newly freed African Americans. You can read more in our article on researching the Freedmen archives.
There are over 20 records for Burdette in the archives. Here are some of their given names:
- Bettie
- Gabriel
- Hiram
- Joseph