Acts passed by the Virginia Legislature in 1793 and 1803 required every “free negro” or “mulatto” to be registered and numbered in a book to be kept by the county clerk. This collection contains records involved in the registration process. The registration language and process varied across localities, thus the information and type of records may differ. Registration records found in this collection include numbered certificates that recorded the free person’s name, sometimes age, a brief physical description, and the circumstances of the person’s freedom or emancipation. If born free, a reference is sometimes made to the parents. If emancipated, the emancipating enslaver, place, and date may be mentioned. There are affidavits that were given by individuals affirming a free person’s status, as well as written descriptions of free persons. In addition, there are registrations that are loose papers matching information found in the bound volumes of registered “free negroes” kept in the court house.

Descriptions included in this dataset are drawn directly from the original documents and may contain language which is now deemed offensive.

Indentures of apprenticeship are composed of indentures binding out "free negroes", often children, to learn a particular trade or craft. These indentures may be written agreements between the family of the apprentice and those responsible for the indentured. Or, these documents may be generated by local agencies such as
the Overseers of the Poor, binding out orphans or those who are considered a burden to the Commonwealth.
The indentures of apprenticeship contain the name of the person or institution binding out, the person to whom bound, the name of the person being indentured, the length of the apprenticeship, and the responsibilities of the person taking on the indentured.

The data in this collection is drawn directly from the historical documents and may contain language that is now deemed offensive.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is designed to give students in the community access to the nutritious, well-balanced meals they receive throughout the regular school year. The program allows sponsors to combine a feeding program with a summer activity program in areas where 50 percent of the children in the community are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

Average Daily Participation (ADP) is the average number of reimbursable student meals served in a school nutrition program on a daily basis. Monitoring the program’s ADP can help forecast and determine the program’s labor requirements and food or non-food purchasing projections. This helps to minimize waste and control costs. ADP can also be used to evaluate the popularity of menu options, assess productivity, gauge customer satisfaction, and identify participation goals for the program.

This dataset provides summary statistics of school lunch program participation as recorded by Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).