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The Genealogy Center >>
Indiana and Other States Resources
Indiana's African American Settlements |
About This Resource:
Beginning as early as 1817 Indiana saw an influx of African American settlers from the
southern United States. These groups of primarily free blacks formed communities in a number of Indiana counties, often
settling near white Quakers who were tolerant of them as neighbors. Probably the largest numbers of African Americans
who settled in Indiana during the 19th century were from North Carolina, but Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee also
contributed significantly to Indiana’s black population during this time. The growth of black settlements was strongest
from the 1830s through the 1870s. Residents established their own schools and churches, usually of the Baptist or African
Methodist Episcopal denominations. Most of the early residents were farmers or blacksmiths, and some of the farmers
accumulated significant amounts of land. African American settlements across the state were not isolated; residents
moved from one to another and interacted with individuals from other black communities. Most of the race-segregated
agrarian communities had all but disappeared by 1920. After this time, descendants of the earliest settlers of Indiana’s
African American communities remained in the state, but had blended into the population as a whole.
This database is part of an ongoing larger study of Indiana’s African American
settlements from their earliest days through about 1930. It was compiled by Dawne Slater-Putt, CG and is presented here as a
joint project of the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center and the Indiana Genealogical Society. It includes each
person’s name, approximate year of birth, date of death if known, and the names of the townships and counties with which
the individual was associated. Women are cross-referenced under their maiden names, if known. Names will continue to be
added to this database, so check back often for more information.
About Searching This Resource:
This database may be searched in the following ways:
- Fuzzy -- will search for that string of characters. Searching for Smith would find
Smith, Smithson, Arrowsmith, etc.
- Exact -- will search only for that exact text. Searching for Smith will find only Smith.
- Soundex -- will search for the Soundex equivalent. Searching for Smith will find Smith, Smythe, Schmidt, etc.
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