Full Answer
What is the black population in Indiana?
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in indiana is 616,545 - at 9.2% of the total population of indiana.
What was the first African American settlement in Indiana?
The earliest report of African Americans living in what is now Indiana comes from a 1746 report on French settlements which states that forty white men and five black slaves lived in Vincennes on the Wabash River. Frenchmen living in the area continued to keep slaves throughout both the French and English occupations.
Why did so many African Americans move to Indiana?
Blacks moving to Indiana belonged to one of three groups: blacks who had been free or whose families had been free for a long time in their home states; recently freed slaves; and fugitive slaves.
How many black people lived in Miami County Indiana?
Audrey C. Werle “Research Notes on Indiana African American History,” M 792, William Henry Smith Memorial Library, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, Indiana. No rural settlements were found in Miami County. The Federal decennial census enumerated the following number of blacks: 4 in 1840, 12 in 1850, 32 in 1860, and 46 in 1870.
How many black settlements were in Indiana?
- In the bleak years following the Civil War, blacks fleeing the racism, violence and devastation of the South created more than 40 all-black farming communities in Indiana. The little settlements had wonderful names.
Where do most blacks live in Indiana?
While every Indiana county includes some black residents, 62 percent of the state's black population resides in just two counties—Marion and Lake. Within these two counties, blacks comprise more than 25 percent of the total population (see Figure 1).
How many all-black towns were there?
Today, only thirteen historical All-Black towns still survive, but their legacy of economic and political freedom is well remembered.
What is the percentage of black population in Indiana?
Indiana Demographics White: 82.28% Black or African American: 9.44%
What is the most diverse city in Indiana?
Hammond. #1 Most Diverse Places to Live in Indiana.
When did Indiana outlaw slavery?
1816The 1816 Constitution clearly prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. The effects of the 1816 Constitution and of Indiana Supreme Court rulings in favor of blacks over the next decades slowly eliminated slavery and indentured servitude in Indiana.
What is the oldest black town in America?
America's First Black Town: Brooklyn, Illinois, 1830-1915.
What state has the most black towns?
Oklahoma: Home to More Historically All-Black Towns than Any Other U.S. State.
What happened to all black towns?
Black towns dwindled to only a few residents. As population dwindled, so too did the tax base. In the 1930s many railroads failed, isolating small towns from regional and national markets. This spelled the end of many of the black towns.
What is the largest ethnic group in Indiana?
whiteThe majority of Indiana's population is white (88.7%), followed by African-Americans (8.8%), Asian-Americans (1.2%) and American Indians and Alaska Natives (0.3%). The state's population is overwhelmingly Non-Hispanic (95.5%) with a small, but growing, Hispanic minority (4.5%).
Is Indiana racially diverse?
Looking at total population counts by race and ethnic group, the majority of Indiana's 6.8 million residents are white (5.12 million), followed by Black (637,500), Hispanic (554,191), multi-race (265,344), Asian (166,651), American Indian or Alaska Native (12,938), and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2,761).
What is the poverty rate in Indiana?
QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more....Table.PopulationPer capita income in past 12 months (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$30,693Persons in poverty, percent 11.6%56 more rows
Is Indiana racially diverse?
Looking at total population counts by race and ethnic group, the majority of Indiana's 6.8 million residents are white (5.12 million), followed by Black (637,500), Hispanic (554,191), multi-race (265,344), Asian (166,651), American Indian or Alaska Native (12,938), and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2,761).
What is the racial makeup of Hammond Indiana?
Hammond Demographics White: 48.70% Other race: 23.18% Black or African American: 21.55% Two or more races: 4.89%
Is Indianapolis a diverse city?
INDIANAPOLIS -- A new study ranks Indianapolis as the tenth least diverse large city in the United States. WalletHub, a personal finance data website, took five different types of diversity into account: socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household and religious. The study ranked cities in order of size.
Is Indiana a good place to raise a family?
In a WalletHub analysis, Indiana outranked 30 states in socio-economics and 38 in affordability when it comes to raising a family. And when it comes to health care openness and access, Indiana's is one of the better states for parents and their kids.
Where did the African Americans migrate to in Indiana?
Popular understanding of Indiana black history focuses on post-Civil War African-American migration to cities in the north, such as Evansville, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis and South Bend. This generalized thinking situates Indiana’s African-Americans as part of a national story, but fails to reveal the stories of free blacks ...
What is the history of the African American experience?
Despite a rich history, little is known about the African-American experience from the state’s founding to the Civil War era. With the exception of a handful of monographs, graduate papers and journal articles, few publications have been written that focus on this history.
How many farming settlements were there in Indiana before the Civil War?
Only a few buildings and annual gatherings remain of the thirty to sixty Indiana farming settlements established before the Civil War by African-Americans.
What is RSS in Indiana?
What is RSS? RSS makes it possible to subscribe to a website's updates instead of visiting it by delivering new posts to your RSS reader automatically. Choose to receive some or all of the updates from Moment of Indiana History:
Was slavery legal in Indiana?
While blacks in neighboring states toiled as unpaid servants, slavery had never been legal in Indiana , where African-Americans owned and farmed tracts of up to 300 acres. Some settlers were slaves from other states who had escaped or were escorted into Indiana by Quakers and other abolitionists.
How many black people live in Indiana?
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in indiana is 616,545 - at 9.2% of the total population of indiana.
What is the blackest city in Indiana?
What's the blackest city in Indiana? Gary took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in indiana for 2021. See if it ranked as one of the most african american cities in America.
Which city has the most black people?
Gary took the distinction of being the most Black, while Mooresville was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
How many cities are there in the US?
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 111 cities.
What were the major African Americans who settled in Indiana in the 19th century?
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.
What were the African Americans in Indiana?
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.
When did the agrarian community disappear in Indiana?
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.
What article of the Indiana Constitution states that no negros or mulattos can settle in the?
In 1851, Hoosiers voted for Article XIII of the Indiana Constitution that stated, “No negro or mulatto shall come into, or settle in the State, after the adoption of this Constitution.”.
Where did the Black Hoosiers live in 1860?
By 1860, seventy-two Black Hoosiers lived in Sugar Creek Township with eleven based in Thorntown proper. The census from that year, shows us that they arrived mainly from North Carolina and Kentucky, that they were predominately farmers, and that most could not read and write.
Where did Moody Gilliam settle?
By the 1840s, patriarch Moody Gilliam moved his large family, described as “mulatto” by white census takers, from North Carolina to Boone County, Indiana. Other members of the Gilliam family had been prominent in the establishment of nearby Roberts Settlement in Hamilton County. This proximity to family and another black community certainly played an important part in the decision to settle and farm in Boone. The Gilliams owned at least $1000.00 worth of property by 1850 which they farmed and improved successfully. By 1860, Moody Gilliam’s property was estimated at $4000.00. This would be approximately $120,000 today, a solid foundation for a family facing unimaginable prejudice and legal discrimination. [2]
Which amendment gave black people the right to vote?
While the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave Black men in the North the right to vote in 1870, one newspaper article implied that some residents of color in Sugar Creek participated in local elections prior to this legislation.
Who was the black man who took part in the Bryan parade?
In 1896, “Rev. Charley Derrickson of Thorntown, colored, 90 years of age, took part in several Bryan parades during the campaign.”. [13] While this three time presidential candidate was never an advocate for Black citizens, perhaps the reverend found something he liked in William Jennings Bryan’s Protestant values.
Who was the first African American to serve in the Indiana General Assembly?
On Saturday, August 10, 1870, they held a large “XVth Amendment celebration” at Thorntown. [9] . One of the speakers that day was the James Sidney Hinton, a powerful orator and civil rights advocate who would become the first African American to serve in the Indiana General Assembly.
Did Sugar Creek have a Masonic Lodge?
By the late 1860s, the Sugar Creek community also boasted a Masonic lodge. By 1874, they had seventy-four members and the Boone County Directory listed the group as: Washington Lodge F&AM (Colored). While not much is known about “the colored Masons of Thorntown,” their establishment of such a society shows us that they sought power through organization. However, the men of Sugar Creek also took more direct political action. [6]
How many black settlements were there in Indiana in 1860?
By 1860, there were more than 60 black settlements in Indiana, including many whose nicknames defined their purpose: "Colored Freedom" was the moniker for Dubois County's Pinkston community.
What were the Quakers' contributions to the settlement of Indiana?
Mission societies raised money to begin the settlements in areas without black residency restrictions, and Quakers helped educate the former slaves.
Why did black people flee?
Where once blacks were limited to farming, teaching in segregated schools and cleaning white people's toilets, new options became available . Legal segregation ended, and black students could attend college and explore a wider world beyond the sandy river bottoms.
What factors led to the decline of the settlement's population?
A couple of factors led to the decline of the settlement's population. As farms were divided among generation after generation of heirs, the farms became smaller and smaller. As the younger generations grew up, they saw better opportunities in the cities.
Why did the ruins of the old cemetery disappear?
Sadly, over the long years, they've slowly disappeared, largely for economic reasons. All that remains are the crumbling stone foundations of houses, and the overgrown cemeteries with headstones slowly sinking into the earth at odd angles.
Where is the chapel in Indianapolis?
The chapel and cemetery are 30 miles north of Downtown Indianapolis, about a half mile east of U.S. 31, on a rural blacktop road with a big-city name: 276th Street.
When was the Indianapolis Star story published?
This story was originally published in The Indianapolis Star on Jan. 31, 1993
