State of Indiana Facts and History











Research in Indiana Ethnic Groups

African Americans - The 1787 Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in what later became Indiana. However, that didn't stop French households at Vincennes from keeping slaves in the late 1700s and early 1800s. An 1802 repeal request was sent to Congress because residents believed that legalizing slavery would encourage new settlers to come to the area. That petition was denied, but the government allowed slaves to be brought to the area as of 1805 and kept for indentures that were "longer-than-life."

When the state's government was transferred from a governor to a 43-delegate convention leading up to statehood, the subject of slavery came up again. In 1816 a ruling prohibited it. However, the constitution of the state allowed owners to keep 190 slaves that were listed on the 1820 census records. Slavery was made completely illegal in the southeast part of the state. Then, in the 1820s, it was made illegal statewide by the Indiana Supreme Court. Nevertheless, as of the 1830s there were still a few slaves in Indiana. Even free African Americans were not given the rights to testify in a court of law, marry white people, or vote. However, it was common for them to marry Native Americans.

Intermarriage was fairly common in Indiana's early history. So, researchers need to take that into account. Researchers should also note that several free African Americans owned their own land. Indiana was also a major Underground Railroad hub. In the 1870s the Indiana-based Emigrant Aid Society helped African Americans move to Indianapolis from North Carolina by the thousands.

  • Indiana African American Books (

Native-Americans - St. Mary's Treaty, which was enacted in 1818, ceded land in the middle of the state from the Delaware tribe and others to the United States. That land was called "The New Purchase" and the purchase of it caused the Delaware people to move to the Mississippi River's West. From 1820 onward the two main tribes still in Indiana were the Potawatomi and the Miami. In 1826 a "trade" was made that gave some of their lands to the United States for the Erie and Wabash Canals, as well as the Michigan Road. The remaining Native Americans were removed from the state in the 1830s as part of the 1830 Federal Indian Removal Act. The Potawatomi were supposed to be removed in 1838, but some of them resisted. That led to an armed militia marching 800 of them out of the area in a march that was so tragic that it was given the name "Trail of Death."

The Miami were required to move out of the state by the Treaty of 1840. They were to move to Kansas, but they didn't actually do so until 1846. Also, several Miami families were allowed to stay in the Fort Wayne region.

  • Indiana Native American Books (

Other Ethnic Groups - From 1850 through 1920, Indiana's population was never more than 10% foreign-born. Those that were foreign-born were mainly Germans. The German culture thrived in the state, thanks to the founding of German social clubs, churches, and schools.

There were also several Irish immigrants in the area, and some immigrants came from eastern and southern Europe. However, none of those groups were particularly prominent in the region.

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