African American Resources for Pennsylvania

Online Resources
A potential source for information about individuals is Pennsylvania Abolition Society (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Manumissions and Indentures, ca. 1780-1840, Arranged by Name of Master or Slaveholder. Records are from various eastern states, including New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, and Virginia.

Documenting our Past: The Teenie Harris Archive Project

[http://www.library.pitt.edu/freeatlast/papers_listing.html Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries]; Freedom Papers

History
An important history is Edward Raymond Turner, The Negro in Pennsylvania: Slavery-Servitude-Freedom, 1639-1861 (New York, NY: Negro Universities Press, 1969; . It includes an extensive bibliography.

See also:

Charles L. Blockson, African Americans in Pennsylvania: A History and Guide(Baltimore, Maryland.: A DuForcel book published by Black Classic Press, 1994);.

Blockson, Charles L. African Americans in Pennsylvania: Above ground and underground, an illustrated guide. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : RB Books; Seitz and Seitz, Inc., c 2001 FHL 974.8F2bl 2001

Blockson, Charles L.ed. by Louise D. Stone. Pennsylvania's Black History. Philadelphia: portfolio Associates, 1975. E185.93.P41 B56

Census Records
The "septennial" census (see Pennsylvania Census), beginning in 1800, often listed the name, age, and sex of slaves and the names of slave owners.

Freedman’s Bank
Freedman's Savings and Trust Company signature cards or registers may list a person's former masters, birth date, birthplace, occupation, residences, death information, parents, children, spouses, or siblings. Pennsylvania had one branch of this bank at Philadelphia from 1870 to 1874.

The signature registers for this branch are listed as Freedman's Savings and Trust Company (Washington, D.C.), 1865-1874, Registers of Signatures of Depositors in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969; . Depositors are in order by account number.

The separate Freedman's Bureau records do not normally name relatives or give genealogical information. They can be found in the Subject Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under FREEDMEN - PENNSYLVANIA.

Slavery Records
Pennsylvania began the gradual emancipation of slaves in 1780. Slaves are sometimes mentioned in deeds, in wills, in tax records, and in court order books. A few parish registers (Pennsylvania Church Records) list slaves who attended church with their masters.

At the taking of the 1790 Census, ironmasters were the largest slave owners in Pennsylvania counties where charcoal and iron were produced: Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Lancaster, Dauphin and York.

The "septennial" census (see Pennsylvania Census), beginning in 1800, often listed the name, age, and sex of slaves and the names of slave owners.

Archives and Libraries
Pennsylvania State Archives A brief but helpful reference to sources at the State Archives is David McBride, The Afro-American in Pennsylvania: A Critical Guide to Sources in the Pennsylvania State Archives (Harrisburg, PA.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1979);.