Understanding our past to not repeat it
Indiana Constitution was in violation of the United States Constitution banning African-Americans from its soil after the 13th Amendment, 14th and 15th amendment were passed. But the State of Indiana did not amend its Constitution until 1881. Indiana removed the ban of African-Americans from its soil. Furthermore, Indiana new Constitution would have to allow African-Americans to vote under the United States Constitution the 1870 15th amendment. This would explain why Indiana took so long to amend it Constitution. The 1881 amendment would have to allow African-Americans to vote in Indiana. The right to vote motivated more African-Americans to move to Indiana,doubling in size the African-Americans population during the great migration from the south.
The majority of African-Americans were making their way to Indiana migrated largely to three cities, Indianapolis, Gary and Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne attracted the smallest group of African-Americans amongst the three cities. There were some African-Americans who came on their own, and some came with French settlers. The French settlement was Kekionga or Miami town which later could be called Fort Wayne, named after the Indian slaughter, General Mad Anthony Wayne.
Fort Wayne was formed from a merger of Delaware and Randolph county in 1823 and Fort Wayne was platted in 1824. Fort Wayne became a city with a population of 4282 in 1840. Because, of the restriction on African-Americans to travels under the fugitive act, Indiana 1851 Constitution, and the Dred Scott decision, African-American population began to decline in Fort Wayne. More specifically,
African-Americans were limited in Allen County. A statewide referendum was taken to exclude African-Americans from entering Indiana with a vote of 1775 to 261, impacted the grown of African-Americans in Fort Wayne.
In 1850, in Fort Wayne 36 African-American males and 44 African-Americans females lived in the city, by 1860, only 63 African-Americans lived in the city, in spite of the fast growing Allen County population. In 1850 Allen County had a population of over 16,000 residents and in all of Allen County there were only 102 African-Americans.
It was only by after the amended Indiana Constitution, that the population would began to grow. By the 1900, the African-Americans population was exceeding the growth of the raced white population. Indiana was close to a border slave states and that was a concern for raced whites who began to migrate to states further away from slave states. The African-American population began to slow down during the depression, but by the 1940's the great migration began again. Fort Wayne would see the African-Americans population double in size and a rapid out migration of raced whites.
During this time, African-Americans became to battle with southern leaders to dismantle black codes. Black Codes treated African-Americans as an inferior citizens unequal to participate in full citizenship. This would have an impact on the ability of African-Americans to freely travel. By the 1970, the
African-Americans population growth had slowed in Fort Wayne. But the growth of African-Americans were more than the raced white that continued until 2000.
This out migration alarmed elected official and began annexing unincorporated areas of raced whites to grow the raced white population of Fort Wayne. Still this was so much out migration of raced whites that the 14000 raced whites from the annexed areas was only a marginal growth for the raced whites when compared to raced whites.
By 1980, Fort Wayne lost 14, 649 raced whites almost nullifying the numbers captured from the annexation and by 2000, an additional 4, 100 raced whites had left the core of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The cost of annexation would fall heavily on the growing population of African-Americans. The funding for housing, education and jobs would be redirected to the newly annexed areas and residents.
By 1980 many of the factories that employed African-Americans were folding up and moving. Other factories moved to areas were they were subsidized and supported by local elected officials. By 2000, over 90 per cent of African-Americans were segregated in neighborhoods with limited housing, schools and closed factories. Maya Angelo offers up the opinion that the North was a place of exile for African-Americans. A place for African-Americans to escape te killing fields of the south.
From The Trajectory of African-Americans to Fort Wayne, Indiana: Colored by a Badge of Inferiority by dowdellresearch,llc
The majority of African-Americans were making their way to Indiana migrated largely to three cities, Indianapolis, Gary and Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne attracted the smallest group of African-Americans amongst the three cities. There were some African-Americans who came on their own, and some came with French settlers. The French settlement was Kekionga or Miami town which later could be called Fort Wayne, named after the Indian slaughter, General Mad Anthony Wayne.
Fort Wayne was formed from a merger of Delaware and Randolph county in 1823 and Fort Wayne was platted in 1824. Fort Wayne became a city with a population of 4282 in 1840. Because, of the restriction on African-Americans to travels under the fugitive act, Indiana 1851 Constitution, and the Dred Scott decision, African-American population began to decline in Fort Wayne. More specifically,
African-Americans were limited in Allen County. A statewide referendum was taken to exclude African-Americans from entering Indiana with a vote of 1775 to 261, impacted the grown of African-Americans in Fort Wayne.
In 1850, in Fort Wayne 36 African-American males and 44 African-Americans females lived in the city, by 1860, only 63 African-Americans lived in the city, in spite of the fast growing Allen County population. In 1850 Allen County had a population of over 16,000 residents and in all of Allen County there were only 102 African-Americans.
It was only by after the amended Indiana Constitution, that the population would began to grow. By the 1900, the African-Americans population was exceeding the growth of the raced white population. Indiana was close to a border slave states and that was a concern for raced whites who began to migrate to states further away from slave states. The African-American population began to slow down during the depression, but by the 1940's the great migration began again. Fort Wayne would see the African-Americans population double in size and a rapid out migration of raced whites.
During this time, African-Americans became to battle with southern leaders to dismantle black codes. Black Codes treated African-Americans as an inferior citizens unequal to participate in full citizenship. This would have an impact on the ability of African-Americans to freely travel. By the 1970, the
African-Americans population growth had slowed in Fort Wayne. But the growth of African-Americans were more than the raced white that continued until 2000.
This out migration alarmed elected official and began annexing unincorporated areas of raced whites to grow the raced white population of Fort Wayne. Still this was so much out migration of raced whites that the 14000 raced whites from the annexed areas was only a marginal growth for the raced whites when compared to raced whites.
By 1980, Fort Wayne lost 14, 649 raced whites almost nullifying the numbers captured from the annexation and by 2000, an additional 4, 100 raced whites had left the core of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The cost of annexation would fall heavily on the growing population of African-Americans. The funding for housing, education and jobs would be redirected to the newly annexed areas and residents.
By 1980 many of the factories that employed African-Americans were folding up and moving. Other factories moved to areas were they were subsidized and supported by local elected officials. By 2000, over 90 per cent of African-Americans were segregated in neighborhoods with limited housing, schools and closed factories. Maya Angelo offers up the opinion that the North was a place of exile for African-Americans. A place for African-Americans to escape te killing fields of the south.
From The Trajectory of African-Americans to Fort Wayne, Indiana: Colored by a Badge of Inferiority by dowdellresearch,llc
Labels: Black History Month
posted by credo | 11:04 AM
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