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Sundown Town Researcher: Rinafreez

Rina

I'm an educator, sociologist, and activist. I research historically hidden Sundown Towns. Let's learn history. Check my linktree for freebi

Check out her content for the full breakdown of sundown towns in America.

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Housing and Education Gap Breakdown

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Sundown Towns: Florida

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Ohio "Black Codes" of 1804 and 1807

While the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 technically prohibited slavery in the region, the state of Ohio wasted no time in creating a legal "wall" to discourage Black migration. The Black Codes of 1804 and 1807 were some of the first and most restrictive in the North, serving as a blueprint for other Midwestern states (like Indiana and Illinois) to follow.

📜 The Black Code of 1804: "The Registration Act"

Passed just one year after Ohio gained statehood, this law was designed to track and control every Black person entering the state.

Proof of Freedom: Any Black or "mulatto" person entering Ohio had to produce a legal certificate of freedom from a court in the United States.

Mandatory Registration: They were required to register this certificate with the county clerk. The fee was 12.5 cents (a significant amount for a traveler at the time).

Hiring Penalties: It was illegal for any white person to employ a Black person who did not have a certificate. Fines ranged from $10 to $50, with half the money going to the person who "snitched" (the informer).

Harboring "Runaways": Anyone caught helping an enslaved person escape or "harboring" them faced a fine of up to $100.

⛓️ The Black Code of 1807: "The $500 Bond"

When the 1804 laws didn't stop migration as effectively as the legislature hoped, they returned three years later with much harsher financial barriers.

The $500 Surety Bond: Within 20 days of entering the state, a Black person had to provide a bond of $500 signed by two white "freeholders" (property owners).

Context: This bond was a guarantee of "good behavior" and served as a promise that the person would not become a financial burden (a "pauper") on the township.

Court Testimony Ban: This was one of the most damaging parts of the code. It prohibited Black people from testifying in court against white people. This effectively made them "legal ghosts"—they could be robbed, beaten, or cheated by a white person and had no legal recourse in a court of law.

Increased Fines: Fines for hiring an unregistered Black person were raised to $100.

🏛️ The Impact: Legalized Hostility

These laws weren't always strictly enforced in every county, but they hung over Black Ohioans like a "Sword of Damocles."

Economic Sabotage: By making it illegal to hire someone without a bond, the state essentially legalized poverty for Black residents.

The Cincinnati Riots: These codes provided the "legal" justification for white mobs to attack Black neighborhoods (most notably in 1829), claiming they were simply enforcing the bond requirement.

Resistance: Despite these codes, Ohio became a major hub for the Underground Railroad. Many white Abolitionists and established Black communities simply ignored the laws, leading to a decades-long "cold war" between state law and local activists.

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Indiana Constitution of 1851 - Article 13

The "Keep Out" Clause: Indiana’s 1851 Constitution & Article 13 🚫📜

If you’re digging into the darker corners of Midwestern history, you have to talk about Article 13 of the 1851 Indiana Constitution. While we often think of the North as the "land of the free" leading up to the Civil War, Indiana’s 1851 convention proved that systemic exclusion was a statewide policy.

Article 13 wasn't just a law; it was a constitutional total ban on Black migration into the state. It remained in effect until it was invalidated by the 14th Amendment and finally stripped from the state constitution in 1881.

🔍 Key Provisions of Article 13

This wasn't just a suggestion—it was a comprehensive legal shutdown. Here is what it actually did:

The Total Ban: Section 1 explicitly stated: "No negro or mulatto shall come into or settle in the State, after the adoption of this Constitution."

Void Contracts: Any contract made with a Black person who entered the state after 1851 was legally null and void. This meant they couldn't buy land, lease a home, or legally hold a job.

Fines for Employers: Section 3 imposed heavy fines (between $10 and $500—a massive sum in 1851) on anyone who employed or encouraged a Black person to stay in Indiana.

The "Colonization" Fund: All fines collected from these "crimes" were funneled into a state fund used to pay for the "colonization" (forced or encouraged deportation) of Black residents to Africa.

📉 Why did this happen? (The Context)

Indiana in 1851 was deeply divided. While many Hoosiers opposed the extension of slavery into new territories, a massive majority were still deeply white supremacist. They feared that if neighboring slave states (like Kentucky) ever emancipated their enslaved populations, Indiana would see a "flood" of refugees.

The Vote: When this article was put to a separate public vote, it passed by a landslide—roughly 113,000 to 21,000. It was one of the most popular parts of the new constitution at the time.

🏛️ The Legacy

Article 13 turned Indiana into a hostile environment. It forced Black Hoosiers who were already there to live in constant fear of being accused of "entering" after the deadline, and it stripped newcomers of any legal standing to defend their property or wages.

It serves as a stark reminder that "Free State" didn't always mean "Welcoming State."

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Illinois "Black Law" 1853 (Slavery Loophole)

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Oregon 1857 Constitution (Blacks Excluded)

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Texas Declaration of Secession