The Underground Railroad in Floyd County, Indiana

by Pamela R. Peters

Floyd County, Indiana, and its county seat, New Albany, are located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville was a major slave-trade center, and Indiana was a free state. Many slaves fled to Floyd County via the Underground Railroad, but their fight for freedom did not end once they reached Indiana. Sufficient information on slaves coming to and through this important area may be found in court records, newspaper stories, oral history accounts, and other materials that a full and fascinating history is possible, one detailing the struggles that runaway slaves faced in Floyd County, such as local, state, and federal laws working together to keep them from advancing socially, politically, and economically. This work also discusses the attitudes, people, and places that help in explaining the successes and heartaches of escaping slaves in Floyd County. Included are a number of freedom and manumission papers, which provided court certification of the freedom of former slaves.

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently reading this book. What a great amount of research went into this book. I am finding the book very comprehensive in nature. Ms. Peter's states that she wants to correct most readers concept of the underground railroad and she does.

New Albany's role in the underground railroad was very important. There were free blacks in New Albany who aided the travelers but also many other persons helped. I didn't know that there were slaves in Indiana, either.

Although parts of the book are a little dry, the research is impressive and quite a lot of it came from the Indiana Room. I am constantly amazed at the resoures we have in the Indiana Room and the varied subjects that can be researched here.