The Philadelphia Black Metropolis of 1838

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has worked with the Black Docent Collective to digitize the 1838 Census of the Free Black community taken by the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. This census revealed a city within a city - the Black Metropolis. It documented almost 19,000 free Black people who created 16 churches, 23 public and private schools, 80 beneficial societies, 300 Black-owned businesses and possessed over $40,000,000 in wealth. This incredible genealogical resource connects names of families to location and rich familial data including questions about wealth, real estate, education, manumission, social networks, and occupations. Now these statistics are available to you. Hear about the stories that historians Michiko Quinones and Morgan Lloyd of the Black Docent Collective have uncovered. Their work to quantify, tabulate, and share these stories will help you search for your family and neighborhood histories. You will also gain an understanding of this pivotal time in Philadelphia’s history.