1787:  Northwest Ordinance

According to Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, slavery was forbidden north of the Ohio River.  Still, some residents disagreed with the ordinance because they supported the use of African American slave labor.  The opponents’ attempts to prevent the ordinance from being passed were unsuccessful.

Cited by:  Gunter, J. “Negative Racial Attitudes toward African Americans in Indiana during the Civil War,” Black History News and Notes [Indiana Historical Society] No. 81 (August 2000), 3-8. [6pp.]