Timeline: Kentucky and Slavery
- Early Settlers Brought their Slaves to KentuckyMorgan Linville Papers, 1765-1807. Frontier and pioneer life. Slave records. University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- 1792: Kentucky Becomes a StateOn June 1, 1792. Kentucky became the 15th state admitted to the Union. Britannica.com
- Slavery Continues in KentuckySlavery in Kentucky: a Civil War casualty by L. H. Harrison. The Kentucky Review, v.5, no.1, Fall 1983, Article 4, pp.32-41. Online at Uknowledge.
- 1863: The Emancipation ProclamationPresident Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." BUT NOT KENTUCKY
- 1865: Kentucky and the 13th U.S. Amendment"The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to Kentucky because it did not leave the Union. After the 13th Amendment went to the states for ratification, Kentucky did not ratify it. Instead, federal law forced enslavers in Kentucky to emancipate enslaved people in December of 1865 when the 13th Amendment had the approval of ¾ of the states." Dr. Vanessa Holden. University of Kentucky. News Wise.
- 1976: Ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th U.S. Amendments in KentuckyKentucky House Member Mae Street Kidd sponsored the resolution that moved the state of Kentucky to ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in 1976. Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (NKAA)
- An Economic Foundation Built on Slavery"While plantations did not comprise the majority of farms across Kentucky, slavery lay at the foundation of every aspect of the economy, society, and culture of the state." Understanding the Complexities of Slavery in Kentucky by Tony Curtis. Kentucky Historical Society
Related guide at the University of Kentucky
This guide has been created to assist researchers searching for the following information:
1. The history of slavery in Kentucky,
2. Records and documentation of the lives of enslaved Africans in Kentucky,
2. Identification and the financial aspects of slave ownership in Kentucky,
3. Family and individual lives after emancipation or freedom gained by any other means.
A postcard illustrating a sale of slaves: caption on postcard: "SOLD TO GO SOUTH":
Date: 1938 Creator: La Fayette Studio (Lexington, Kentucky)
John Winston Coleman Jr. collection on slavery in Kentucky
University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center
Cheapside, the largest slave-trading locality in the state; street scene
Date: unknown Creator: unknown
Hunt-Morgan House deposit photographs
University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center
The city of Lexington was the center of slave trade in Kentucky. Thousands of enslaved Africans were sold at the Cheapside auction block in downtown Lexington. Read more about Cheapside Slave Auction Block by Andrew Patrick @ Explore Kentucky History.