< Return to Search Results

Mid-Atlantic National Archives

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives is the repository for official U.S. government historical records for the states of PA, MD, DE, VA, and WV. The Mid-Atlantic holdings date from the founding of the early national government and contain details on the actions and decisions of government officials and the public in confronting the issues of slavery and the status of blacks in America. Court and Customs records document the Atlantic slave trade, including the domestic trade between the Port of Philadelphia and southern ports such as Charleston, New Orleans, and Savannah. Other federal court records include cases related to fugitive slaves, who fled from southern plantations to Pennsylvania in the 1840s and 1850s. Among these records are the cases of Passmore Williamson and the Christiana Riot. Both are considered nationally significant U.S. anti-slavery incidents following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, and were causes celebre for the abolition movement. Correspondence from Ft. Monroe documents the employment of freed slaves and the construction of separate quarters for them after the Emancipation Proclamation. Records of the Schuylkill and Frankdord Arsenal document freed slaves' participation in material support of Union troops.

Visitor Information: Currently open to public.

Location: 900 Market St, Philadelphia, 19107

National Park Unit: Yes

Ownership: Leslie Simon

Location Type: Facility