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Pennsylvania State Archives

As home to the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, later known as Pennsylvania Abolition Society, the Commonwealth was the first state to abolish slavery by legislative action, and was a hotbed of anti-slavery activity. Such activity took various forms and among the holdings of the State Archives are well over 300 years of the African American experience in Pennsylvania. These records play an important role in understanding the legacy of slavery, the lives of free blacks in the antebellum North, and the Underground Railroad. Many historical government records, such as census, tax records, court records, land deeds, etc., help to detail the lives of both enslaved and free blacks in the Commonwealth.

Visitor Information: Currently open to public.

Location: 350 North Street, Harrisburg, 17120-0090

National Park Unit: No

Ownership: Frank Suran

Location Type: Facility