Our Story

African American history has been part of Vermont’s story since before the founding of the Green Mountain State. Black people were among the earliest settlers, tilling the land, building homes, and establishing communities. An estimated 25 to 50 Black people resided within the rolling hills of what would become Vermont when the 1777 Constitution presented one of the earliest abolition clauses banning adult slavery.

In 1791, when the 14th State was admitted to the Union, the US Census recorded that Vermont was home to 270 Black people. Black Vermonters would account for slightly more than 0.5% of the overall population until 1860. Although significant challenges existed related to slavery and race relations, Vermont offered opportunities for Black people not readily found everywhere.

African Americans fought for national freedom in the Revolutionary War, defended the Union in the Civil War, and have proudly served Vermont and our nation in all its military conflicts. Vermont’s African American were among the first to earn advanced and honorary degrees, publish histories and antislavery memoirs, preach to white parishes, and serve as religious and educational leaders.

Complex experiences suffered by African Americans cultivate generations of Vermont-born abolitionists and statesmen who reached the national stage to fight for emancipation, desegregation, and civil rights. These struggles and successes are part of Vermont’s African American heritage, which continues into the 21st Century.

Did You Know?

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, exhibits a 1903 Pullman car. These cars were serviced by Black porters who, in 1925, formed the first all-Black union in the US.

Solomon Northrup’s book, Twelve Years a Slave, was adapted into a movie 160 years after it was first published in 1853, receiving and Academy Award for Best Picture.

Birchdale Camp is the last standing structure at Journey’s End, the Turner Family Homestead. It reflects architecture of the Virginia Piedmont, where Alec Turner was enslaved. The camp was restored in 2019.

The Clemmons Family Farm is among the 0.4% of all farms in the US owned by African Americans.

A portrait of Alexander Twilight, the first African American lawmaker in the US, will be displayed in the Vermont State House by 2022.