Black Laws of 1804 and 1807

Many Ohioans had come from Southern states that allowed slavery and were not willing to grant rights to African Americans.

[1] The 1804 law required black and mulatto residents to have a certificate from the Clerk of the Court that they were free.

Under the 1807 law, black and mulatto residents required a $500 bond for good behavior and against becoming a township charge.

[2] The Black Laws were partially repealed in 1849, ending the bond-posting requirement,[3] for Free Soil Party support of Democrats.

[6] The Portsmouth expulsions led to the establishment of a black community in Huston Hollow with the Underground Railroad.