List of African-American historic places facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

These are important places in the United States that tell the story of African Americans. Some are local treasures, while others are recognized nationally. They show the amazing things African Americans have achieved, the tough times they faced, and their hopes for the future. People started working to save these places a long time ago, even back in 1917, when they tried to protect the home of Frederick Douglass, a famous leader who fought against slavery.

Visiting these places helps us understand the past and the people who lived through those times. They connect us to history and help us learn why things happened.

African-American Historic Places by Time or Topic

This list is based on other articles and books like The Negro Pilgrimage in America by C. Eric Lincoln and Before the Mayflower by Lerone Bennett Jr..

Early Beginnings

Old Slave Mart in Charleston, SC, a place connected to the slave trade.

The story of African Americans starts in Africa. For a long time, people didn't know much about Africa's rich history. But studies since the 1960s have shown that Africa had many amazing civilizations with great art, buildings, and ideas. The journey of African Americans connects to these roots. You can see this history at places linked to the slave trade in America:

Charlotte Amalie Historic District – Virgin Islands
Kingsley Plantation – Florida
Old Slave Mart – South Carolina

American Revolution Era

The American Revolution was a time of big changes, not just the war itself (1776–1783). Free Black people were part of the fight from the very beginning. In March 1770, Crispus Attucks was one of the first people to die in the Boston Massacre, a protest against British rule. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, brave Black soldiers like Peter Salem and Salem Poor fought with courage. Salem Poor was even praised for his actions that day.

Burns United Methodist Church – Iowa
Christiansted National Historic Site – Virgin Islands
Hacienda Azucarera La Esperanza – Puerto Rico
Jack Peterson Memorial, Croton-on-Hudson, New York

Slavery in America

For over 200 years, about four million Black people were forced into slavery in America. This system affected everyone in the country. It was based on the idea that one race was better than another. This idea shaped how African Americans developed and how all Americans treated each other.

The first Black people in the New World didn't arrive on a slave ship in Jamestown in 1619. In fact, a Black navigator named Pedro Alonzo Niño was with Christopher Columbus on his first voyage. From that time on, Black people were part of many Spanish explorations in the New World. For example, Neflo de Olaña and thirty other Black individuals were with Balboa when he discovered the Pacific Ocean.

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, TX, connected to the founding of the AME church.

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church – Texas (connected to Richard Allen, who started the AME church)
Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Homesite – Illinois (home of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the first settler of Chicago)
First African Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia
Lumpkin's Jail, Richmond, Virginia
Prince Hall Masonic Temple – Washington, D.C. (connected to Prince Hall, who started the first Black Masonic Lodge)

Slave Rebellions

In 1791, Haiti saw the first successful slave revolt. But this wasn't the only one. Between 1663 and 1864, there were 109 revolts on land and 55 at sea. Important early rebellions include the 1712 uprising in New York City and Gabriel's Rebellion in Richmond, Virginia, in 1800. That same year, a free Black man named Denmark Vesey planned to take over Charleston, South Carolina, but his plan was discovered.

House at John Brown's Farm in North Elba, NY, linked to the abolitionist John Brown.

Belmont – Virginia
John Brown Farm – New York (birthplace of John Brown)
John Brown Headquarters – Maryland (headquarters for John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry)
Stono River Slave Rebellion – South Carolina (site of the 1739 Stono Rebellion)

The Fight Against Slavery

When the U.S. gained a lot of land with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, two different ways of life became very clear. In the South, slavery grew, creating a huge farming economy that relied on enslaved workers. In the North, industries were growing, and while not everyone supported ending slavery, the idea of a free society spreading west became strong.

By 1835, William Lloyd Garrison started The Liberator, a powerful newspaper that pushed for ending slavery. For the next 30 years, the North and South struggled to live together with their different economies and the growing movement to abolish slavery.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., home of the famous abolitionist.

Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church – Terre Haute, Indiana
Levi Coffin House – Fountain City, Indiana (a key stop on the Underground Railroad)
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site – Washington D.C.
Eleutherian College – Lancaster, Indiana
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park – West Virginia
Harriet Beecher Stowe House – Brunswick, Maine (home of the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin)
Liberty Farm – Worcester, Massachusetts

Civil War and Freedom

The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a fight between white Americans, but African Americans played a huge role. Early in the war, the U.S. Congress passed a law that freed any enslaved person who helped the Confederate war effort if they reached Union lines. Soon, General Sherman used these freed men to help build Union bases.

After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, the first all-Black military unit, the First Regiment Louisiana Heavy Artillery, was formed. The War Department then allowed more Black soldiers to join, forming famous regiments like the Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth and Fifty-Fifth Infantry Regiments. By the end of the war, there were over 150 all-Black regiments.

In September 1864, an all-Black division bravely attacked New Market Heights near Richmond, Virginia. They suffered many losses but helped the Union Army get closer to Richmond, which led to the end of the war the next April.

Robert Gould Shaw Memorial at the Boston African American National Historic Site in Boston, MA, honoring the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.

Reconstruction Era

After the Civil War, during the Reconstruction era, African Americans began to build new lives and communities. Many schools and churches were founded.

Alcorn State University Historic District – Lorman, Mississippi
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church – Batesville, Arkansas
Clarksville Historic District – Lancaster, Indiana
Daufuskie Island Historic District – South Carolina
Lincoln University Hilltop Campus Historic District – Jefferson City, Missouri
Springfield Baptist Church – Greensboro, Georgia
Stone Hall, Atlanta University – Atlanta, Georgia
Charles Sumner High School – St. Louis, Missouri

Segregation and Jim Crow Laws

After Reconstruction, new laws called "Jim Crow" laws created a system of segregation. This meant Black and white people were kept separate in schools, hospitals, and public places. These laws also made it harder for Black people to vote.

Black Theater of Ardmore – Ardmore, Oklahoma
Davis Avenue Branch, Mobile Public Library – Mobile, Alabama
Fourth Avenue Historic District – Birmingham, Alabama
Indiana Avenue Historic District – Indianapolis, Indiana
Sweet Auburn Historic District – Atlanta, Georgia
Tenth Street Freedman's Town – Dallas, Texas

The Great Migration North

During the early 1900s, many African Americans moved from the Southern states to cities in the North and West. This was called the Great Migration. They were looking for better jobs and a chance to escape the harsh Jim Crow laws in the South.

Langston Terrace Dwellings in Washington, D.C., a historic housing project.

Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a time when African Americans and their allies fought for equal rights and to end segregation. Many important events happened at specific places that are now historic sites.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Boyhood home in the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District in Atlanta, GA.

16th Street Baptist Church – Birmingham, Alabama (site of a tragic bombing)
Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church – Selma, Alabama (a starting point for the Selma to Montgomery marches)
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church – Montgomery, Alabama (where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor)
Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District – Atlanta, Georgia (includes King's birth home and church)
Little Rock Central High School – Little Rock, Arkansas (where the "Little Rock Nine" bravely integrated the school)
Malcolm X House Site – Omaha, Nebraska (birthplace of Malcolm X)

Cemeteries

Protecting African-American cemeteries is very important for understanding Black history. Many burial grounds for enslaved or freed Black people are now at risk. But new efforts are being made to save these historic places.