The Archaeology of Late-19th and Early-20th Century Freedman's Towns in Dallas, Texas

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In Texas, emancipation of slaves was formally announced in Galveston on June 19, 1865. In the decades that followed "Juneteenth," freed men and women established hundreds of communities across the state in search of land, loved ones, opportunity, and freedom. Such rural settlements have been the focus of both historical and archaeological research. Yet some families chose to settle the margins of cities. Dallas was once home to several Freedman’s Towns. The most famous, established ca. 1869, is known only as Freedman’s Town/North Dallas. This community, located in what is now the Uptown district, was largely destroyed by urban redevelopment in the 1970s and 1980s. Much like this community, the physical reminders and collective memory of many other Dallas Freedman’s Towns are rendered invisible by city growth, gentrification, and displacement. For stakeholders, a multi-dimensional approach that includes archaeology, archival research, and oral history is key to understanding the lives and experiences of Freedman’s Town inhabitants and their descendants, as well as the recent history of African American groups in Dallas.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24320