The Julie Winch
1838 Black Metropolis Names Reference

In Development: new names are added weekly

3/14/2025 Update - Currently we have A through G

What is this Document?:

Historian Julie Winch has been a leading historian of the individuals in Philadelphia listed in the 1838 PAS Census, the decades before, and the decades after.  She has written many books on the subject including James Forten; Gentlemen of Color.   

For over 30 years, she has researched names, and consolidated them into a list that includes mentions in newspapers, books, journals and primary sources.  She has graciously allowed us to host this invaluable research. 

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How to use this Reference: 

The best way to use this research is to search the list for a name.  You will see Dr. Winch's notes about where she has seen that name in historical sources. 

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Sources Mentioned:

Many of those sources are newspapers.  We have provided a link to the Center for Research Libraries which provides many of those newspapers for free. 

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Generally, PAS indicates Pennsylvania Abolition Society, whose papers can be seen at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP). 

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Citations: 

Please cite The 1838 Black Metropolis Julie Winch Database. 

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The Julie Winch 1838 Black Metropolis Names Database © 2025 by 1838 Black Metropolis and Julie Winch is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0