Racial Exclusion in the Antebellum North: An Analysis of Indiana's 1851 Vote to Ban African American Immigration

Objective To econometrically model an Indiana referendum, held in 1851, on whether to ban African American immigration—the restriction passed easily—with a focus on identifying demographic groups that were less enthusiastic about this law. Methods Census data for 1850 is used in a fractional response regression model to assess the significant variation in support for this ban across Indiana's 91 counties. Results Support for the ban fell in counties with few African Americans; a large percentage of adult White males born in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania; Quaker meetinghouses; and Church of the Brethren and Mennonite congregations. Support increased in counties with a high availability of unimproved farmland. Conclusion White fears of land competition with Blacks may have prompted higher support for the ban. Groups that provided less support were often out of step with dominant Hoosier religious and political mores.