Some French settlers had Indian slaves, but soon the French were buying black men from trading post on the lower Mississippi River. In 1787, congress passed a group of laws called the Northwest Ordinance. One of the Laws indicated that there would be no slavery. Slavery was legal when Virginia still owned the land which is now Indiana. Slave holders soon found ways to bring slaves into the territory as long-term indentured servants.
Substantial debates continue about the status of blacks in the state.
Indiana was perceived as a hostile state toward people of color during the most unfriendly years of 1816-1865. Many thought that indentured servitude was just another form of slavery. In 1831, legislators passed a bill to keep 'Negroes' out of Indiana. The American Colonization Society was established in 1817 to send Blacks Back to Africa. In 1850, Indiana Govornor, Joseph A. Wright, petitioned the legislature for money to help build a settlement for Blacks in Liberia.