Distribution of the colored population of the United States : 1890

America Transformed: The African American population grew from 4.4 million at the beginning of the Civil War to 7.5 million in 1890, representing 12 percent of the country's total population. This map from the statistical atlas using 1890 census data employs six shades of brown to indicate population distribution and density. Most African Americans remained in the Southeast, but many moved to Midwestern and Northeastern states. They established communities in urban areas like St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library