The Randolph Freedpeople

383 people were freed from slavery in the spring of 1833 by John Randolph in his will. They would wait 13 years for their freedom.

Upon execution of the will, 3,200 acres of land were purchased in Mercer County, Ohio.

By the time they arrived, word had spread among the White locals and a resolution was passed that, in part, read:

Resolved. That we will not live among Negroes, as we have settled here first, we have fully determined that we will resist the settlement of blacks and mulattoes in this country to the full extent of our means, the bayonet not excepted.

This forced the freed people back onto the canal, where they headed south. Many of them lived in Shelby and Miami County. They built communities in Rumley (Shelby County) and Rossville, Hanktown, and Marshall Town (Miami County).

To date, Land of the Freed has conducted research of public records including: court documents, purchase and sale deeds, oral history, for the descendants of the Randolph Freedpeople to reclaim ownership and occupancy of their land.

Land of the Freed plans to continue and expand this research and action through geographic information systems (mapping). In the fall of 2024, Land of the Freed will partner with higher education institutions with the goal of tracing stories based on where things happened and where people were/are.