The Names Database

The Names Database connects people, the organizations they belonged to and the events they attended into a searchable and visual format. 

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It began with the Julie Winch names reference.  We added William Carl Bolivar's Pencil Pusher historical column from the early Philadealphia Tribune.  Then freely avaliable ​19th century Black newspapers -  The Pennsylvania Freeman, the Colored American and Freedom's Journal.  We used AI to read the 1820 Philadelphia Directory where Black people were indicated with a symbol, to pull out names.  And then we uploaded the 1838 and 1847 Pennsylvania Abolition Society Census.  Finally our Scholar in Residence Dr Melissa Benbow-Flowers allowed up to upload her dissertation on Edmonia Lewis which is rich with mid to late 19th Century names, places and events.

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We are always adding more. So check the database often!