The first recorded Black Americans to arrive in Utah Territory were fur trappers. In 1847, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settled in the Salt Lake Valley. This group included at least 8 enslaved people and a family of four free Black Americans. The enslaved people included Oscar Crosby, Hark Lay, and Green Flake. The free Black people included Isaac and Jane Manning James and their family. By the time of the 1850 census, there were around 50 Black people recorded as living in the Utah Territory. At least 26 of them were enslaved and 24 were free men and women, though many of the people captured in this census were likely in route to California (Perlich 2002). The United States Congress made slavery legal in Utah Territory upon its establishment through the Compromise of 1850, and in 1852 the Utah territorial legislature formally legalized slavery through the Act in Relation to Service. The United States Congress abolished slavery in all United States territories on June 19, 1862. Throughout the 1860s, the Black population in Utah remained small, consisting of formerly enslaved people, converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and laborers (Perlich 2002).

After 1870, the Black population in Utah began to grow as individuals and families settled in the region for non-religious reasons. However, while the Black population grew steadily, it remained less than 0.5% of the total population of Utah between 1870 and 1950 (Perlich 2002). Many were brought to Utah by jobs in the railroad and mining industries or through the military. Like in other states, Black people in Utah often faced discrimination and violence. Black people who chose to settle in Utah built strong communities. In 1890, the Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Salt Lake City, Utah—the first AME church in the state. By 1900, an African American Baptist church was established in Salt Lake City. Churches were often the center of social activities, and through them Black Utahns met for civic and social clubs and commemorative activities (Coleman 1993). During the 1890s, two newspapers, each representing different political orientations, were established: the Utah Plain Dealer (1895-1909) and the Broad Ax (1895-1899). These publications reported on local and national issues, including political and civil rights interests, and represent the range of different beliefs among Utah’s early Black communities (Coleman 1993).

Sources: Coleman, R.G. (1993). African American Community and Politics, 1890–1910. Beehive History 19, 8-12.

Perlich, P. (2002). Utah Minorities: The Story Told by 150 Years of Census Data. University of Utah.