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Indiana Bicentennial Celebration 2016

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Legacy Projects > Mary Bateman Clark Project Mary Bateman Clark Project

Mary Clark was the "Rosa Parks of her era. This African American woman sued the person to whom she was indentured in an action filed by Attorney Amory Kinney in 1821 in Vincennes, Indiana and won on appeal to the state Supreme Court. The landmark ruling contributed to the end of indentured servitude in Indiana. A historical marker honoring Mary Clark was placed in front of the Knox County Court House in Vincennes, Indiana on June 27th, 2009. It is the only state memorial to the African American community of Vincennes, site of the first black community in the state. Mary died on August 24th, 1840. Great-great-great granddaughters of Mary Clark, Eunice Trotter and Ethel McCane, offer an overview and re-enactment of the case to audiences statewide.

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