Historic Black towns and settlements are communities started by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. They allowed Black communities the opportunities to purchase land, start businesses, attend schools, serve in elected positions, and foster a sense of community after hundreds of years of enslavement. Many of these historic towns and settlements were violently destroyed by white supremacists during the Jim Crow era. Some scholars argue that up to 1,200 Black towns and settlements were established between the 19th and 20th centuries.