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10 Million Names
Recover. Restore. Remember.
Be Part of the Project of a Lifetime

About 10 Million Names

10 Million People. 10 Million Stories. 10 Million Names.

10 Million Names is dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated ten million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865. 10 Million Names is engaging a collaborative network of expert genealogists, cultural organizations, and community-based family historians. Together we will amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.

Questions? Email 10mn@nehgs.org.

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In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future.
—Alex Haley, author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family

Our Mission

10 Million Names is a collaborative project dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865.

slave auction
A slave auction

Advisory Board

Scholars' Council

Hacker, J. D. (2020). "From ‘20. and odd’ to 10 million: The growth of the slave population in the United States." Slavery & Abolition, 41(4), 840–855. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144039x.2020.1755502