When
1636-1865
Where
United States and Caribbean
Who
Thousands of persons enslaved by leaders, faculty, and staff of Harvard University during the 17th through 19th centuries
About this Pilot Project
Like most American institutions of the 17th century, Harvard University was established using the labor of thousands of enslaved men, women, and children. This project aims to identify as many individuals as possible who were enslaved by the leaders, faculty, and staff of Harvard University during the 17th through 19th centuries.
The goal of this project is to create a database of enslaved ancestors and their direct descendants, living and deceased.
Status
This project builds upon a report presented by The Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery, which advances the quest for truth through scholarship about the University’s historic ties to slavery—direct, financial, and intellectual.
About 75 names have been identified so far. Watch this space for future updates.