How many slaves did Georgetown University own?

Our History In 1838, to save Georgetown University from financial ruin, the Society of Jesus sold more than 272 enslaved people from their five Maryland plantations.

How many slaves did Georgetown University have?

With the ongoing support and active participation of Georgetown, the Jesuits and Descendants of the 272 enslaved individuals sold in 1838 by the Maryland Province of Jesuits establish a new charitable foundation focused on racial healing and educational advancement.

Are there any descendants of slavery in Georgetown?

In 1838, Maryland Jesuits sold 272 people who worked on their plantations, breaking apart families and using the profit to benefit the university. The GU272 Descendants Association represents thousands of people; there are about 13,000 known descendants now, and the number keeps growing.

Were 272 slaves sold to save Georgetown?

In 1838, Georgetown University was on the verge of closing. To save itself, the university sold 272 enslaved people. “The leadership believed the only way out was to sell these people, to sell these families, to raise money to save the school,” Rachel L. Swarns, author and journalist, said in an interview.

Did the Jesuits sold the enslaved people to save Georgetown?

The former New York Times correspondent had been writing about the legacy of slavery when she discovered something that shocked her as a Black Catholic woman: In 1838, the Jesuit order in Maryland — the first major Catholic institution in the U.S. — sold almost 300 enslaved people to fund its new school, what is now ...

Descendants of slaves return to Georgetown University

How is Georgetown University connected to slavery?

But the 1838 slave sale organized by the Jesuits, who founded and ran Georgetown, stands out for its sheer size, historians say. At Georgetown, slavery and scholarship were inextricably linked. The college relied on Jesuit plantations in Maryland to help finance its operations, university officials say.

Which university sold slaves?

In “The 272,” Rachel L. Swarns sets out how the country's first Catholic university profited from the sale of enslaved people. Early in her book “South to America,” from 2022, Imani Perry describes taking a tour of a historic home in Annapolis, Maryland.

Who owned the first 11 slaves?

Leslie Harris: The first 11 enslaved people, all male, who came to New Amsterdam, were brought by the Dutch West Indian Company. They were owned by the company, not by individuals. So they're company slaves. And they're bought by the company for the purpose of building the colony.

Where were most slaves sold in America?

The sales took place all over the growing nation — in taverns, town squares and train stations, on riverbanks and by the side of the road. Before being sold, the enslaved were often kept in pens or private jails, sometimes for days or weeks. Then they were sold directly from the pens or marched to a nearby auction.

How many slaves did George Washington own at 11?

When Washington's father Augustine died in 1743, George Washington inherited enslaved people at the early age of eleven. In his will, Augustine left his son the 280-acre family farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia. In addition, Washington was willed ten enslaved people.

What town did slavery begin in America?

However, many consider a significant starting point to slavery in America to be 1619, when the privateer The White Lion brought 20 enslaved African ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. The crew had seized the Africans from the Portuguese slave ship Sao Jao Bautista.

What were the biggest slavery cities?

Many southern cities served as centers of the trade in slaves and slave-produced goods for their region or state—New Orleans, Baltimore, Savannah, Charleston, and Memphis, for example.

What is the Georgetown Reparations Plan?

Georgetown has committed to raise $400,000 a year from donations to support projects benefiting descendant communities and offered preferential admissions to descendants of the Jesuit-owned slaves. To date, 16 descendants have been admitted under the special preference.

Was Georgetown University funded by slavery?

During this time, the Jesuits funded some of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in America in part through profits earned on their plantations. In 1838, to save Georgetown University from financial ruin, the Society of Jesus sold more than 272 enslaved people from their five Maryland plantations.

Why is Georgetown University so famous?

Georgetown excels in its post-graduation opportunities: it is the 3rd best paid undergraduate in the US, the most recruited school on Wall Street, the most prominent school in the Foreign Service and the 2nd most represented school in the U.S Congress (after Harvard). Finally, Georgetown's location is special.

Which famous person went to Georgetown University?

Other notable Georgetown alumni in the field of theater and film include Bradley Cooper (COL '97), Clayton Lord (CAS '03), Jamie Gahlon (SFS '07), Isaiah Wooden (COL '04) and many others.

How were female slaves punished?

Whipping, a common form of slave punishment, demanded the removal of clothing. For the female slave, this generally meant disrobing down to the waist. Although her state of half dress allowed the woman some modesty, it also exposed her naked breasts to all eyes.

What happens to unsold slaves?

'Auction' slaves were paraded in front of buyers and examined like cattle. They were then made to stand on an auction box and buyers would 'bid' for them. They were sold to the person who paid the most. Unhealthy, unsold slaves were left to die without food or water.

Who took the most slaves from Africa?

The first 130 years the Portuguese dominated the transatlantic slave trade. After 1651 they fell into second position behind the British who became the primary carriers of Africans to the New World, a position they continued to maintain until the end of the trade in the early 19th century.

Who started slavery in Africa?

Slavery in northern Africa dates back to ancient Egypt. The New Kingdom (1558–1080 BC) brought large numbers of slaves as prisoners of war up the Nile valley and used them for domestic and supervised labour. Ptolemaic Egypt (305 BC–30 BC) used both land and sea routes to bring in slaves.

What was the first state to abolish slavery?

1780. Well before the Revolutionary War was won, Pennsylvania became the first state to pass an act that gradually abolished slavery.

How did slavery start?

Evidence of slavery predates written records; the practice has existed in many cultures and can be traced back 11,000 years ago due to the conditions created by the invention of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution. Economic surpluses and high population densities were conditions that made mass slavery viable.

What did Harvard do with slaves?

Among the findings in the 134-page report conducted by Harvard faculty, Harvard presidents, faculty, and staff enslaved more than 70 people in the 17th and 18th centuries, some of whom labored on campus. Harvard continued to benefit from donations from plantation owners and other trade involving slave labor.

Where were most slaves found?

Africans carried to North America, including the Caribbean, left mainly from West Africa. Well over 90 percent of enslaved Africans were sent to the Caribbean and South America.

What is the history of Georgetown University?

Archbishop John Carroll, S.J., founded Georgetown College (now known as Georgetown University) in 1789 on the banks of the Potomac River in what was then Maryland. Classes began in 1792 with two students in attendance. By June the roster grew to more than 40 students from as far away as the West Indies.