In 1838, Georgetown University purchased 238 enslaved women, men, and children from Thomas F. Mulledy, a Jesuit priest. In 2015, Georgetown University president John J. DeGioia appointed a group of faculty, students, alumni, and others to form the Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation. In addition to hosting a number of community events, the group has created a digital archive and authored a 100-page report about the history and enduring legacy of slavery at the university. Visitors to this website may want to start with the Historical Timeline. This interactive timeline outlines the histories of slavery in the Jesuit community and at Georgetown with the aide of select primary documents. Next, the Slavery Archive allows visitors to explore such items as the sale records that document slavery at Georgetown before 1838, notes from a Georgetown student club that debated slavery, and oral history interviews with descendants of individuals enslaved at Georgetown. This collection, along with the Working Group's Report, offers an important and powerful resource for those interested in the history of higher education and American slavery.
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