Tracing Harvard's ties to slavery: Recovering names and histories - Harvard Gazette

"After building a list of about 3,000 members of Harvard's faculty, staff, and leadership who worked at the University when slavery was legal in the U.S., American Ancestors has turned to the next critical step: determining which individuals enslaved people and uncovering the names of those they enslaved. The work reflects the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative's founding commitment to identify, engage, and support direct descendants of people enslaved by Harvard leaders, faculty, and staff."

"To date, researchers have identified 1,314 formerly enslaved people connected to Harvard and 601 living descendants. The process of identifying enslaved people is complicated. Institutions often didn't keep robust records on them the way they did for free people. Instead, the records of the enslaved are often connected to those who owned them. To discover living descendants, researchers at American Ancestors, a genealogical nonprofit that has partnered with Harvard, examine the family histories of both enslavers and the people they enslaved."

"To discover living descendants, researchers at American Ancestors, a genealogical nonprofit that has partnered with Harvard, examine the family histories of both enslavers and the people they enslaved. "There's an incredible interconnectedness between all of these families," said the company's chief research officer, Lindsay Fulton, "not just between the enslaver family and the enslaved family, but also in the greater community of Harvard faculty, leadership, and staff. It's a community of people.""

American Ancestors compiled about 3,000 names of Harvard faculty, staff, and leaders who worked at the University when slavery was legal and is determining which individuals enslaved people and identifying those they enslaved. The effort aligns with the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative's commitment to identify, engage, and support direct descendants of enslaved people. Researchers have identified 1,314 formerly enslaved people connected to Harvard and 601 living descendants so far. The identification process is complicated because institutions rarely kept distinct records for enslaved people. Researchers examine probate records, tax lists, estate inventories, and family histories to trace enslaved individuals and discover living descendants.

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