Harvard has published a database identifying 1,613 people who were enslaved by University leaders, faculty, or staff or who labored on campus as enslaved individuals between 1636 and 1865.
The publicly accessible Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program (HSRP) database is an update on the University’s research, and a result of a recommendation included in the 2022 Report of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery. The report initially identified more than 70 individuals. The new HSRP database includes the names, locations, and documented dates of enslaved people — as well as the names and positions of the Harvard affiliates who enslaved them. The research behind the database is being led by American Ancestors, the nation’s oldest genealogical nonprofit and the research partner of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery (H&LS) Initiative.
“Harvard and our partners have approached this work thoughtfully, seriously, and with respect for those individuals we are able to identify and the family histories we can help recover,” said Sara Bleich, vice provost for special projects at Harvard and leader of the H&LS initiative. “To expand our research from just over 70 individuals to now 1,613 has taken genealogical expertise on the part of countless researchers. And, while our work is by no means done, this is a big step forward.”
