Legacy of Slavery broadens collaboration with the oldest genealogical nonprofit in the U.S.

Harvard has enhanced its collaboration with American Ancestors, recognized as the nation’s oldest genealogical nonprofit, which is spearheading efforts to promote descendant research within the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative. The University initiated this partnership in 2022 upon launching the initiative, which was designed to carry out the recommendations from the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery.

“American Ancestors is renowned worldwide for its meticulous and comprehensive research efforts,” stated Harvard University President Alan M. Garber in a Jan. 23 statement. “We eagerly anticipate the expertise and proficiency with which [they] will persist in expanding on the groundwork established in 2022.”

The initiative formed the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, incorporating the research being conducted by American Ancestors to investigate the individuals enslaved by Harvard’s leaders, faculty, and staff, along with their descendants.

“Slavery represents a profoundly dark chapter in our nation’s past, and through this research, we have a chance to illuminate and enhance understanding of its legacy today,” remarked Evelynn Hammonds, a participant in the initiative’s advisory council and the Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science, also a professor of African and African American Studies, along with being a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Slavery Remembrance Program stands as one of several focal points that the initiative is pursuing as the University transitions into the subsequent phase of work to adhere to the Presidential Committee’s recommendations.

“In addition to uncovering the unfortunate realities of slavery’s history at our University, this research is reconstructing family narratives that, in most instances, have been lost for generations.”

Annette Gordon-Reed

“Alongside revealing the distressing truths related to slavery—both directly and indirectly—in our University’s history, this research aims to reconstruct family narratives that, in many cases, have remained lost for generations,” stated Annette Gordon-Reed, who is also a member of the advisory council and the Carl M. Loeb University Professor.

Advisory council members, such as Henry Louis Gates Jr., head of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Studies and the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, are steering the initiative’s work across its various priorities, which includes descendant research.

Gates, who also holds the position of honorary trustee of American Ancestors and is involved in the advisory board for its 10 Million Names project, emphasized the capacity of American Ancestors to address the vast and intricate task of researching the family histories of enslaved individuals—the insights derived from this research hold significant value.

“American Ancestors has set the benchmark in genealogical research for over a century and has served as an essential research partner to Harvard since 2022. Indeed, their researchers have managed to trace virtually all of the descendants of individuals who were enslaved by Harvard officials, as cataloged in our existing database,” Gates remarked. “The outcomes of their ongoing research, as interpreted by the advisory council, will be foundational for the engagement the University will have with living direct descendants.”

The Gazette recently spoke with Sara Bleich, vice provost for special projects and head of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative; Ryan J. Woods, president and CEO of American Ancestors; and Lindsay Fulton, chief researcher at American Ancestors, to gain further insights into the partnership and the appearance of the forthcoming phase of work.

Sara, what kinds of research is American Ancestors conducting in partnership with Harvard?

When Harvard unveiled the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery report in 2022, one of the commitments made by the University was to identify the direct descendants of individuals enslaved by Harvard leaders, faculty, or staff. It became evident that the 79 enslaved individuals recognized at the report’s issuance were merely a fraction of those who were probably enslaved.

Since 2022, American Ancestors has been advocating on behalf of Harvard to identify further enslaved individuals and their direct descendants. They will now expand and intensify their efforts as part of our enhanced partnership.

How does this research align with the near-term priorities of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative?

At the start of the fall semester, we collaborated with our advisory council to determine our focus as we expand upon the foundation established over the last 2½ years. That deliberation confirmed three priority areas.

One area is memorialization and education, encompassing the University’s pledge to create a campus memorial honoring those whose labor contributed to the institution’s growth.of Harvard. Our educational endeavors involve further developing initiatives such as the establishment of new courses, the campus walking tour, and numerous efforts to enlighten the Harvard community and beyond regarding Harvard’s involvement in slavery.

The second focus is on forming robust and lasting collaborations with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The third focus is offering support to descendant communities; this encompasses the reparative grant initiative, aimed at addressing systemic disparities in Boston and Cambridge as well as within regional tribal communities, and advancing research on direct descendants. Particularly on this point, we are enthusiastic about the enhanced partnership with American Ancestors to assist us in advancing and scaling descendant research.

Ryan, could you explain the work undertaken by American Ancestors?

Founded in 1845 as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors is a non-profit national hub focused on family history, heritage, and culture. Our team consists of more than 100 personnel, including historians, genealogists, educators, archivists, librarians, and data experts who support over 400,000 members and subscribers in their family history investigations.

We accomplish this through various methods, including digitizing records, conducting archival research, and disseminating new findings in genealogy.

In 1870, we developed a method known as “register style.” It is among the most commonly utilized and accepted formats for displaying genealogical research in an academic manner, starting with identifying a historical figure and tracing their descendants to the modern era.

“What we have done in this work is start in the past, prior to 1870, and then we can identify and establish that person and begin to trace their descendants, essentially knocking down the brick wall from behind.”

Ryan J. Woods

What is the current status of the Harvard research?

As of now, the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program has acknowledged at least 229 Harvard leaders, faculty members, and staff who owned enslaved individuals during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Through our research affiliated with HSRP here at American Ancestors, we have determined that these identified individuals associated with Harvard enslaved approximately 940 individuals, leading to as many as 1,211 deceased descendants and at least 460 living descendants.

We revise these figures monthly and anticipate that they will increase as investigations continue.

The mathematics of population demographics suggests that, as research evolves, the figures will grow at an exponential rate. For instance, if you take yourself, you have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents, and so forth; therefore, by the time you trace back ten generations, you will have 512 10th-great-grandparents.

Conversely, if you look backwards from today, someone born in 1750 will likely have nine to ten generations of descendants. Mathematically, a person born in 1750 will have around 262,000 total descendants, both living and deceased. Thus, it is evident that this research is likely to uncover a substantial number of individuals.

Lindsay, how do you conduct genealogical research? Does the strategy vary depending on the population being investigated?

Individuals of European descent typically begin their genealogical research with themselves and then delve into the past, utilizing record sets such as vital records and church documents. This is focused on a specific person, as those records were created for them, and we trace back from that point.

In researching enslaved individuals, however, one must essentially double the effort, as it requires looking into both the enslavers and the enslaved. You investigate the enslavers and the record sets that document estates and their belongings. Enslaved individuals might be recorded on inventory lists, or if an enslaver passes away, their probate records could list the enslaved persons, along with property and items such as land, livestock, and household utensils. These are the types of documents we leverage to trace back into history.

Occasionally, there might be collections maintained not by a government body but by a public institution. The records of an enslaver, or their descendants, may have been donated to a university or local historical society, comprising journals, diaries, etc.

Such collections can yield invaluable insights into the lives of enslaved individuals. For instance, if an enslaved person had a child, the enslaver might have documented that in a journal. There is an example where a plantation issued shoes to everyone living there, and a list including names along with shoe sizes was maintained for a specific year, chronicling who resided on the plantation at that moment.

Family records can be extraordinarily useful, although they are often more challenging to locate compared to census records, tax lists, or probate files.

Woods: This research can be particularly challenging for individuals with enslaved ancestors because of what we refer to as the “brick wall of 1870.” The year 1870 marks the first federal census after Emancipation that includes the complete names of formerly enslaved individuals.

While it’s generally possible to trace back to 1870, delving beyond that point becomes increasingly arduous as you start from the present, move backwards, and encounter this barrier.

What we have achieved in this work is to initiate our investigation in the past, prior to 1870, allowing us to identify and establish individuals and trace their descendants, effectively dismantling the brick wall from behind.

Sara, why is this research significant?

The stark reality is that individuals within Harvard’s leadership, faculty, and staff enslaved people. A critical part of our initiative to confront this historical harm is to return individuals’ histories to them, which often remains largely unknown unless one knows where to look.

American Ancestors possesses the expertise required for this research. They are highly experienced in African American genealogy, understand that the process will be time-consuming, and recognize the necessity of examining unconventional sources.

Through this endeavor, we aim to provide the invaluable gift of history, thereby naming individuals. This task is immensely important, and we approach it with utmost seriousness. The University is dedicated to this work, which is why we have sought out a top-tier partner to collaborate with us.

Ryan, American Ancestors collaborates with various organizations. What is it like when you can provide individuals with their family histories?

Participating in family history research enhances lives. It serves as a source of joy, education, inspiration, and empowerment, while also facilitating healing and restoration. Extensive research has demonstrated the positive social and emotional effects of discovering one’s family lineage, particularly for younger individuals.

There are studies indicating that engaging in family history has beneficial effects on adult populations as well, highlighting positive social and emotional outcomes within family units, as well as the enhancement of cognitive abilities through the act of exploring family history.

Sara, how are you starting to consider engaging with direct descendants in the future?

We must approach even initial interactions with direct descendants with great sensitivity. For many, our outreach will be their first exposure to Harvard’s Legacy of Slavery.

Prior to advancing further, we need to ascertain what is most important to them. In our report, the University has already conveyed an interest in various types of activities, such as fostering dialogue, offering programs, sharing information, cultivating relationships, and providing educational support.

Moreover, we plan to look to our partners at other universities and institutions to learn from their experiences in engaging with direct descendants. What strategies proved effective? What challenges did they face? What insights can we glean? What can we implement differently and improve upon?

There are numerous avenues to explore; however, it is imperative that we engage in this process with empathy, humility, and grace.