John B. Cade’s Project to Document the Stories of the Formerly Enslaved
A recently digitized slave narrative collection consists of original manuscripts compiled by John Brother Cade and his students at Southern University.
The Emancipation Proclamation: Annotated
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in America on January 1, 1863. Today, we've annotated the Emancipation Proclamation for readers.
Science and Slavery in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko
In one of the first novels written in English, a West African prince, fascinated with navigation, boards a ship for a fateful journey.
Slave Collars in Ancient Rome
The objects purported to speak for the wearer: "Hold me! I have run away."
Black Conquistadors and Black Maroons
Some formerly enslaved Blacks and freedmen accompanied the Spanish invaders; others formed their own communities.
Montserrat’s St. Patrick’s Day Commemorates a Rebellion
On March 17, 1768, the enslaved people of a Caribbean island planned a revolt, assuming the Irish slave owners would be drunk and distracted.
Slavery in a Free State: The Case of California
California came into the Union as a free state in 1850, but proslavery politicians held considerable sway there.
The Legacy of Racial Hatred in the January 6 Insurrection
The U.S.’s politics of racial hatred are sustained by a culture of making political compromises when bold action is required.
What Was the Zanj Rebellion?
A remarkable episode of Medieval Islamic history that often goes untold.
How One Household Avoided Emancipation Laws
The Volunbruns enslaved twenty people and moved relentlessly between empires and states as more jurisdictions outlawed slavery.