S2E3: Teaching Georgetown's Slaveholding History

Educating students on black history is a crucial key to combating racism in the United States (Burrell & Walsh, 2000). As a university with a population of nearly 50% white students, it is necessary for the Georgetown community to recognize and be given proper knowledge on Georgetown’s slaveholding history (Georgetown University). Established in 1789, Georgetown University’s past is significantly tied to the selling and ownership of slaves: “At Georgetown, slavery and scholarship were inextricably linked (Georgetown University). The college relied on Jesuit plantations in Maryland to help finance its operations, university officials say,” (Swarns, 2016).

In this episode, Professor Adam Rothman, a historian specializing in GU History, discusses his research and teaching endeavors focused on the history of slavery at Georgetown. Leveraging his expertise in the history of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War and the history of slavery and abolition in the Atlantic world, Rothman instructs undergraduate and graduate courses in Atlantic history, 19th-century U.S history, and the history of slavery. As the principal curator of the Georgetown Slavery Archive, a repository of materials related to the Maryland Jesuits, Georgetown University, and slavery, Rothman emphasizes the significance of faculty and students comprehending and grappling with the historical legacies of their institutions.

Bios

Featured in the episode

Dr. Adam Rothman, Professor in the Department of History and American Studies Program
Elsa Barraza Mendoza, a former PhD student at Georgetown

References

About. Georgetown University. (2019, October 9).

Burrell, L. F., & Walsh, R. L. (2000, November 30). Teaching white students black history: The African-American experience in the classroom. Connection: New England’s Journal of Higher Education and Economic Development.

Georgetown University. Data USA. (n.d.).

Swarns, R. L. (2016, April 16). 272 slaves were sold to save Georgetown. what does it owe their descendants?. The New York Times.