Topic: The Business History of Slavery: The African Burial Ground and Slavery in New York

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In this course, we will examine the business history of slavery, slavery in New York, and the African Burial Ground (located in Lower Manhattan). The streets of Lower Manhattan are teeming with stories and artifacts that point to New York’s slave past. Pace University is within walking distance of historic sites that point to this. Students will construct narratives based on the lives of the enslaved while also chronicling New York’s major financial/economic linkages to one of the most “peculiar institutions” that existed in the United States. We will visit the African Burial Ground Monument and hear from archeologists and conservators who preserved artifacts from the site. By the end of the semester, you will facilitate bringing to life the obscured voices of one of New York’s earliest marginalized communities.