Analyzing the Georgetown Slavery Archive

Site

According to the site itself, the Georgetown Slavery Archive is a repository of materials relating to the Maryland Jesuits, Georgetown University, and slavery. Despite being part of “the North”, both the state of Maryland and the University itself made consistent use of African slaves, leaving a forever taint on their souls. This project mainly consists of photographic, textual, and audio records of that dark history.

Sources

This study mostly collects data from governmental (mostly from province and court) archives, which is mundane work since most those were recorded in paper writings. Archived documents include records of slave trade and revolts.

Processes

The creators of this archive searched through past documents in the Maryland province and Georgetown University, and then found out the ones associated to slave history. Such documents were typed into digital form for clearer view, and they are also placed in chronological order and various tags. Researchers also included audios and videos of related university courses.

Presentation

This site acts more like an archive than a typical interactive digital humanities project. There is a dictionary of documents which viewers can access, which includes details of the slave history, for example the name, origin, and age of the sold slaves. The original source, somehow obscurely written documents were also presented when possible, adding credibility to the whole archive. Moreover, they created an interactive map that features various locations where each document was associated to, helping the viewer gain a more complete comprehension.

New question arose: Why couldn’t the creators include a textual analysis? Or a conclusion to make it easier for viewers?

Discussion questions

Who is the target audience? The public, especially those underinformed about this history.

What is the goal? “Through engagement with the members of the Descendant community, collaborative projects and new initiatives and learning and research, the university pursues a path of memorialization and reconciliation in our present day.”