Historical Event
Founding of Brown University (1764)
Brown University was founded in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, by a group of Baptist educators and merchants, including the notable slavery-opponent Moses Brown. The university's early financial foundations were intertwined with the transatlantic slave trade, as its founders, particularly the Brown family, profited from slave-owned plantations and trade routes.
Why This Matters
This event is significant as it highlights the complicity of early American educational institutions in the legacy of slavery, underscoring the need to confront the historical realities of the African diaspora. By recognizing the university's origins alongside the global system of slavery, we can better understand the interconnected narratives of African and African American histories, fostering a more inclusive dialogue about heritage and identity.
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The Debate That Shaped a Century: Douglass, Washington, Du Bois & the Question of Black Freedom
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Black Reconstruction: The Congressmen, the Legislation, and the Collapse
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Related Journeys
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