Georgetown University stands today as one of the most honorable political institutions with impeccable values concerning morality and education. What many people might not have known is that the institution of Georgetown was built primarily through the selling and the enslavement of individuals. This exhibit will expose the multiplicity of reasons Georgetown used to justify its contribution to slavery. More than being an academic institution, Georgetown stood as a religious institution; this enabled a strong power structure between the Maryland Jesuits and the enslaved people. Presidents of the institution of Georgetown were also prominent religious figures, Leonarde Neale who acted both Bishop and president in 1805. [1] Understanding the intentions and justifications of the Maryland Jesuits over the enslaved people is crucial in cementing the institution's position against the enslaved people. One proved reasons out of many, as to why Georgetown was involved in the slave trade was religion. Religion was at the center of their justifications, Biblical scriptures from the book of Leviticus were used to justify slavery.[2]
The Maryland Jesuits heavily contributed to perpetuating the slave trade to gain financial power and economic prosperity. One of the reasons for the selling of the enslaved people is the financial state of Georgetown as they faced immense debts.[3] Georgetown did not own many enslaved people, rather, it rented laborers — the servants. And in this way, the Jesuits tried to lift the moral implications of having forced labor as a foundation of their Catholic institution. They attributed value to servitude instead of obedience, and in this, perpetuated slavery through a different representation.
Notes
[1] Georgetown University Archive , “Georgetown President Offering Provisions for the Enslaved, 1805,” Studying Atlantic Slavery from Qatar, accessed December 6, 2021, https://guqatlanticworld.georgetown.domains/admin/items/show/55.
[2] Joseph P. Mobberly, SJ Papers, “"Slavery is Good, is Necessary": The Mobberly Diaries, Part II, August 1823,” Georgetown Slavery Archive, accessed November 22, 2021, https://slaveryarchive.georgetown.edu/items/show/157, 33.
[3] Craig Wilder , “War and Priest: Catholic Colleges and Slavery in the Age of Revolution,” In Facing Georgetown’s History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, ed. by Adam Rothman, Elsa Barraza Mendoza, and Laurent Savoy (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2021) 26 .
Bibliography
Mobberly, Joseph P. SJ Papers, “"Slavery is Good, is Necessary.": The Mobberly Diaries, Part II, August 1823,” Georgetown Slavery Archive, accessed November 22, 2021, https://slaveryarchive.georgetown.edu/items/show/157
Wilder, Craig. “War and Priest: Catholic Colleges and Slavery in the Age of Revolution.” In Facing Georgetown’s History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, edited by Adam Rothman, Elsa Barraza Mendoza, and Laurent Savoy, 13-33. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2021
Georgetown University Archive , “Georgetown President Offering Provisions for the Enslaved, 1805,” Studying Atlantic Slavery from Qatar, accessed December 6, 2021, https://guqatlanticworld.georgetown.domains/admin/items/show/55.
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This exhibit was created by the students in the Fall 2021 course, HIST106: Atlantic World, at Georgetown University Qatar. The course members assembled these materials to help members of the GUQ community participate in an informed way with ongoing discussions about slavery, memory, and reparations at Georgetown University, drawing on sources from the Georgetown Slavery Archive and the research of the Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation.