Agriculture & production
Enslaved workers produced commodities including cotton, sugar, rice, and tobacco. Investigate who controlled production and received revenue.
A HISTORY & ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
LET GO OF THE PROFITS FROM SLAVERY.
Instead of accusing Black Americans of holding onto slavery, examine who held onto its profits.
ARCHIVAL RECORDS
LABOR & LEDGERS
Labor________
Property________
Trade________
Wealth________
Illustrative design — not a historical document
WHY THIS PROJECT EXISTS
History did not end when the records closed.
Slavery in the United States was both a system of forced labor and an economic institution. Its history includes the people who were enslaved, the labor they performed, and the businesses, governments, and institutions connected to that labor.
This project asks a focused question: How should we understand the profits and advantages produced by slavery, and what does historical accountability look like today?
This is an independent educational and discussion project. Sources and interpretations will be identified; claims about particular institutions should be evaluated against their documented histories.
01 / ECONOMIC HISTORY
Follow the money.
Explore how enslaved labor intersected with production, trade, finance, and wealth accumulation. Each topic is a starting point for evidence-based investigation.
Commerce & finance
Examine the roles of merchants, insurers, lenders, and transport networks in the slave economy, with attention to specific records.
Land & institutions
Explore property, endowments, public revenues, and institutional histories without assuming that every organization had the same involvement.
02 / HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
Documents before declarations.
Primary sources and scholarly research can illuminate the economic history of slavery. An account book, advertisement, deed, census record, or institutional report may answer different questions—and each requires context.
Browse research starting points →Primary recordsLedgers, deeds, correspondence, legal and government records.
Institutional researchPublished historical investigations and archival projects.
Scholarly interpretationResearch that explains evidence, uncertainty, and competing conclusions.
03 / INSTITUTIONAL HISTORIES
Who benefited?
The answer varies by place, institution, period, and the available documentation. The resources below offer examples of institutions publicly examining their own histories.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
Brown University: Slavery & Justice
Institutional research and public education about historical connections to slavery.
Visit project ↗UNIVERSITY RESEARCHGeorgetown: Slavery, Memory & Reconciliation
Research, remembrance, and engagement concerning the university's history.
Visit project ↗04 / PUBLIC DISCUSSION
What does accountability mean?
People and institutions propose different responses to historical harms, including public acknowledgment, education, preservation, institutional initiatives, and reparative policies. These proposals have distinct goals, practical questions, and debates.
Our approach is to make room for informed discussion while separating historical evidence, interpretation, and policy proposals.
05 / START WITH THE SOURCES
Explore the record.
These independent institutions offer collections, educational materials, or historical research. Links lead to external websites; inclusion does not imply endorsement of this project.
National Museum of African American History and CultureSmithsonian museum collections and educational materials↗Library of CongressSlavery in America: primary-source teaching materials↗Equal Justice InitiativeHistorical report and interpretive resources↗Brown University Slavery & JusticeInstitutional historical research↗
Links and historical claims should be periodically reviewed as the site develops.
FOLLOW THE MONEY • KNOW THE HISTORY • DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY
Let Go Of The Profits From Slavery.
Join the conversation as this educational project develops.