Slavery and Freedom at Washington College

On Wednesday, April 21st, Washington College invited Associate Professor of History Kenneth Miller and History Professor Dr. Carol Wilson to talk about the history of slavery in the state of Maryland, even going into detail on the state of slavery in Kent County during the time periods between the late 1600’s and the late 1800’s. Dr. Wilson and her team sought to discover ties that the history of the college had to slavery and discover what this ultimately meant. Many well-known historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Kent County’s own Henry Highland Garnet, were a part of the state’s history of slavery. By many accounts, the early years of the college during this time were no different from many other parts of the world. Slavery had a hand in building and sustaining the wealth of the institution, and it wasnt until the late 18th Century that many Marylanders had begun to free their slaves, becoming the most free state between 1810 and 1860. Census records, tax details, letters, reports, and anything else the team could find was a part of the presentation. Dr. Wilson felt it was important to tell the story of the enslaved and free black men and women of Washington Colleges history and give recognition for the success and work from which we all benefit today.