Levi Bueno 10/30/2024

Research outline

Intro:The site I chose is the African burial ground that is located at 290 Broadway. My Thesis’s statement is that the history preservation of the African burial ground was necessary and important for New York history. 

  1.) In precolonial times would be considered as before the 1700th century 

• What is now called new york used to be heavily populated by the Lenape people

• The term Lenape refers to the original people since there weren’t that many different groups that populated new york itself 

2.) In 1626 was when African american slaves were brought into America 

• During this time period new york was called Amsterdamn because it was controlled by the Dutch 

• Enslaved African Americans were given partial freedom and were able to be married, own property, and be baptized

• When the dutch ha control slaves had to give in their supply of crops to the dutch west india company as payment for their freedoms
• Black people were allowed to have their own cemetery that wasnt funded by the dutch west company so it became known as the Negros Burial Ground 

3.) In 1720 England took over New amsterdam and renamed it New york

• Slaves were revoked of their partial freedoms and their manual labor become more harsh and strict 

• There was a limit to the amount of people that could create a funeral for a deceased person in order to create smaller gatherings 

• Shortly after African Slaves were not allowed to continue burying their loved ones at the negro burial site because that land was being used for construction which made it a lost relic of history 

4.) In 1991 The burial ground was rediscovered 

• The GSA ( U.s General Services Administration) were planning on constructing an office/building which led them to dig deep and find multiple bodies

• This lead to many Black activists fighting for a preservation of this lost history 
• After 2 years their suggestions and protests were taken into account and their idea was in process 
• By 2010 the exhibit has finally open its doors to the public and was officially a national historical monument 

5.) Present time and future

• Many different interactive learning attractions are created in the building of the monuments exhibit 
• An ancestral chamber was created to hold 419 identified bodies of African slaves underground 
• By the year 2200 I Believe the Monument will receive higher funding and it will be enough to create its own research headquarters to study more lost African American history in New York City.

6.) Conclusion:

The importance of history preservation based on the site is that we discovered and learn more about the lost history of african american slaves and as our condolences we researched there lives and give them a place to rest which broads our views of this cities history and the significance of its growth by the influence of African American slaves and others who were captive like Native Americans.

Citations used for outline:

United States. National Park Service. (2012). “ African Burial Ground : African Burial Ground National Monument, New York” [Washington, D.C.] : National Park Service, [2012]  African Burial Ground : African Burial Ground National Monument, New York | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Joanna Grabski, and Carol Magee. 2013. “African Art, Interviews, Narratives: Bodies of knowledge at work” Indiana University Press, May 28 2013 ProQuest Ebook Central – Reader. 

The national parks website: History & Culture – African Burial Ground National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)