A New History Initiative
The Arlington Historical Society, in collaboration with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, is pleased to introduce a local history project, Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington (MEA).
This project aims to reveal the largely unknown history of the county’s enslaved population and to commemorate their lives. It will help bring African American experiences to light, confront a difficult history, and honor our shared humanity.
Recovering the Past
In 1669, Robert Howson brought 120 people to Virginia in exchange for a land patent, which covered most of present-day Arlington. Among the newcomers were
“ten negroids.” Two centuries of enslavement followed, taking a strong hold on Arlington.
MEA has uncovered the names and stories of many of these men, women, and children, including Jack, Sarah, Cato, and Peg, who cultivated tobacco in the eighteenth century, and Winnie Steele, Kidder, and Henry Speaks, who served as domestics and field hands in the nineteenth century. They provided wealth to generations of white enslavers and nurtured the roots of Arlington’s prosperity.
Honoring Lives
MEA seeks to mark the locations where enslavement occurred with bronze plaques or “stumbling stones” engraved with the names of once enslaved Arlingtonians and when possible, their vital information.
These small monuments are based on the German “Stolpersteine” that honors Holocaust victims.
Exploring Uncomfortable Truths
By mining local records such as land and court documents, newspapers, maps, diaries, and military records, MEA researchers are revealing the difficult facts
surrounding
enslavement in Arlington and the strength and resilience of the enslaved community.
MEA researchers have unearthed the names of over 800 enslaved individuals and often information on birth and death dates, jobs, relationships, and more. This data was compiled into a publicly accessible spreadsheet and linked to an interactive map of enslavement locations in the county, both available on the Historical Society website, https://arlhistorical.maps.arcgis.com
Teaching About Slavery
Arlington Public Schools is a partner in
MEA. Instructors have created lesson plans on enslavement in Arlington at the elementary, middle, and high school levels that will be taught in specific schools. Students will help design and
manufacture
“stumbling stones” in Career and Tech Education classes while learning about the people each stone honors.
Interested in volunteering or sponsoring our work? Are you a descendent of an enslaved Arlingtonian? Please contact
Jessica Kaplan Arlington Historical Society
Email: ahsedlink@gmail.com or email BHMA : info@arlingtonBlackHeritage.org
Our first three markers are at The Balls -Sellars House.