The African Burial Ground in Manhattan: Bringing History out of the Shadows

Less than one mile from the Holland Tunnel (which was part of the original Route 1), sits the African Burial Ground: a 6.6 acre park that commemorates an often-overlooked slice of American history. Between 1630s and 1795, this site—bounded by Broadway, Reade Street, Elk Street and Duane Street—was the designated resting place for over 20,000 enslaved and free Africans. While the stories of the individuals buried there remain veiled, their rediscovery in 1991 unearthed a trove of information previously sidelined and kept secret. The African Burial Ground now testifies to several narratives of American history and culture that fill in the gaps of a previously held silence.

The African Burial Ground’s Discovery

In September 1991, construction for a 34-story Federal Building in Lower Manhattan was unexpectedly halted when excavators encountered human remains. Upon being called to the scene, archeologists confirmed that the construction workers had uncovered what was, at the time it was uncovered, the oldest and largest known African cemetery in the United States. Although the city had known about the site through the mid 1800s, they erroneously assumed construction and time would destroy it. On the contrary, developers who had filled the site with soil preserved the graves. The discovery ignited a series of events that redefined the working process for the handling African-American remains, as well as the conversation on their significance. African American community members immediately responded to the discovery through rallies, peaceful protests, petitions, and meetings. People gathered at nearby Trinity Church: an establishment that, in the 1800s, had turned African Americans away from its cemetery, but now served as a space for their descendants to gather. Those who congregated resisted the city’s efforts to continue construction on the site, insisting instead that the graveyard of their ancestors deserved recognition and respect that halted excavations, proper reburial, and the installation of a memorial site. After considerable conversation, African American Mayor David Dinkins created a coalition to address the treatment of the discovered graves. African American community members felt strongly that their voices should inform the process of examination and reburial for the 419 exhumed individuals. Eventually, the historically Black institution Howard University took over the examination process, incorporating feedback from the African American community throughout every step.

The African Burial Ground’s Historical Significance

For many people, the rediscovery highlighted an important yet often overlooked aspect of American history: that the North, and New York especially, relied heavily upon the slave industry for its economic growth and material development. In the mid 1600s, Africans comprised 40% of the population; by the Revolutionary War, New York City was second only to South Carolina in its slave count. Africans were relied upon for the hard labor necessary for building a city from the ground up. New York City’s participation in the slavery-enabled cotton industry was also quite lucrative, earning up to 40% of the city’s revenue. Lastly, an open-air market that stands a few blocks down from the present day Stock Exchange bought and sold Africans, thereby heavily contributing to the city’s capital. The African Americans, meanwhile, strove to find a place for their culture and their people in the city. Africans couldn’t be buried within city limits, so they were granted a ravine just outside those boundaries. In this area, Africans buried their dead, participating as much as the law would allow in their own culture and customs. Some of the coffins were placed with the feet facing East: a tradition that they believed allowed the individual to be reborn facing the rising sun. Many individuals were buried with small, keepsake items such as glass beads, tobacco pipes, and pocket knives. One coffin contained 93 nails that outlined a Sankofa: a West African symbol of returning to the past in order to move forward. The exhumed bodies told the story of hard labor, malnutrition, and extremely short lifespans: around 40% of the interred individuals were infants, and many women were buried with their children in their arms.

The Reburial Ceremony and Memorial

In October of 2003, 12 years after their discovery, the remains of the 419 individuals were reburied. Over the course of six days, the remains were transported in mahogany coffins from Howard University to Philadelphia, Newark, Wilmington, Baltimore, and finally New York, with a ceremony taking place in each city. The coffins arrived in New York City via boat, docking at the same port used by slave ships 200 years ago. The reburial coincided with the dedication of the newly constructed park and museum at the site that includes art from several artists. Rodney Léon completed the main installment, a granite memorial that features seven design elements referencing ancestry and journey of those buried. Today, the African Burial Ground is a National Historic Monument that acts as a pilgrimage site for African Americans and has served as a cultural touchpoint for many New Yorkers during the Black Lives Matter movement. By incorporating African American viewpoints, the rededicated African Burial Ground was able to redress historical oversights, bringing them out of the shadows and creating a space for cultural commentary and reflection. And by standing just one mile away from Wall Street, the African Burial Ground also serves as a constant reminder of the foundations that enabled its prolific growth. The site was made a National Historic Monument in 2006, and continues to be a popular topic of discussion today.