African Burial Ground, Richmond, Virginia

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Coordinates: 37°32′14.6″N 77°25′39.0″W / 37.537389°N 77.427500°W / 37.537389; -77.427500

The African Burial Ground, (Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground) known historically as the "Burial Ground for Negroes", is the older of two municipal burial grounds established for the interment of free people of color and the enslaved in the city of Richmond, Virginia. It is located at 1540 E Broad St., in the area known as Shockoe Bottom.

History[]

The African Burial Ground (a.k.a Burial Ground for Negroes)[1] may have been established around 1750, or as late as 1799.[2][3][4] It was closed to new burials in 1816 after the opening of the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground (Richmond's 2nd African Burial Ground) located at 5th and Marshall St. (now called Hospital St.).

The Burial Ground for Negroes was also the site of the city gallows. It is where the leader of a famous slave rebellion Gabriel Prosser, and 25 of his followers were executed in 1800.[5][6]

References[]

  1. ^ Young, Richard, Plan of the City of Richmond, 1809-1810, Library of Virginia, Google Arts & Culture
  2. ^ Smith, Ryan K. "African Burial Ground". Richmond Cemeteries.
  3. ^ Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, "Richmond African Burial Ground"
  4. ^ Hong, Mai-Linh. Get Your Asphalt Off My Ancestors!: Reclaiming Richmond's African Burial Ground." Journal of Law, Culture, and the Humanities (2013) : 1-23.
  5. ^ Pourzal, Jonathan, NPR, Texas Public Radio,"The Root: The Sad History Of Cemented Cemeteries", May 23, 2011
  6. ^ Chapman, Ellen “They Had Perfect Knowledge of…This Offensive Place”: Burial Grounds and Archaeological Human Remains in Richmond’s Public Discourse

External links[]

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