Why is the African Burial Ground so important?
The existence of the African Burial Ground throughout the 18th century, and perhaps dating back to the 17th century, is strong evidence that enslaved Africans in colonial New York City built a lively collective and spiritual life in spite of their legal and social disenfranchisement under racial slavery. It would appear that contrary to the assumptions of much professional historiography, slavery in the northern cities did not isolate enslaved African from one another but instead provided the impetus for the construction of a uniquely African American society and culture. What little is known about New York Africans from this period was not written by Africans themselves, but by people who kept them in bondage, and who in general saw them as a work force, or “beasts of burden.” In fact, enslaved Africans played a major role in building this most cosmopolitan and powerful city in the “New World.” The African Burial Ground is important because by studying and analyzing this colonial Afri
