Ancestry, the genealogy company, has launched a new online collection called Articles of Enslavement. The collection consists of 38,000 newspaper articles and advertisements related to the formerly enslaved in the United States from 1788 to 1867. These digitized records provide valuable insights into the everyday lives of enslaved individuals and the role of newspapers in perpetuating the slave trade. The collection, which can be accessed for free with an Ancestry account, includes records of over 183,000 enslaved people. Ancestry aims to provide free access to original documents to help people better understand history and learn more about themselves. The release of Articles of Enslavement is particularly significant at a time when there is a political push to censor books and suppress classroom lessons on systemic racism. Genealogy is seen as a way for individuals to take control of their own history and challenge the dominant narrative [2d269db4].
In a personal opinion piece, Michael Paul Williams discusses the importance of tracing ancestry through tragedy and triumph. He highlights the release of Ancestry's Articles of Enslavement as a valuable resource for understanding the history of slavery in the United States. Williams emphasizes the significance of genealogy in empowering individuals to have control over their own history and challenge the dominant narrative. He also mentions the current political climate, where there is a push to censor books and suppress lessons on systemic racism. Williams sees genealogy as a way to counteract these efforts and ensure that the stories of the enslaved are not forgotten [2d269db4].