Slavery in Baton Rouge
A public history project by Louisiana State University students.
Once upon a time, Baton Rouge was at the heart of one of the wealthiest slave societies on earth.
Today, that local history is largely forgotten – buried by the architects of Jim Crow, who believed that the protection of white power required the erasure of the past.
We are students at Louisiana State University. In 2021, we began digging deep into local archives, searching for lost histories of enslaved people in Baton Rouge.
Alphonse Arbour, Free Man of Color
By Ethan Lauvray
A formerly enslaved man’s quest for freedom, dignity and financial stability in antebellum Baton Rouge.
Twice Chained: Enslaved Women in the Louisiana State Penitentiary
By Maddie Tinsley
Discover the stories of enslaved women held within the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Baton Rouge.
The Former Plantations of LSU’s Campus
By Megan Buckley
Learn what lies beneath.
Buying and Selling our Neighbors
By Madeline Holmes
Read about the the slave trade in Baton Rouge.
Black Civil War Soldiers
By Aaron Jacobs
Read about the men from Baton Rouge who freed themselves.
Steamboats: Engines of Power and Resistance
By Philip O’Neill
Read about the Black Louisianans who escaped to freedom by way of the Mighty Mississippi.
Freeing Family in Baton Rouge
By Alison Foster
Read stories of free people of color in Baton Rouge who struggled to emancipate their husbands, wives and children.
Bennet Barrow’s Diary
By Jonathan Wingerter
Learn about slavery from the perspective of one of the region’s wealthiest slaveholders.
Slavery’s Influence on the Geography of Baton Rouge Today
By Thomas Waring
How does antebellum plantation slavery continue to shape the geography of Baton Rouge today?
Seeking Freedom in Baton Rouge
By Kristen St. Cyr
Learn about enslaved people who obtained their freedom, and the legal strategies they employed.
Slave Rebellions in Baton Rouge
By Chandler Couvillion
Learn about instances when the enslaved of Louisiana rose up in rebellion.
Narratives of Enslaved Women in Baton Rouge
By Juliette Fields
Learn about instances when the enslaved of Louisiana rose up in rebellion.
Slavery and Convict Slavery: Exploring the Connections
By Bri Barnes
Read about how slavery and convict labor grew intertwined in Baton Rouge.
After Emancipation: Freedpeople at the “McHatton Home Colony,” 1865-1872
By Manie Chemin
Learn about a refugee camp for freedpeople established on what would later become LSU’s campus.
The Black Codes
By Chandler Clegg
Learn about the laws of slavery that applied to people held as slaves in Baton Rouge.
Stolen Lives, Lost Souls: The People of the Van Wickle Slave Smuggling Ring
By Jacie L. Bellina
Learn about the 137 enslaved people kidnapped from New Jersey by a corrupt Judge, never to be granted their freedom.
Leven Rock, The Enslaved Overseer of Evergreen Plantation
By Marandy Burrow
Read about the unique role and power of Leven Rock on Evergreen Plantation found within the pages of his plantation mistress’ journals.
The Unyielding Spirit of Dick Glover: A Symbol of Black Resistance in Antebellum Baton Rouge
By Emma Booker and Sydney Blair Pickle
Dick Glover’s life and journey is reconstructed through his daring acts of resistance. Read how his story represents thousands like him rebelling against injustice.
The State Use of Enslaved People: Exposing the Insipid Reach of Slavery in Louisiana
By Jacob Voisin
Learn about far reaches and uses of slavery by the state of Louisiana.
John Dutton: Antebellum Archetype
By Harper Blakey and Camille Cronin
Read about the political power and abuses of John Dutton in his role as an Antebellum judge.
Mary’s Lasting Legacy of Resistance
By Emma Thigpen
Read Mary’s story as she bravely fought for freedom for herself and her children in a system of oppression and injustice.
Miss “G”: Living History
By Christine Fortenberry and Grace Martell
Learn about the life, oral traditions, and family lineage of Miss Gloria, a passionate worker of LSU’s campus.
The First Viral Photograph was of an Enslaved Person’s Whipped Back
By Jesse Durfour
Read about the renowned and powerful picture of Gordon, taken in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Forgotten Foundations: Unveiling the Legacy of Baton Rouge’s Hidden Road Builders
By Jalen Pettus
Learn about the use of slavery in the structural beginnings of Louisiana’s capital city.
The Forgotten Lafayette Slave Revolt of 1840
By Dawson Lanclos
Read the story of a collective struggle for freedom in the Atchafalaya Basin.
Enslaved People’s Networks
By Katelyn Chacon
Learn about how enslaved Louisianians built social networks between plantations.
The Policing of Fugitive Slaves: The Origins of the Criminal Injustice System
By Elisabeth Paternostro
Learn about how enslaved Louisianians built social networks between plantations.
Black Resistance in Baton Rouge Newspapers
By Julia Schlorke
Slave resistance hides in the margins.
Mapping Slavery’s Local History
By A’mya Price
View an interactive map of local slavery sites.
Cows, Tools, and Human Beings: How Enslaved People were Reduced to Property in Antebellum Louisiana
By Emily Marionneaux
Bare witness to the horrifying contradictions of property in persons.
Slavery in Baton Rouge 