Slavery in Baton Rouge
A public history project by Louisiana State University students.
Once upon a time, Baton Rouge was at the heart of the wealthiest slave society 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.
Here are some of their stories.
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.
Slavery in Baton Rouge 