An exploration of Princeton University’s historical ties to the institution of slavery
About the Project
Princeton University, founded as the College of New Jersey in 1746, exemplifies the central paradox of American history. From the start, liberty and slavery were intertwined. From 2013 to 2024, the Princeton & Slavery Project investigated the University’s involvement with the institution of slavery and ongoing legacies of institutional racism.
We invite you to explore the many stories and sources included here, which reflect the work of more than 50 contributors, the majority of them Princeton undergraduate and graduate students.
News & Events
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John Maclean Jr. and Princeton’s Commitment to Sectional Harmony
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John Maclean Jr., Princeton’s tenth president (1854-1868), was a non-slaveholder and held moderate antislavery views. His commitment to attracting southern students to the college and reducing sectional tension on campus, however, contributed to Princeton’s conservatism in the years leading up to the Civil War.
Joseph Henry and Sam Parker
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Joseph Henry spent fourteen years at the College of New Jersey, serving as Chair of Natural History between 1832 and 1846. Sam Parker, his assistant, was a free Black man.
Featured Visualization
Student Origins Heat Map
An interactive map of the origins of Princeton undergraduates, from the class of 1748 to the class of 1865.
Featured Source
Receipt for hire of enslaved man Cesar
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Richard Stockton submitted this account to the Trustees of the College of New Jersey after hiring out an enslaved man named Cesar to the college for unspecified work. Although Princeton as an institution never owned enslaved people, this document shows that the college did directly engage enslaved laborers for work on campus.