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Stories

Princeton and Slavery: Holding the Center
by Martha A. Sandweiss and Craig Hollander | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820), Antebellum (1820-1861), Civil War (1861-1865), Reconstruction to Present (1865-)
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.

Student Origins
by Joseph Yannielli | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820), Antebellum (1820-1861), Civil War (1861-1865)
Between 1746 and 1865, about 40% of Princeton students arrived from the slaveholding South. As college leaders recruited elite southerners, enrollment tracked the geographical spread of the slave economy.

Princeton’s Fugitive Slaves
by Joseph Yannielli | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820), Antebellum (1820-1861)
Princeton residents published at least 28 newspaper advertisements for runaway slaves between 1774 and 1818. Each tells a unique story of courage and resistance in the face of tremendous odds.

Princeton Students Attempt to Lynch an Abolitionist
by Joseph Yannielli | Antebellum (1820-1861)
In September 1835, a crowd of students descended on Princeton’s African American neighborhood to apprehend an abolitionist. The assault underscored the presence on campus of a large number of students committed to slavery and white supremacy.

African Americans on Campus, 1746-1876
by Joseph Yannielli | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820), Antebellum (1820-1861)
African Americans were a constant presence at the College of New Jersey as servants, support staff, research and teaching assistants, and students. They labored under harsh conditions on a campus dominated by racism and white supremacy.
Primary Sources

"A Negro fellow, Cuff"
October 12-19, 1767 | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820)
Advertisement for an enslaved man who ran away after attacking his master.

Burning a Fugitive Slave
October 26 - November 2, 1767 | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820)
A letter from Princeton, dated 28 October 28 1767, describing the burning of fugitive slave Cuff.

Sketch of Princeton in 1847
9 September 1847 | Antebellum (1820-1861)
Sketch of Princeton in 1847 by 19th century folk artist Lewis Miller.