African Burial Ground Research Paper

The African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum (NPS) is New York’s earliest known African American cemetery, which dates back to 1626. The burial ground was in-active use from 1626 to 1794. The African Burial Ground was the setting for thousands of funerals during the time period. The families that would lay their loved ones to rest would do so with dignity and respect in a ceremony that was rich in traditions. These ceremonies would weave together traditions from their African homeland and new Christian traditions. The site contains the remains of 419 African American men, women and children in what was the largest colonial-era cemetery for free and enslaved Africans. The burial ground was closed in the 1790s, and was later divided into different sections to be put up for sale. The site was then covered with numerous layers of building developments until it was rediscovered in 1991. All other burial sites had already been destroyed over the years by the construction of other buildings. In 1993, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and it was declared a National Monument in 2006.

This showed records of an African Burial Ground beneath the site. Many believed that after 200+ years, no remains would be left. To the archeologists’ surprise in 1991, a large amount of untouched, preserved human remains that were protected by up to 25 feet of soil was uncovered. Nearly 40% of the people that were buried at this site were under the age of 15. Most of the children buried died before the age of two. This shows the rough conditions that the slaves had to endure during their