For many poor White families in the Antebellum South, slavery did not pay – so why did the ruling elite erase their narrative from the history books?

This is the story of Ursula, Edith and Frances – three teenagers who Thomas Jefferson brought to the White House to train as his enslaved personal chefs.

An African slave recounts how he was shackled and had to walk for two weeks till they reached a stone fort on the coast

An African slave describes the slave market in the Americas and how slaves were prepared for sale to make them look healthier and more attractive to prospective buyers

How could democratic societies claim to support equality while holding humans in bondage? The legacy of slavery tests the democratic ideal that everyone has an equal right to freedom and self-governance.

Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman who had several children with Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Her story of agency and eventual emancipation remains an inspiration.

James Hemings was an enslaved man and the first American to learn classic French cuisine. He helped popularise many of the dishes you know and love today.

Slave labor was a huge aspect of Roman life and the Republic depended heavily on free work from human beings who had no rights, no possessions, and were left at the whims of their masters to be worked to death, starved, tortured, and...

Classical violinist Joseph Henry Douglass helped empower the Black community through music and education at a time when Southern lawmakers were pushing back against the progress of Reconstruction.

Professor Harris has written for more than 50 publications over the past 25 years, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New Haven Register, Northeast Magazine, and USA Today. He currently writes a column for...

The final video in this series delves into the story of Marie Antoinette's adopted children, including Francois Michelle Gagne, whom she adopted after a chance encounter during a carriage ride, Armand, who she adopted as a young boy and...

After the American Civil War, the American South attempted a rebrand. But would it accept the progressive social and political changes of the Reconstruction Era?

The Atlantic colonial world is full of resistance to the brutal enslavement and displacement of BIPOC. Often escaping oppression meant forging pockets of resistance to live and fight for their freedom. These people are known as maroons,...

A slave describes his journey from Africa across the Atlantic and the apalling conditions suffered by the slaves onboard ship. Part 2 of 2

The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most important and misunderstood documents in US history. So, what did it actually proclaim?

The enslaved Native woman who acted as the primary interpreter for Hernan Cortés during his conquest of the Aztec Empire.

An African slave describes slaves in Africa were captured and by whom

In this video, Jabzy brings us historical tidbits and unknown facts about the Irish Slave Trade

She was enslaved at birth – but became the first lady’s favorite dressmaker and the author of a sensational memoir that shocked the nation. So who was Elizabeth Keckly?

By day he worked as an iron merchant – but by night, Thomas Garrett helped thousands escape slavery as a station master on the Underground Railroad.

Elizabeth Freeman played a critical role in the fight to end slavery in the United States.

Discover how 3,000 years ago the Ancient Mediterranean World improved the life of the people through trade and the sharing of customs, knowledge and ideas.

It mechanised cotton production by separating cotton from seeds – but increased the demand for slave labor. Discover how the cotton gin changed 18th century American society.

Dred Scott went to the US Supreme Court to sue for his freedom. The Court ruled that Black people were “inferior beings” with no Constitutional rights. This decision helped spark the American Civil War.