The term “GU272” refers to an event in the history of Georgetown University that involves the sale of 272 enslaved African Americans in 1838 by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) to help secure the financial stability of the university.
This group of enslaved people was sent from Maryland to plantations in Louisiana, marking a significant and tragic event in both the history of the university and the broader context of American slavery.
This sale and the individuals associated with it, have come to be known as “GU272.” The event has received significant attention in recent years as part of a broader effort to confront and reconcile with the legacy of slavery in institutions of higher education and other historical entities in the United States. The revelation of the Jesuits’ historical ownership and exploitation of enslaved individuals, spanned various states, including Missouri, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas, and Illinois.
The discovery and subsequent research into the identities and stories of the GU272 have led to a broader conversation about the responsibilities of institutions that benefitted from slavery. Georgetown University has undertaken several initiatives to address this legacy, including the establishment of a working group to recommend how to acknowledge and make amends for the university’s historical ties to slavery. These efforts have included offering an apology, preferential admissions consideration for descendants of the GU272, and the establishment of a memorial to honor their lives and legacy.
The GU272 is a poignant example of the complex interweaving of higher education, religion, and slavery in the early history of the United States. It raises critical questions about memory, responsibility, reparations, and the paths toward reconciliation. The ongoing research and dialogues surrounding the GU272 contribute to a deeper understanding of the impacts of slavery and the ways institutions can confront and learn from their past.
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Informational Sites
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Names of the enslaved located at Newtown Manor
St. Mary’s County, Maryland
- Bennet Scott
- Clare
- John
- Abraham
- Susan Plowden
- Priscilla Plowden
- Perry Contee
- Jarred Plowden
- Rose Anne Scott
- Charlotte Plowden
- Sarah Ann Kelly
- Mary
- child Brown
- Julia Ann Plowden or Hill
- John Henry Brown
- Dick Plowden or Hill
- Greenfield Anthony
- Green
- James Scott
- Ferdinand Hill
- Sylvester Green
- Christina
- Harriet Hill
- Emeline Green
- Eleanor Scott
- Mary Green
- Susana
- Henrietta Hill
- Remus Plowden
- Lucretia Hill
- Mary Jane
- child
- Joseph Hill
- Mary Elizabeth Hill
- Miles Green
- Lucy Ann Scott
- Esther Lucinda Green
- Rose Scott
- Peg Scott
- Alexius Scott
- child
- child
- infant
The Georgetown Slavery Archive, Newton Manor
Names of the enslaved located at St. Inigoes
St. Mary’s County Maryland
- Nelly Barns
- Eliza Butler
- Mary Ellen Butler
- Regis
- Kitty Walton
- Peter
- John or James
- Micheal
- Ned
- Sally Yorkshire
- Alexius Yorkshire
- Henry Yorkshire
- Frederick
- Jenny
- Henny Langley
- Zeke
- Nathan
- Henny
- James
- Nelly
The Georgetown Slavery Archive, St. Inigoes
Names of the enslaved located at St. Thomas Manor
Charles County, Maryland
- Charles
- Benedict
- Len Queen
- Sam Harris
- John Lewis Butler
- John Coyles
- George Harris
- Len Sweetum
- Daniel
- Nace
- Bernard Butler
- William Ware
- Thomas Riley
- James Blair
- Henry Johnson
- Francis
- Stephen
- Anny
- Charles Queen
- Gabriel Isaac Queen
- Eliza Queen
- Adeline Queen
- Betsy Ware or West
- Ellen Harris
- Martha Harris
- Ned Harris
- Sam Harris
- Matilda
- girl
- girl
- girl
- Catherine
- Oswald Harris
- Sarah Harris
- Harriet Harris
- Margaret
- girl
- Crissy
- girl
- boy
The Georgetown Slavery Archive, St. Thomas Manor
Names of the enslaved located at West Oak Plantation
Maringouin, Iberville Parish, Louisiana
1st Class
- Basil Butler
- Louis Merric
- Washington Wilson
- Polk Hill
- Francis Hawkins
- Neally Hawkins
- Bill Hill
- Tom Butler
- Alex Scott
- George Wilson
- Richard Wilson
- Nace Scott
- Joe Hill
- Patrick Hawkins
- Ambrose Scott
- Collin Freelock
- Peter Waters
2nd Class
- Luke Waters
- Jordan (Matthews?)
- Jim Scott
- Jack Hawkins
- Bill Alexander
- Caroline Scott
- Mary Butler
- Eliza West
- Annie Scott
- Susan Hawkins
- Lidiann Scott
- Delphia Gray
- Eliza Butler
- Martha Hawkins
- Agnes Butler
- Lucy Ann Scott
- Betsy Harris
- Louisa Harris
- Biby Hawkins
- Ellen Harris
- Sarah Ann Hill
- Jane Wilson
- Christina Butler
3rd Class
- Jim Broadman
- Joe Waters
- George Harris
- Miley Waters
- Cumby Scott
- Tom [Merric?]
- Ben Scott
- Charles Wilson
- William Harris
- Clara Scott
- Fannie Scott
- Letty Hawkins
- Rose Scott
- Adeline Waters
- Ellen Hawkins
- Bridget
- Henny Butler
- Louisa Scott
- Clara Scott
- Matilda Hawkins
- Betsy Hill
- Margaret Waters
- Emiline Butler
- Sarah Butler
- Mary Scott
- Charlotte Pendleton
- Amanda Hawkins
West Oak/Oaks Plantation was a 2800 acre sugar plantation in Maringouin, Iberville Parish, Louisiana.The Plantation was owned by Dr. Jesse Batey (whose name was spelled a number of different ways) who was born in 1796. He was a physician and volunteered his time with the Hibernian Society in Louisiana. Jesse Beatty also had additional landholdings in Pointe Coupe and Fordoche. It does not appear that Dr. Batey lived at the West Oaks Plantation. Beatty died in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana in 1851.
In 1838 Dr. Beatty was one of the men who purchased for his own West Oak Plantation a number of slaves during the Georgetown University sale. The original documents list the names and ages of these persons who were sold and re-located. The slaves were transported from Alexandria, District of Columbia, to New Orleans, Louisiana on the Katherine Jackson of Georgetown, 13 Nov 1838.
After Dr. Jesse Beatty died in 1851 the plantation was put up for sale, slaves and all.
Note: “Special thanks to David Patterson for his invaluable contributions to GU272 research and for sharing valuable information about the West Oak Plantation on the Black Pearls of Genealogy website. Your dedication and efforts are greatly appreciated.”
The Georgetown Slavery Archive, West Oak Plantation
Names of the enslaved located at White Marsh Farm
Prince George County, Maryland
The Georgetown Slavery Archive, White Marsh Farm
Names of the enslaved located at an Unnamed Location
- John Brown
- Nancy Lee
- George Henry
- Tom Hawkins
- Jenny
- Bridget
- child
- child
- William Harrison
- Mary Anne
- John Kelly
- Thomas Noland
- Augustus
- Henny
- infant
- William Kelly
- Peter Adams
- Hillary Ford
- Clem Langley
- Clair
- boy
