Anne Arundel County to Deliver Formal Apology Acknowledging Its Historical Role in Slavery

County Executive Steuart Pittman has announced that the Anne Arundel County Government's will be making a formal apology for its role in supporting and enforcing slavery. This apology will be issued on Saturday, November 1, 2025, during a daylong event focused on education, reflection, and dialogue.

County Executive Pittman said this apology is "long overdue" and emphasized his direct lineage to local enslavers, committing to address this historical injustice before the end of his term. The Office of Equity and Human Rights has collaborated with local historians and descendants of enslaved people to ensure a meaningful event. 

The ceremony on November 1 will include public sessions, historical presentations, and opportunities for reflection and discussion. While attendance is free, space is limited, and an RSVP is required in advance at aacounty.org/ourhistory.

Manumission records offer significant insight into the long-term dynamics of slavery and freedom within the region. From 1752 to 1796, the liberation of enslaved individuals in Anne Arundel County was formalized through legal deeds. Subsequently, wills, chattel records, and dedicated manumission record books continued to document these actions. The Maryland State Archives maintains separate manumission records for Anne Arundel County, spanning approximately from 1785 to 1866, which are indexed for researchers. Related: Researching African American Families at the Maryland State Archives

The "Chattels" dataset comprises records originating from legal transactions pertaining to the purchase and sale of enslaved individuals within the county, spanning the period from 1790 to 1862.

According to Chesapeake Crossroads, 48 slave ships unloaded human cargo at Annapolis harbor in the two decades leading up to the American Revolution. Additionally, the Kunta Kinte–Alex Haley Memorial in Annapolis serves to honor the legacy of slavery and the forced arrival of Africans, including Haley’s ancestor, who was sold into slavery at the harbor in 1767. The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, situated at the City Dock, is a powerful symbol. It also embodies Alex Haley's profound vision for national racial reconciliation and healing. Chris Haley, who serves as the Director of Research, Education, and Outreach at the Maryland State Archives and founded the Legacy of Slavery Program in Maryland, recently presented a lecture titled "There Was Slavery in Maryland?" The lecture, hosted by The Peale, offered a comprehensive discussion on the historical importance, impact, and continuing relevance of slavery in Maryland. Mr. Haley is also the nephew of Alex Haley, the author of Roots.

Related: St. John's College History Task Force Report

The "Legacy of Slavery in Maryland" Program thoroughly researches the history of African Americans in Annapolis from 1800 to 1920. This project integrates city records, census data, and private documents to meticulously trace the lineage and experiences of African Americans within the city during this timeframe. The archives also house relevant collections pertaining to African American soldiers and sailors from Annapolis who served between 1863 and 1918. The "Blacks in Annapolis" initiative, a key component of the Maryland State Archives' Legacy of Slavery program, aims to explore and document the multifaceted experiences of African Americans in Annapolis across more than three centuries. The initiative focuses on both enslaved and free Black individuals, encompassing native-born and immigrant populations, and emphasizes their considerable contributions to the city's history despite encountering substantial challenges.

Records from the National Archives indicate that an enslaved man named Ephraim was transported to Annapolis on the sloop Charles and subsequently re-exported to Charleston on January 15, 1822. This information is corroborated by the slave manifests for the Port of Annapolis, specifically the inward coastwise manifest of the sloop Charles documenting its arrival in Annapolis in 1822 with Ephraim, and the outward manifest detailing his export to Charleston. Related: Digital Library on American SlaveryRace and Slavery Petitions

According to data related to the historical connections between St. Mary's County and Annapolis, particularly concerning their shared colonial history, the Chesapeake Bay's plantation economy, and population dynamics, as indicated by "Sources from the Landscape of Slavery," despite the largely rural nature of St. Mary's County and the urban environment of Annapolis, both were significantly influenced by an economic system reliant on enslaved labor, which was integral to Maryland's development. A historical record from Anne Arundel County, "Bushrod W. Marriott, Sheriff of Anne Arundel Co," provides further detail. The right side of this document, dating from 1833, contains a list of free negroes resident and deemed domiciled" in the county. This record, which includes names, genders, and ages, appears to have been compiled for official county purposes and serves as an early 19th-century registry of free Black residents in the area.

One local historic site underscores the presence of enslaved labor in the county: on the Belvoir estate, archaeologists discovered the remains of a massive stone slave barracks, according to Archaeology Magazine. The county Historic Preservation office describes this finding as a key reminder of the physical infrastructure of slavery in Anne Arundel County. Related The Belvoir Slave Barracks & Cinderella's Story: Belvoir, a striking and elegant brick historic manor house is known for its association with the colonial elite and the landed gentry, the wealthy and privileged in society.   

The African American Gateway at the Genealogy Center offers resources specific to Maryland that are highly relevant to genealogical research in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Many of the state-level resources and historical narratives referenced in the gateway pertain to or include substantial records from Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Related: African American Geneology Resources for Maryland

To submit news tips, investigative report ideas, press releases, commentary/opinion submissions and general inquiries, email: 

info@reportannapolis.com

*Any suspects/arrested/indicted/charged/accused individuals and persons of interest named or identified in this posting, website and in the articles are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.*

*The content on this posting, on the website and in the articles is provided "as is;" and no representations are made that the content is error-free.*

*No reader, user, or browser of this posting, website and the articles should act or refrain from acting on the basis of the content without first seeking advice from a competent and qualified professional.*