The Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, is a Catholic religious order renowned for its commitment to education, missionary work, and theological scholarship. However, their history includes a troubling chapter: the 1838 sale of 272 enslaved Africans to fund their operations.
The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, established its presence in the British Province of Maryland in 1634, accompanying the first settlers who sought to create a Catholic refuge. The Jesuits quickly became influential landowners, acquiring property through land grants, purchases, and bequests from Catholic colonists. On these estates, which served as both centers of Catholic life and agricultural production, the Jesuits ministered to Catholic laity, offering sacraments and catechesis while also establishing schools. Over time, the plantations transitioned from relying on indentured servants to enslaved African labourers.
By the early 19th century, the Jesuit plantations in Maryland encompassed over 12,000 acres and were primarily used for growing tobacco and corn. These plantations generated revenue to support their educational institutions, including Georgetown College, now Georgetown University. However, by the 1830s, these estates were poorly managed and burdened with mounting debt, making them increasingly unprofitable. At the same time, the financial demands of their urban missions were growing, creating additional strain on the Jesuits’ resources.
This financial strain forced the Jesuits to confront the question of whether to sell their slaves, who had been integral to their operations for generations. The decision was divisive within the order. While some Jesuits viewed slavery as inconsistent with their religious mission, others argued that selling the enslaved was a necessary measure to sustain their educational and missionary efforts.
In October 1836, Jesuit Superior General Jan Roothaan authorized the sale under three conditions: The enslaved must be allowed to practice their Catholic faith, families must not be separated and that proceeds from the sale must be used exclusively for Jesuit training and education.
In late 1836, Jesuit leaders began arrangements for the sale. Two Louisiana planters, Henry Johnson and Jesse Batey, were identified as buyers. Johnson, a former U.S. senator and governor of Louisiana, and Batey sought to acquire enslaved laborers from the Upper South at a lower cost than those in the Deep South. They agreed to the Jesuits’ asking price of approximately $400 per person, which was competitive for the time.
On June 19, 1838, Jesuit provincial superior Thomas Mulledy finalized the sale with Johnson and Batey. The agreement stipulated a total payment of $115,000 (equivalent to $3.9 million in 2024) over ten years, with six percent annual interest. In return, Johnson and Batey would receive 272 enslaved Africans from four Jesuit plantations in southern Maryland. To ensure payment, the enslaved individuals were identified as collateral in case the buyers defaulted.
However, the terms of the agreement were not fully honored. Of the 272 enslaved Africans listed for sale, only 206 were ultimately transported to Louisiana. Several substitutions were made to the original list, and 91 individuals remained in Maryland. Many families were separated despite Roothaan’s explicit condition against such practices.
The sale sparked outrage among some Jesuits, who saw it as a violation of their moral principles. Letters were sent to Roothaan condemning the transaction as scandalous and immoral. In response, Roothaan removed Thomas Mulledy as provincial superior for his role in the sale and his failure to uphold the stipulated conditions. Mulledy was sent into exile in Nice, France, for several years.
While the the Jesuit slave sale of 1838 was controversial at the time, it gradually faded from public memory. Nevertheless, the Jesuits’ ownership of enslaved Africans and the details of the sale remained well-documented, making it one of the most thoroughly recorded slave sales of the era.
In 2015, public awareness of this history resurfaced when Georgetown University’s ties to slavery became the focus of research and media attention. This rediscovery prompted Georgetown to confront their historical complicity in slavery.
In 2016, Georgetown University formally apologized for its historical involvement in slavery. The university renamed two buildings previously named after Jesuit priests who facilitated the 1838 sale and established the Georgetown Memory Project to trace the descendants of the enslaved.
Additionally, Georgetown University created a new Reconciliation fund that will award $400,000 to community-based projects that can impact the Descendants of the men, women and children enslaved on Jesuit plantations in Maryland.
Reference:
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/black-slavery-us-georgetown-university/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/they-thought-georgetowns-missing-slaves-were-lost-the-truth-was-closer-to-home-than-anyone-knew/2018/04/28/074beb66-3e65-11e8-a7d1-e4efec6389f0_story.html
Georgetown Apologizes for 1838 Sale of More Than 270 Enslaved, Dedicates Buildings
