The "WALK UNABOWED" PROJECT (Records of Slavery in our County)

This ongoing project is an attempt to preserve and publish the names of slaves in Franklin County and also serve as an opportunity to provide better access to records pertaining to slavery in the county so that their names and legacies can live on for future generations to discover.

SEARCH THE WALK UNABOWED DATABASE

BROWSE BY NAME OF SLAVES

Names are alphabetized by the first name of the slave. Entries also include the approximate date of birth, the name(s) of the slave owner, the location of the slave owner in the county, links to primary sources, and a brief note which includes any additional information found in the records. This is an ongoing project so as more names are found they will be added to the list.

BROWSE BY RECORD TYPE

The types of records include the 1780 Pennsylvania slave register, tax records, deeds of manumission, indentures, and estate papers, which are wills, letters of administration, inventories, estate sales, and administration accounts. As this is an ongoing project, more records and types of records will be discovered and as they are they will be made available.

Walk Unabowed is a reference to the spiritual, "I've Been in the Storm So Long." "Oh, when I get to heaven I'll walk unabowed." Which itself is a reference to Leviticus 26:13: "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt from being slaves to them and I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk unbowed."