Research At The National Archives And Beyond!

Zann Nelson will discuss the occurrence of selling literally 100s of thousands of enslaved people South to the cotton and sugar fields with Virginia being the largest exporter and how challenging it is to reunite these ancestors with their place of birth and in many cases with family members who remained behind.  Searching for the sixteen slaves sold South is supported by the Montpelier Foundation to learn more about the 16 enslaved Virginians sold by James Madison in 1834 to William Taylor who relocated them to Pointe Coupee Parish, LA.   The ultimate goal is to find at least one living descendant. It is an ambitious endeavour but one well worth the effort. Zann Nelson is a historian and freelance writer specializing in historical investigations with a focus on African American history. She currently serves as the Director of African American Descendants’ Project for James Madison’s Montpelier Foundation. The project’s two primary goals are to 1) build a mutually beneficial alliance between the African A