Georgetown College (later University) arranges the sale of 272 enslaved people, the largest known sale, from its southern Maryland plantations to two Louisiana buyers who agree to pay $115,000. It is among the largest and best documented sale of enslaved individuals in U.S. history. Georgetown University, founded in 1789, is the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in America. Originally a part of Maryland, the town of Georgetown formally becomes a part of DC in 1871. The Jesuits hold 12,000 acres on five tobacco plantations that go back to 1711. The sale, after decades of controversy, is designed to pay for Jesuit education but instead pays for the University’s outstanding debts. The story again comes to public attention during university renovations in 2015. Descendants of the enslaved are brought together and reparations are initiated. Among other programs, the University is raising money for a Truth and Reconciliation Foundation.
Thurgood Marshall wins Brown vs. Board of Education case in 1954
Thurgood Marshall, Maryland’s most famous lawyer, wins Brown vs. Board of Education case, desegregating public schools. Appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as the first African American to the Supreme Court in 1976, Marshall serves 24 years.
