New Database—Boston, Massachusetts: Biographical Entries of People of African Descent in Beacon Hill

We are excited to announce a new database, Boston, Massachusetts: Biographical Entries of People of African Descent in Beacon Hill, which adds 7,239 names and 4,479 records to the 10 Million Names Project. This database currently consists of one volume (Surnames A-L); the second volume will be published in the coming months. 

Prior to the Civil War, the Beacon Hill neighborhood was considered a hub for Boston’s abolitionist movement and a significant stop on the Underground Railroad. It was also home to one of the largest free Black communities in the country, which included freedom seekers who escaped enslavement from the South. This database is comprised of biographical entries of Black Beacon Hill residents up to 1860. The entries were compiled by Kathryn Grover and Janine V. da Silva as they completed research for their study, “Historic Resource Study: Boston African American National Historic Site” (2002). 

This database is presented as part of the 10 Million Names Project, which aims to recover the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children who were enslaved in the United States prior to 1865. To learn more about 10 Million Names, please visit the project website.  

We would also like to thank our dedicated volunteers who indexed the entries and helped make this database possible. If you are interested in volunteering with 10 Million Names, please contact 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager, Danielle Rose, at danielle.rose@americanancestors.org.