2. The African Burial Ground

Much like most archaeological sites found in New York City, the African Burial Ground was discovered in 1991 by construction workers. Located from Chambers to Duane Streets and Broadway to Foley Square, the grounds lay rest to over 400 African slaves who died over 200 years ago. The 6.6-acre area provided well-preserved remains which were able to shed light on New York’s significant slave population of the 18th century.

According to an analysis done in 1998 by Ena Fox and Dr. Michael Blakey of Howard University, the remains revealed harrowing injuries and traumas to the knees and broken necks due to the hard labor they endured to build the area as an active sea port. More information on the mapping and location of the site can be found here. On February 27, 2006, President George W. Bush through Presidential Proclamation named the African Burial Ground as a National Monument.