American History

From Slave Labor to Ivy League: The Untold History of U.S. Universities

Darren - July 31, 2025

The story of America’s universities begins in the colonial era, when the nation’s first colleges were established to educate a privileged few. Institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton trace their roots to the 17th and 18th centuries, founded by colonial elites and religious leaders. These early campuses were more than centers of learning—they were microcosms of the social and economic systems that shaped early America, including slavery and class divisions. Understanding these origins reveals how deeply higher education is intertwined with the country’s earliest hierarchies and economic realities. Learn more about this history.

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Building Universities with Enslaved Labor

Behind the stately facades of America’s oldest universities lies a difficult truth: many campuses were literally built by the hands of enslaved people. At the University of Virginia, for example, enslaved laborers quarried stone, made bricks, and constructed buildings under harsh conditions. Their work didn’t end with construction—enslaved people also maintained the grounds and served faculty and students. This foundational labor was essential to the operation and growth of these institutions, though it often went unrecognized for generations. The University of Virginia’s official report offers a detailed account of this legacy.

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Financial Foundations: Endowments from Slave Economies

The wealth that built many of America’s most prestigious universities was deeply tied to slave economies. Early endowments and donations often came from wealthy individuals whose fortunes were made through plantations, slave trading, or industries reliant on enslaved labor. Research at Harvard University has revealed how its early financial stability and growth were influenced by gifts and investments connected to slavery. By tracing these monetary origins, we see how the economic benefits of slavery were woven into the very fabric of higher education. Read Harvard’s research on this history.

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Presidents and Professors: University Leaders Who Owned Slaves

The influence of slavery on American universities extended beyond funding and construction—many college presidents, trustees, and professors were themselves slave owners. Their personal interests and beliefs shaped campus life, academic priorities, and even admissions policies. At Princeton, for example, several early leaders and faculty members enslaved people, directly impacting the university’s culture and operations. This legacy has recently come under scrutiny as institutions examine their pasts. Princeton’s historical investigation details the complex connections between its leadership and slavery. Explore Princeton’s findings here.

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Student Life: Enslaved Servants and Daily Operations

Enslaved individuals were a vital part of everyday life on college campuses, performing tasks that kept schools running smoothly. At the University of North Carolina, enslaved men and women cooked meals, cleaned dormitories, tended fireplaces, and served students and faculty. Their invisible labor supported the comfort and learning environment of white students, while their presence was rarely acknowledged in official records. Today, documentation efforts are uncovering these stories, highlighting the daily realities of campus life shaped by slavery. Read more about UNC’s documentation.

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Donors and Benefactors: The Planter Elite’s Influence

Southern planters and wealthy slaveholders played a powerful role in shaping America’s universities through their philanthropy and influence. Their generous donations not only funded new buildings and scholarships, but also steered university policies to reflect their social and economic interests. These benefactors often demanded that colleges uphold the values and hierarchies of the slaveholding South, affecting admissions, curriculum, and even faculty appointments. Their legacies can still be seen today, as universities reckon with the origins of their endowments. Learn more from The New York Times.

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Curriculum Shaped by Slavery

The influence of slavery reached into the intellectual life of universities, shaping what students learned in the classroom. At many Southern institutions, curricula included courses and lectures that justified slavery, promoted racial hierarchy, and advanced pro-slavery ideologies. Professors taught “scientific” theories of race and law that reinforced the social order of the time. These educational choices helped legitimize and perpetuate the institution of slavery, leaving a lasting impact on American thought. Discover more about proslavery curricula.

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Northern Universities: Complicity Beyond the South

While much focus is placed on Southern institutions, Northern universities—including Ivy League schools like Brown and Yale—were also deeply entangled with slavery. These schools benefited financially from industries such as shipping, banking, and textiles, which were themselves reliant on slave labor and the transatlantic slave trade.
Endowments, student tuition, and even faculty salaries were boosted by profits from these connections. Investigations, such as Brown University’s comprehensive report, reveal the far-reaching impact of slavery in shaping higher education across the United States. Read Brown’s full findings.

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Enslaved Labor in College Agriculture and Maintenance

Many agricultural and land-grant universities depended on enslaved labor to operate their farms and maintain campus grounds. Enslaved workers planted crops, tended livestock, and provided essential upkeep, forming the backbone of these institutions’ daily functions. This reliance on forced labor extended well into the 19th century, especially at schools in the South and border states. Recent investigations highlight how even publicly funded universities were built and maintained by enslaved people. Explore NPR’s coverage of land-grant universities and slavery.

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Religious Institutions and Their Role

Religious colleges and seminaries played a complicated part in the history of slavery in American higher education. Many, including prominent Catholic and Protestant schools, relied on enslaved labor to build and maintain their campuses or accepted significant funding from slaveholding families.
One notable case is Georgetown University, where Jesuit leaders sold hundreds of enslaved people to save the institution from financial ruin. This history illustrates how religious ideals were often at odds with economic necessity. Learn more about Georgetown’s legacy.

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University Towns: Communities Built by Enslaved People

The impact of slavery extended beyond campus gates and into the surrounding communities. Many college towns across the South and even in the North were physically built and economically sustained by enslaved labor.
Enslaved people constructed homes, businesses, roads, and public spaces that served both the university and local residents. These towns grew intertwined with campus life, their histories inseparable from the institutions they supported. Explore more with the National Park Service.

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Early Student Demographics: Exclusion and Access

From their inception, early American universities were designed to serve a narrow elite—excluding Black students, women, and other marginalized groups through explicit policies and social norms. Admission requirements and campus environments reinforced racial and gender hierarchies, upholding the broader inequalities present in society. Even after the abolition of slavery, segregation and discrimination persisted for generations, shaping who could access higher education. The legacy of exclusion has had lasting effects on diversity and equity in academia. Discover more about segregation in higher education.

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Abolitionist Movements and Campus Resistance

Even as universities profited from slavery, there were students and faculty who courageously spoke out against it. Abolitionist activism on campuses sometimes led to fierce backlash, including expulsion, dismissal, or social ostracism. These advocates challenged institutional complicity, organized debates, and circulated anti-slavery literature, helping to spark broader social change. Their efforts laid the groundwork for later movements seeking justice and inclusion in academia. Learn more about campus abolitionist activism.

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Civil War and the Transformation of Higher Education

The Civil War marked a turning point for American universities, forcing many to reevaluate their policies and sever explicit ties to slavery. Campuses were often sites of conflict, with student bodies deeply divided and enrollment disrupted by enlistment and violence. After the war, higher education slowly began to open its doors, though inequities persisted. The end of slavery pushed universities to adapt academically and socially, setting the stage for later reforms. Read more about higher ed post-Civil War.

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Post-Emancipation Labor: From Slavery to Sharecropping

Emancipation ended slavery, but it did not erase universities’ dependence on exploited Black labor. In the South, many institutions transitioned to using sharecroppers and low-wage Black workers to maintain their farms, kitchens, and grounds. This new system of labor perpetuated economic hardship and racial hierarchy, keeping Black families tied to the land without fair compensation or opportunity. The legacy of this exploitation continued to shape campus life and local economies well into the twentieth century. Learn more from Smithsonian Magazine.

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Reparations and Acknowledgment in the 21st Century

In recent years, universities across the United States have begun to confront their historical ties to slavery. Public apologies, memorials, and new research initiatives have sparked campus-wide conversations about accountability and justice. Some institutions, like Princeton Theological Seminary, have taken the step of offering financial reparations—funding scholarships, community partnerships, and research on racial justice. These actions mark a growing movement within higher education to address the lasting impact of slavery and promote healing. Read more about Princeton Seminary’s reparations.

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