The African American community, joined by public figures and private individuals, responded immediately, voicing concerns that the African Burial Ground would not be given the reverence it deserved. ![]() During the last days of the excavation, the archeological team discovered a missing chapter of New York history, the first of more than four hundred skeletal remains of men, women, and children, members of the city's enslaved population, was unearthed. Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, such research is required on any project using public funds that may have the potential to impact historic resources. Prior to the 1991 discovery, plans to erect a 34-story, $276-million federal building required that a cultural resource survey, including archeological field-testing, be completed. An enduring cultural and spiritual monument was created. A series of events and ceremonies that involved studying and honoring those buried there, returning them to their rightful resting place, and proclaiming the African Burial Ground a National Monument culminated in the 2007 unveiling of a permanent on-site memorial. Following the discovery, nearly two decades were dedicated to the documentation and interpretation of the site. ![]() Widely acknowledged as one of the most significant American archeological finds of the twentieth century, the African Burial Ground discovery redefined the history of New York and exposed an often overlooked heritage. In May 1991, a three hundred year silence was shattered with the discovery of the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan.
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