The 272
 2023 Book jacket | |
| Author | Rachel L. Swarns |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Karen Murray |
| Subject | Catholic Church; Georgetown University History; Jesuits United States; Racism United States; Social science/slavery; Slavery Maryland |
| Genre | nonfiction |
| Published | 2023 |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, E-book, Audio |
| Pages | 352 |
| Awards | See Accolades |
| ISBN | 9780399590863 |
| OCLC | 1354504740 |
| Website | Official website |
The 272: The Families Who were Enslaved and Sold to Build The American Catholic Church is a nonfiction book written by Rachel L. Swarns and released on June 13, 2023, by Random House.[1][2][3][4] It covers the history of and intersection of the author's family with the 1838 Jesuit slave sale.
Synopsis
[edit]In 1838, prominent Catholic leaders of the Jesuits Order sold 272 enslaved people to fund Georgetown University. The book chronicles the history behind this event by following an enslaved family for almost 200 years. This book also shows how the Catholic Church in the United States depended on slave labor to run its institutions and grow its influence.[1][3]
Accolades
[edit]Chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, in the nonfiction category. [5] Also, chosen as a best book of year by The New Yorker and The Washington Post.[6][7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Blight, David W. (June 28, 2023). "The Slave Sale That Saved — and Stained — Georgetown". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Araujo, Ana Lucia (July 13, 2023). "An intimate account of the enslaved people sold to save Georgetown". Washington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Elie, Paul (June 27, 2023). "Confronting Georgetown's History of Enslavement". The New Yorker.
- ^ Prusak, Bernard G. (August 19, 2023). "New book 'The 272' traces enslavement practices in the US Catholic church". National Catholic Reporter.
- ^ "100 Notable Books of 2023". The New York Times. 21 November 2023.
- ^ "The Best Books of 2023". The New Yorker (magazine). December 20, 2023.
- ^ "The 272". Penguin Random House. June 13, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- ISBN 9780399590863
- The 272. Rachel Swarns, public speaker. Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C. Video, C-Span, June 16, 2023.
- The 272. "Historically Speaking," The Smithsonian. Video, July 20, 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Swarns, Rachel L. (April 16, 2016). "272 Slaves Were Sold to Save Georgetown. What Does It Owe Their Descendants?". The New York Times.
- Rothman, Adam (2017). "Georgetown University and the Business of Slavery". Washington History. 29 (2): 18–22. JSTOR 90015020.
- Johnston, Kelsey S. (2017). "Georgetown University". Washington History. 29 (1): 23. JSTOR 90007371.
- 2023 non-fiction books
- American non-fiction books
- History books about the United States
- Books about African-American history
- Books about race and ethnicity in the United States
- Non-fiction books about American slavery
- Books about social history
- Non-fiction books about racism
- History books about the 19th century