1930-1940 c. Unknown Cedar Park area, four people and car, Marion McPherson Washington in white dress    1940-1945 c. Unknown Bates High School, science lab.    1950 c. Baden, Thomas Jr. St. Mary's Auditorium, Conclave of Phi Delta Kappa Sorority    1950 c. Baden, Thomas Jr. Portrait of Thomas Baden, Jr.    1950 c. Baden, Thomas Jr. St. Philip's Episcopal Church on Northwest Street, Women's Council. Mrs Ethel Hicks, Hattie Baden, Mary Baden, Beatrice Coates, and Lola Davis Accession    1930 Henderson Stanton High School, students and faculty on steps
On May 14, 2007, the Annapolis City Council approved a resolution expressing regret for the municipal government's involvement in the institution of slavery entitled:

"Expressing the City Council’s Profound Regret for Role of the Municipal Government in Maintaining and Supporting the Practice of Slavery."

Click to view PDF of the legislation.

A Study of the African American Experience in Annapolis, Maryland

Blacks in Annapolis seeks to explore the lives of native born, immigrant enslaved, and free blacks who contributed to over three hundred years of Annapolis history. In 2007, the City Council of Annapolis approved a Resolution, "Expressing the City Council’s Profound Regret for Role of the Municipal Government in Maintaining and Supporting the Practice of Slavery." Putting words into action, the City of Annapolis appropriated funding and joined with the Maryland State Archives to initiate research and create an interactive website built upon the African American history of Annapolis. Therefore, the cooperative Blacks in Annapolis project seeks to fulfill the spirit of the measure as expressed by Ward 7, Alderman Samuel Shropshire, who originated the bill and co-introduced the final approved legislation,

“…the faith, perseverance, hope, and endless triumphs of African Americans and their significant contributions to the development of Annapolis and the nation should be embraced, celebrated, and retold for generations to come…”

Using federal and municipal census records, county assessments, city maps, and a variety of additional government and private records, Archives' staff studied the landscape, communities, events and citizens of Annapolis from 1800 through 1920. Our goal is to bring to life the African American lineage of Annapolis by introducing researchers to figures such as twentieth century businessman, Wiley Bates; to Civil War era residents whose descendants dwell in the city today; and to freemen of the Colonial period who utilized their right to vote before legislation repealed their suffrage.

Gleaning information from primary documents and forging it together into a multigenerational, publicly accessible database will create an invaluable resource for researchers of local and social history. Blacks in Annapolis will provide a place to reflect on the past of the city as well a perspective on the present as viewed through Annapolis’ African American history.