Zann Nelson's guest appearances

Zann Nelson

Research at the National Archives and Beyond

Jason Lee

Allyson Hobbs

James Madison

David Lynch

Dred Scott

Gloria Lucas

Rob Brown

Amy Johnson

Michael Twitty

Jim Crow

Ryan Gray

Mitzi Perdue

Christopher Everett

Antoinette Harrell

Marvin Jones

OwlTail

Zann Nelson will discuss the occurrence of selling literally 100s of thousands of enslaved people South to the cotton and sugar fields with Virginia being the largest exporter and how challenging it is to reunite these ancestors with their place of birth and in many cases with family members who remained behind.  Searching for the sixteen slaves sold South is supported by the Montpelier Foundation to learn more about the 16 enslaved Virginians sold by James Madison in 1834 to William Taylor who relocated them to Pointe Coupee Parish, LA.  The ultimate goal is to find at least one living descendant. It is an ambitious endeavour but one well worth the effort.Zann Nelson is a historian and freelance writer specializing in historical investigations with a focus on African American history.She currently serves as the Director of African American Descendants’ Project for James Madison’s Montpelier Foundation.The project’s two primary goals are to 1) build a mutually beneficial alliance between the African American Descendant Communities and the Montpelier Foundation and 2) identify and connect with living descendants of those whose ancestors lived free or enslaved at Montpelier or in other parts of Orange County, Virginia.She holds a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University and resides on the family farm in Culpeper County, VA

Zann Nelson will discuss the occurrence of selling literally 100s of thousands of enslaved people South to the cotton and sugar fields with Virginia being the largest exporter and how challenging it is to reunite these ancestors with their place of birth and in many cases with family members who remained behind.  Searching for the sixteen slaves sold South is supported by the Montpelier Foundation to learn more about the 16 enslaved Virginians sold by James Madison in 1834 to William Taylor who relocated them to Pointe Coupee Parish, LA.   The ultimate goal is to find at least one living descendant. It is an ambitious endeavour but one well worth the effort. Zann Nelson is a historian and freelance writer specializing in historical investigations with a focus on African American history. She currently serves as the Director of African American Descendants’ Project for James Madison’s Montpelier Foundation. The project’s two primary goals are to 1) build a mutually beneficial alliance between the African American Descendant Communities and the Montpelier Foundation and 2) identify and connect with living descendants of those whose ancestors lived free or enslaved at Montpelier or in other parts of Orange County, Virginia. She holds a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University and resides on the family farm in Culpeper County, VA

Searching for Sixteen Slaves Sold South with Zann Nelson

Elizabeth Chew

Join  Zann Nelson and Elizabeth Chew for a discussion on the following topics:African American research in Virginia: (challenges, what works, successes)Why is it important? How Montpelier's African American heritage project differs from other plantations and how it relates to the ongoing discussions about the Constitution.Zann Nelson is an award-winning freelance writer specializing in African American historical investigations. She is the former president of the preservation nonprofit organization, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc., the current president of History Quest, co-founder of the African American Heritage Alliance, and is currently the Consultant for “The African Americans of the Montpelier Community Project.”Elizabeth Chew is Vice President for Museum Programs at James Madison's Montpelier. She has worked in the museum field for thirty years, focusing on the interpretation of women's and African American history. At Monticello, where she was Curator for 13 years, she co-organized, with Rex Ellis, the exhibition "Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty" for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.  At Montpelier, she oversees the documentary and archaeological research into the identities and stories of the enslaved people on the plantation.

Join  Zann Nelson and Elizabeth Chew for a discussion on the following topics: African American research in Virginia: (challenges, what works, successes) Why is it important?  How Montpelier's African American heritage project differs from other plantations and how it relates to the ongoing discussions about the Constitution. Zann Nelson is an award-winning freelance writer specializing in African American historical investigations. She is the former president of the preservation nonprofit organization, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc., the current president of History Quest, co-founder of the African American Heritage Alliance, and is currently the Consultant for “The African Americans of the Montpelier Community Project.” Elizabeth Chew is Vice President for Museum Programs at James Madison's Montpelier. She has worked in the museum field for thirty years, focusing on the interpretation of women's and African American history. At Monticello, where she was Curator for 13 years, she co-organized, with Rex Ellis, the exhibition "Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty" for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.  At Montpelier, she oversees the documentary and archaeological research into the identities and stories of the enslaved people on the plantation.

Slavery at James Madison's Montpelier with Zann Nelson and Elizabeth Chew