The Pilgrim

Historical marker location:

Georgetown, District of Columbia

( Marker can be reached from 37th Street Northwest north of P Street Northwest, on the left when traveling north.)

By Vicki Winters Reid

The District was a major center of the slave trade in the 19th century: Prior to the Civil War, Washington, D.C. was home to one of the largest slave markets in the country. Slaves were bought and sold in public auctions held in the city, and many prominent politicians and businessmen owned slaves.