White Marsh Historical Society

06/30/2026

Catholic Standard | Juneteenth Family Day at White Marsh | June 19, 2026

An historical coincidence added meaning and poignance to the Juneteenth Family Day, titled “Lifting Legacy, Revealing Truth,” held on June 19, 2026 on the grounds of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bowie, Maryland.

06/30/2026

Catholic Standard | Juneteenth Family Day at White Marsh | June 19, 2026

06/26/2026

June 19, 2026 | Juneteenth at White Marsh and the Unveiling of the Historical Interpretive Panels.

06/20/2026

WTOP News | Juneteenth event highlights discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at Bowie church

A Juneteenth gathering at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bowie, Ma...

06/20/2026

WTOP News | Juneteenth event highlights discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at Bowie church

A Juneteenth gathering at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bowie brought descendants, parishioners and community members together Friday to honor the hundreds of people enslaved on the former White…

06/19/2026

June 19, 1838, the transaction that became known as the 1838 Sale was finalized. On that day, the fate of more than 272 enslaved men, women, and children owned by the Maryland Jesuits was sealed. Families were separated, lives were uprooted, and generations were forced from the only homes they had ever known. Many were sent hundreds of miles away to Louisiana, where they faced an uncertain future under a different system of bo***ge.

Today, we honor those who endured slavery at White Marsh and on other Jesuit plantations. We remember their labor, their resilience, their faith, their families, and their humanity. We acknowledge the suffering they experienced, but we also celebrate the strength that enabled them and their descendants to persevere.

05/04/2026

, Edward Queen was born into slavery in 1754 on the White Marsh plantation. In 1791, Edward Queen sued for his freedom against the Reverend John Ashton, S.J., arguing that his grandmother, Mary Queen, had been born free and illegally enslaved—and that, under the law, he was therefore entitled to his freedom. Edward ultimately secured his freedom and later filed a counter-lawsuit, claiming that his civil rights had been violated during the years of his unlawful enslavement.

His case helped galvanize other freedom suits and anti-slavery efforts, contributing to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case: Queen v. Hepburn.

Today, we reflect on Edward Queen’s birth as an opportunity to examine the legacy of slavery, the evolution of civil rights, and the enduring importance of equal protection under the law in the United States.