A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Case Western Reserve University has found a link between the slaveholding history of some United States legislators’ ancestors and their current wealth. Lawmakers whose ancestors enslaved 16 or more people were shown to have a net worth that is, on average, $3.9 million higher than that of their peers. These findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, offer insight into the lasting economic effects of slavery in the United States.
The idea that slavery’s impacts extend far beyond the 19th century and continue to shape social and economic conditions today is a topic of much debate. Previous studies have looked at the effects of slavery at a broad, community level, showing, for instance, that regions where slavery was more common tend to have higher levels of inequality today.
However, few studies have looked at the intergenerational effects of slavery at an individual level. In other words, how does having an ancestor who owned enslaved people affect the wealth of an individual today?
The researchers behind the new study sought to answer that question by focusing on a particular group for which both ancestry and financial data are publicly available: members of the United States Congress. The wealth of politicians, particularly those in Congress, is well documented thanks to required financial disclosures.
In recent years, investigative journalists from Reuters identified 100 members of Congress who are descendants of slaveholders. Using this unique dataset, the researchers aimed to investigate whether the financial advantages of slaveholding have persisted into the present day.
To conduct the study, the researchers gathered information on the ancestry, demographic characteristics, and financial situation of members of the 117th United States Congress, which was seated in April 2021. This sample included all 535 legislators (435 from the House of Representatives and 100 from the Senate). They specifically focused on identifying which members had ancestors who enslaved people, as documented by Reuters, and cross-referenced this with the lawmakers’ financial reports.
The study’s core variable was the net worth of each legislator, which was calculated based on the publicly available assets and liabilities they reported. Net worth is the value of a person’s total assets minus their total debts. Legislators report their finances within a certain range (for example, $1,000 to $15,000 for a particular asset), and the researchers used the midpoint of these ranges to estimate each legislator’s overall net worth.
The researchers compared the net worth of legislators with and without slaveholder ancestors. They divided legislators with slaveholder ancestry into different groups based on the number of people enslaved by their ancestors, with the largest group consisting of those whose ancestors enslaved 16 or more people. The researchers then used statistical methods to control for other factors that could influence wealth, such as age, race, gender, and education, allowing them to isolate the potential influence of slaveholder ancestry.
The results revealed a significant relationship between slaveholder ancestry and current wealth among members of Congress. On average, legislators whose ancestors enslaved 16 or more individuals had a net worth $3.9 million higher than legislators whose ancestors did not enslave anyone. This relationship held true even after controlling for factors like age, race, gender, ethnicity, and education level, meaning the difference in wealth cannot simply be attributed to these factors.
Interestingly, the study also found that this effect was particularly pronounced among White legislators. Among White lawmakers, those whose ancestors enslaved 16 or more people had a net worth about $3.4 million higher than those whose ancestors were not slaveholders. This finding suggests that, for White members of Congress, the economic benefits of slaveholding may have been passed down through generations.
The study’s findings are consistent with previous research showing that wealth, once accumulated, tends to persist across generations. Wealthy families can pass on their advantages through inheritance, educational opportunities, and access to elite social networks. These advantages often allow descendants of wealthy individuals—including those who gained their wealth through slavery—to maintain or even grow their financial status over time.
“Our research highlights the enduring impact of slavery on wealth accumulation,” said lead author Neil K. R. Sehgal, a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. “By examining legislators, we can see how historical advantages translate into significant economic benefits that persist across generations.”
“While our study focuses on a specific group, it raises important questions about the broader societal impacts of historical injustices,” said co-author Ashwini R. Sehgal, professor of
medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. “Efforts to address economic inequality must consider these deep-rooted historical factors.”
While the study provides evidence of a link between slaveholder ancestry and wealth among members of Congress, it also has several important limitations. First, the study focused on a very specific group: legislators in Congress. Members of Congress tend to be wealthier than the general population, and it is possible that the patterns observed in this study do not apply to the broader public. The researchers themselves caution against assuming that the findings can be generalized to all Americans.
Another limitation of the study is its reliance on publicly available financial disclosures, which may not provide a complete picture of each legislator’s true wealth. For example, certain types of assets, such as personal residences or retirement accounts, are not always included in these disclosures. Additionally, the ranges within which assets and liabilities are reported can make it difficult to calculate net worth with precision.
The study also leaves some unanswered questions about the exact mechanisms by which slaveholder ancestry might influence present-day wealth. While it is clear that having a slaveholding ancestor is correlated with higher wealth, the study cannot definitively prove that this is because of the legacy of slavery. There are many possible ways in which the economic advantages of slaveholding could have been passed down through generations, from inherited wealth to social connections, but more research is needed to fully understand these processes.
“It is also important to note that we are not assigning blame to any Congressperson for the actions of their ancestors,” said Ashwini Sehgal. “Our aim is to highlight the long-term impacts of historical injustices and to inform efforts to reduce economic disparities.”
The study, “Slaveholder ancestry and current net worth of members of the United States Congress,” was published August 21, 2024.