A study finds that the wealth of members of Congress is directly related to whether their ancestors were involved in slavery.
Researchers found that congressional leaders descended from slaveholders had an average net worth of $1.28 million. Their counterparts, whose lineage is not connected, had less than $100,000.
The findings provide evidence suggesting a link between people who owned slaves and their descendants who were still wealthier and more established even 150 years later, the researchers said.
The number of slaves their ancestors owned also seemed to affect the wealth of their leaders. For example, those who owned at least 16 slaves had a net worth of $3.93 million more than those who did not.
A new study finds that the wealth of members of Congress is linked to ancestors who owned slaves more than 150 years ago.
Slavery was legal until 1865. Reports indicate that before the Civil War, between 20 and 50 percent of Americans living in the Confederate states were slaveholders.
“Most Americans believe that slavery continues to shape the position of black people in contemporary society,” researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Case Western Reserve University wrote in the journal study.
‘However, no research has yet been done on the impact of having a slave-owning versus a non-slave-owning ancestor on current wealth at the individual level.’
Researchers used genealogical data from a 2023 Reuters report examining political leaders’ ties to slavery.
The study found that 100 of the 535 members of Congress were descendants of slave owners. Of these slave owners, 8 percent were Democrats and 28 percent were Republicans.
Lawmakers concerned with slaveholders include Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).
Warren’s estimated net worth is $10.2 million. The research revealed that her direct ancestor John Crawford had enslaved 14 people five generations earlier, around 1849.
“The legacy of slavery continues to cast a long shadow over every aspect of American life, including Congress,” Warren said earlier Reuters.
“While we cannot change the past, I will fight in the Senate to address systemic injustices — through word, action, law and policy.”
McConnell’s ancestor Joseph Farrington enslaved 12 people four generations before him, around 1860. The senator’s net worth is now estimated at around $48 million.
Others included Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), whose ancestor Archibald Crawford enslaved 10 people and has a net worth of $2.87 million, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), whose ancestor Joseph Maddox enslaved eight people and has an estimated net worth of $1.3 million.
The study, published in PLOSlooked at the ancestry of members of Congress going back to the nation’s founding in 1776 and linked many of them to slave owners four to eight generations earlier.
Researchers also took into account factors such as age, gender, ethnicity and education, but still found that despite the differences, relatives of slave owners still had higher wealth.
The researchers found that those related to slave owners had an average net worth of $1.28 million
Previous research has linked slavery to other intergenerational effects, such as inequality, poverty, education and life expectancy. However, this is the first time that slavery has been linked to generational wealth.
The team collected financial records from members of Congress, who are required to file and make the information public annually. The team also estimated the individuals’ net worth based on the value of each lawmaker’s assets and liabilities.
The average age of Congressmen whose lineage can be traced back to slave owners was nearly 60, and about three-quarters of them were white men, the study found.
The researchers noted that the link could not be extended to the general public, because members of Congress tend to be wealthier than the average person.
However, they noted that additional research on this topic could help them better understand the connection and address the disparities in social welfare between people whose ancestors owned slaves and those who did not.
“Members of Congress have significant power to shape policy and set national agendas,” the researchers said.
“Understanding the wealth disparity within this influential group can stimulate conversations about economic equality and motivate lawmakers to support policies that address historical injustices.”