To Preserve Slavery: Human Bondage and the American Revolution Online
This talk by University of Maryland historian Richard Bell examines the 1619 Project’s controversial claim that “one of the primary reasons the colonists decided to declare their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery.”
When those twenty-four words first appeared in print in the New York Times magazine back in August 2019, they shocked lay readers and many historians as well. In a public letter to the Times demanding corrections to the 1619 Project, five senior US history professors wrote that “This is not true. If supportable, the allegation would be astounding.”
Given the enduring belief that the patriots fought the American Revolution to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Hannah-Jones’ claim is certainly astounding. But is it supportable? What’s the evidence? Does any of it hold water? Those are the questions that animate this lecture: to weigh the evidence for and against the claim that Americans fought the American revolution to preserve and protect their right to own other human beings as slaves.
- Date:
- Monday, February 26, 2024
- Time:
- 6:30pm - 8:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Audience:
- Adults
- Categories:
- Lecture/Presentation