November 15 — Slavery, the Courts, and the Underground Railroad
Hoosiers responded to slavery with debate, violence, and sacrifice. Some helped escaping slaves while others helped slave owners—each acting generously within their own moral, spiritual, and civic perspectives.
When: Thursday, November 15, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Indiana State Library 140 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204
This is a Spirit & Place event.
Criminal and civil court cases provide fascinating evidence on the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad. Professor Paul Finkelman, the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at Albany Law School, will debunk many myths about the Underground Railroad and discuss the complexity of the fight for and against slavery in Indiana and the United States in the 19th century. Q&A will follow.
A specialist in American legal history, race and the law, Paul Finkelman is the author and editor of numerous articles and books, including important studies related to cases related to the Underground Railroad. He is considered to be one of the preeminent scholars on slavery, law, and antebellum culture. His work on religion and legal history is cited in briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. More trivia from the good people at Wikipedia:
Paul Finkelman … is an historian and legal scholar, is the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy, and Senior Fellow in the Government Law Center at Albany Law School in Albany, NY. Even though he does not have a law degree, he is considered a legal expert, and has been called “an excellent legal historian.” He has served as an expert witness against Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore in Glassroth v. Moore (Al. 2002), the “Ten Commandments” case. He was also an expert witness for the plaintiff in Popov v. Hayashi (S.F. Sup. Ct. CA, 2002), which was over who owned Barry Bonds’s 73rd home run ball. Professor Finkelman has also been part of Amicus Curie briefs for cases involving Guantanamo and gay marriage in New York State. He has published over 20 books and more than 100 scholarly articles. He has several focuses, including slavery, race, civil rights, civil liberties, the Constitution, Constitutional Law, and baseball. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts on baseball and the law
Admission is free. Presented by
Questions? Call 317-232-2535 or e-mail ihb@statelib.lib.in.us.
If this sounds interesting, check out … “Federal Justice in Indiana” September 17; “Covenant: Scenes From an African American Church” November 14; and the ACLU debate on the legal status of illegal immigrants December 5.
September 5th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
[…] November 15 — Slavery, the Courts, and the Underground Railroad Hoosiers responded to slavery with debate, violence, and sacrifice. Some helped escaping slaves while others helped slave owners—each acting generously within their own moral, spiritual, and civic perspectives. check it out […]