A talk by Dr. Mary T. Freeman, University of Maine
Hosted by the Pembroke Historical Society
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 6:00 pm on Zoom
Register here
Dr. Mary Freeman will discuss one of the most interesting and crucial periods in Maine’s and America’s history. From the Congressional compromise that tied Maine’s statehood to slavery in Missouri, to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Mainers’ support for the Union in the Civil War, Maine was deeply involved with the 19th century debates over slavery.
Mainers today celebrate the state’s antislavery heritage, but how do we separate myth from historical fact when archival sources are scarce? Dr. Freeman will explore the long history of slavery and emancipation in Maine before focusing on antislavery activism in the decades leading up to the Civil War, with particular attention to Mainers’ involvement in the Underground Railroad in border areas, such as coastal Washington County.
More information at programs@pembrokemainehistoricalsociety.org.
Dr. Mary Freeman, who received her doctorate at Columbia University, is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maine, in Orono, and Managing Editor for the Maine History journal, published by the Maine Historical Society.
