The talk examines the impetuses and obstacles that produced a gradual abolition law in 1799 and, a generation later, the declared end of slavery in New York State on July 4, 1827. This story of northern emancipation and its complicated legacy emphasizes the interplay between ideology and activism, enslaved and enslavers, political structure and individual initiative.

Brief Bio:
David N. Gellman is Professor of History at DePauw University, in Greencastle, Indiana, where he has taught since 1999. His 2022 book Liberty’s Chain: Slavery, Abolition, and the Jay Family of New York was honored with the Herbert H. Lehman Prize. Other books include Emancipating New York: The Politics of Slavery and Freedom, 1777-1827 and Jim Crow New York: A Documentary History of Race and Citizenship, 1777-1877. He has also published essays on the Missouri Compromise, on James Fenimore Cooper, and on Bruce Springsteen.

Zoom info:

Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: URCNYS Freedom 2027 Presents David N. Gellman Lecture
Time: Jul 18, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85089518718?pwd=SoGtbMXjcHARgCOWa8eYMHK9WQGZZ0.1

Meeting ID: 850 8951 8718
Passcode: 457322

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