Episode 4

Why Did America Ban Slavery?

America: The Story of the USA · Liam Heffernan

July 4, 202332m 17s

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Show Notes

It's almost impossible to talk about American history without looking at slavery. The slave trade and slavery became one of the economic foundations of the US throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, but a growing anti-slavery movement created a huge political divide which ultimately led to the American Civil War.

Today, it's hard to imagine why anyone would risk their life to preserve the institution of slavery, so in this episode we are going to take a closer look at those people and their reasons. Who supported slavery? What was in it for them? And ultimately... why did America ban slavery?

Joining the podcast this week is Dr. Rebecca Fraser, a historian of 19th century America with a particular interest in the history of African Americans, especially relating to their resistance against slavery and the enslaved experience.

Additional Resources:

NOVEL: Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (2016) TV Adaptation The Underground Railroad, Dir., Barry Jenkins, 2021 on Amazon Prime

NOVEL: Toni Morrison, Beloved, (1987)

NOVEL: Yaa Gysai, Homegoing (2016)

FILM: Harriet, Dir., Kasi Lemmons (2019)