The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom - Webinar

The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024) tells a new story about the long history of emancipation in the United States as it follows the cradle-to-grave experiences of a remarkable generation of Black New Yorkers who were born in quasi-freedom after the American Revolution and reached adulthood on the eve of the Civil War. Professor Sarah Gronningsater examines the role this generation played in advocating for equality before the law, excellent public education, and the end of slavery nationwide. In a broad sense, this generation helped shape important changes in the U.S. Constitution as well as groundbreaking federal civil rights legislation. Registration info can be found on our site.