A new Madison presidency episode is now available!
July 10, 2017

1.12 – Slavery in America

1.12 – Slavery in America

Content Note: Though not going into graphic detail, I did want to let everyone know upfront that this episode, in discussing slavery, does touch upon the violence associated with slavery including that perpetrated against female enslaved people.

Year(s) Discussed: 1490s-1792

European settlers in the Western Hemisphere began practicing slavery in the lands that they found on the other side of the Atlantic in the late 15th century. In this episode, we examine the institution of slavery in what would become the United States as it developed up to the end of Washington’s first term in office. From its beginnings to its codification, we also look at some of the living conditions of enslaved peoples and early efforts to end the practice of slavery. The episode finishes off with bringing the focus back to Washington and how he approached slavery as he participated in the Constitutional Convention and then took office as president.

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Season 1 01 - George Washington

Audio editing for this episode done by Andrew Pfannkuche

 

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  • Washington, George. “To Lafayette, 10 May 1786,” Founders Online, National Archives, last modified June 29, 2017, http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-04-02-0051. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 4, 2 April 1786 – 31 January 1787, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995, pp. 41–45.] [Last Accessed: 4 Jul 2017]
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