When did Illinois become a free state? Spanning a century and a half, M. Scott Heerman will trace the making, remaking, and eventual unmaking of slavery in Illinois. Drawing from his new book, The Alchemy of Slavery, he shows that over its long history Illinois went from Indian Country to European Empire, from a border south region to bulwark of the free north. Each moment of transition over Illinois's long history reveals new elements of the black freedom struggle and the making of a free society.
Event—Public Programming