|
Event
Profs & Pints: Nashville and the Underground Railroad
Profs and Pints presents: Nashville and the Underground Railroad, with Richard Blackett, professor of history at Vanderbilt University and author of Making Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Politics of Slavery.
The history and workings of the Underground Railroad have attracted renewed attention in recent years. Learning about it offers a way to understand the workings of the system of slavery and both those who supported it and those who opposed it. Come hear Vanderbilt historian Richard Blackett, a leading scholar of the abolitionist movement and the author of several books about slavery and the Civil War, delivery a fascinating talk on the Underground Railroad movement and the role that Nashville played as a starting point for many who climbed aboard. The talk marks the debut of Profs and Pints in Nashville at the True Music Room and Bar at Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown, part of the national Cambria Hotels brand.
Professor Blackett will start by examining the actions of the enslaved, addressing why, exactly, those in and around Nashville sought to leave the people and places they knew and head toward the unknown. We'll look at what their actions tell us about the slaves' notions of freedom, and what economic and political impact their decisions to flee had on the places they left. One escapee spoke for many when he wrote his former master that, in making his way to freedom, he had both achieved freedom and affected his master's well-being. Many who took the journey were self-emancipated, but an equally significant number were assisted, both at the point of departure and along the way to freedom.
We'll look at the men and women--black and white, slave and free--who were critical to the movement's success. The heroes among them include slaves who assisted in escapes while choosing themselves to stay behind. Free blacks, a thorn in the side of the system, also played pivotal roles, as did the white men and women who defied society's conventions to ensure fugitive slaves made it to freedom.
In the end, the combined efforts of slaves and their supporters, as well as the overreactions of slave holders that fought to stem the tide of escapes, worked to undermine the system of slavery. Come learn their stories. (Listed time is for doors. Talk begins 30 minutes later. Tickets are $12 and must be purchased online and in advance.)
|
|
 |
LocationTrue Music Room and Bar at Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown (View)
118 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 18 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
|
Contact
|
