How did the founding of the United States entwine with the institution of enslavement? In capturing both a sweeping picture of the three pivotal decades in the 18th century, as well as key moments in time, and in encompassing the voices of enslaved and free Black men and women, Edward J. Larson, author of American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795, grapples with questions that have seen renewed spotlight and focus by other historians and journalists.
In this livestream, Larson, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, joins Dr. John Ragosta, Interim Saunders Director of Monticello Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, in a conversation about his latest work.
This event was offered as part of the 2023 Virginia Festival of the Book.
History has remembered the Election of 1800, pitting John Adams against Thomas Jefferson, as a bitterly contested—some might say nasty—affair. In this podcast, Historian Edward Larson shares the story of this unprecedented campaign, the surprising results that nearly tore our young nation apart, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that ultimately led to the first peaceful transfer of power in American history.
