Description
In Abolitionism and Antislavery, the fourth e-seminar of the series Slavery and Emancipation, Eric Foner describes how in the nineteenth century the issue of slavery came to occupy a central place in American political life and a central role in the disruption of the Union. He describes the development of a militant abolitionist movement that by the 1830s had destroyed the conspiracy of silence about slavery. Professor Foner explains how the territorial growth of the United States during the 1840s and 1850s led to heated debates over the expansion of slavery. The nation's politics became polarized along North-South lines and, finally, after the election of Abraham Lincoln, seven slave states seceded from the Union, leading inexorably to civil war. Through state-of-the art digital technology, streaming video of Professor Foner's lecture is combined with text, images, audio slide shows, interactive maps, primary documents, and a discussion board.