Deploying the Past to Change the Future
Uses of Ancient History in the Slave Debates of 1820-1860
Event Details
Afternoon Lecture Series
Prior to the Civil War, United States reformers and activists of the time were intensely debating in the public press this question: should slavery be abolished? One of their popular persuasive techniques was to harken back to accounts of slavery in ancient Greece and Rome to convince readers of their particular view on the issue of slavery. Dr. McInnis’ research of this time uncovers the competing narratives that these antebellum leaders and commentators invoked around a set of well-known ancient Roman reformers Tiberius and Caius Gracchus. Gaining an appreciation for these conflicting visions of the past can reveal to us now a deeper understanding of the complex ways that nineteenth-century Americans envisioned their emergent republic and the role of slavery within it.
This installment of the Afternoon Lecture Series will feature speaker Dr. Edward McInnis.
Meet Our Speaker
Dr. Edward McInnis is an associate professor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Since 2008, he has taught courses in United States history, world history, and United States cultural and intellectual history. He has also published numerous articles on how social reformers invoked episodes from ancient Rome and Greece to express a broader vision for what the United States, as a democracy, should become.