Slavery
When a congressman beat a senator unconscious, America confronted the limits of free speech
The beating of Sen. Charles Sumner in 1856 by Rep. Preston Brooks over a speech against slavery sparked a nationwide debate over free speech, political violence and the relationship between the two.
Justice Jackson’s birthright citizenship opinion includes Black Americans in the story of the nation’s search for equality
Jackson’s concurrence traces the 14th Amendment to work done by people ‘beyond Congress’ and Black Americans who ‘helped galvanize the push for full equality.’
Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery
Enslaved people were not just enslaved physically, but mentally as well. as widespread laws in the South barred enslaved people from receiving an education.
Pepper pot stew was survival food for the poor and a path to freedom for Black women in early Philadelphia
Dina escaped from slavery and sold pepper pot stew on the streets of Philadelphia, while her enslaver tried to recapture her.
The forgotten story of abolition in revolutionary France – the first emancipation
Decades before the United States, France outlawed slavery during the French Revolution – only to see it reimposed by Napoleon within a decade.
Colorado voted to end forced prison labor in 2018 – so why are incarcerated people in the state still working for less than $2 an hour?
Many jails and prisons are dependent on incarcerated labor to keep costs low.
Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery
Researchers measured lawmakers’ wealth and found that those whose Southern ancestors owned slaves before abolition have a higher net worth today.