New York's Antislavery Movement From 1693-1827

The East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection will host an in-person lecture program, “New York’s Antislavery Movement from 1693-1827,” on Thursday, June 30, at 5:30 p.m. The program will be presented by Sarah L.H. Gronningsater, an assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this talk, Gronningsater will discuss the deep origins of Anglo-American antislavery policy and beliefs, tracing abolitionist ideas from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. She will also discuss the day-to-day applications and experiences of gradual abolition, focusing on the experiences of enslaved and free Black New Yorkers who had to navigate a long, complicated emancipation process. She will highlight the important role of Black male voters, including some on the East End, during the years when gradual abolition was unfolding on the ground and was subject to continual reform and tweaking in the legislature.

Sarah Gronningsater is a historian of the 18th and 19th century United States, with a particular interest in slavery, abolition, and gradual emancipation. She is the author of the forthcoming book, “The Arc of Abolition: The Children of Gradual Emancipation and the Origins of National Freedom.” An Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, she received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Admission is free. Register online via EventBrite.com, by phone at 631-324-0222 ext. 4 or by email to andrea@easthamptonlibrary.org. East Hampton Library is at 159 Main Street, East Hampton.