This is an hour and 45 minutes. Eric foner i am eric foner from the columbia university, moderating this second session on slavery and freedom. I want to begin by thanking the organizers of this excellent conference. We all know how much work went into, you know, putting this whole thing together. So thanks to those at the museum , and the American Historical Association that have been so active in getting this conference organized. Two weeks ago, i gave my last class at columbia university. I am now riding off into the sunset [applause] eric foner of retirement. And so i ask if you will indulge me for just a minute as i reflect briefly on my own experience in relation to this field of African American history. Which is a little, it is sort of emblematic of the many things that have happened the last couple of generations. I grew up in a family in which africanAmerican History, although utterly ignored in the School Education that i got in grade school and high school, nonetheless, the
Each provides the historian with a wealth of insights, at each informs my presentation tonight. Heres what im going to talk about. I focus on the faithful series of events in late 1860 and early 1861, when a president ial election triggered a grave crisis, and before long, a civil war. Let us hope that history never repeats itself. But let us remember that any durable electoral system has attributes that we dare not take for granted. It presupposes some degree of shared values. Presupposes that you accept the legitimacy of your opponents , and that you accept the verdict of the voters. That Political Parties behave responsibly. And be prepared to govern. It presupposes the Neither Party nominated and on horseback who might try not been to the entire system. End thet try to up entire system. It presupposes the bullets never replace ballots. I will organize this into four topics. Lincoln and the Republican Party. I will try to answer several key questions. What did lincoln and the republ
Its called the future of the africanamerican and pass. Its an hour and 45 minutes. A am from columbia in University Monitoring this second session on slavery and freedom. I want to thank the organizers of this conference. We all know how much work went into putting this whole thing together so thank you very much while to those from the museum and the association. Ago i gave my last class at columbia university. I am now writing off into the sunset. [applause] of retirement. You will indulge me for just a minute as i read what briefly on my own experience in relation to this field of African American history. Emblematic of several things that have happened in the last couple of generations. I grew up in a family in which africanAmerican History, in theh ignored education that i got in grades and high school, nevertheless, the black experience was considered in my family central to American History. And were friends of my family. I still have a photo my mother gave of myself sitting on
Willing to accept it in order to preserve the union. The New York Historical society and the bryant park reading room cohosted this event. It is an hour and half. Thank you, alex castle and paul marineau, and thanks to the Bryant Park Corporation and the bryant park reading room, and the hsbc corporation, and all else who made it possible for me to appear here tonight. Its a particular privilege to speak here in new york city. Already, 1860, as it remains today, new york was the nerve center of the nation. The herald, the tribune, the times, the three most influential and widely read newspapers in the United States were published right here. Each provides the historian with a wealth of insights, at each informs my presentation tonight. Heres what im going to talk about. I focus on the faithful series of events in late 1860 and early 1861, when a president ial election triggered a grave crisis, and before long, a civil war. Let us hope that history never repeats itself. But let us remem
Its a short distance from sioux city. Im about to meet a family thats farmed this land for generations and learn about a very strange inheritance. My name is roma lancaster. After my dad passed away, we knew that there would be a lot of things that would have to be sorted out and gone through on the farm. Romas father, dave hawkins, has deep roots in this part of iowa, going back more than a century. My fathers ancestors immigrated to the United States in late 1800s. They moved westward with the expansion of the railroad, and my grandfather, my dads father, albert hawkins, farmed just south of here, about a mile. Dave hawkins grew up hearing stories of his ancestors plowing this land behind a team of horses. As a young farmer in the 1950s, just out of school, dave spots a tractor rusting in the weeds. It sparks his imagination. The 1920 9d is the tractor that belonged to my grandfather. Thats what got my dad into the collecting again was when he restored that tractor that had originall