Susan early on your latest book is an epic journey from slave to freedom. What makes their story particularly compelling to you. Ilyon woo i cant even begin to say what does not make it compelling for me i am obsessed with the story and have been for a really long time. I think what originally drew me to it was the phenomenal adventure story and their narrative, running 1000 miles to freedom which they published in 1860. It talks about this incredible escape they make. They are husband and wife enslaved in makem george at jaya georgia and they decide they are going to for freedom not with any underground railroad which does not reach south where they are, not by hiding and traveling by night. But they go out in the full light of day, disguised as master and slave with william playing the role of the slave. That story grip me from the beginning. In their time how well were they . Ilyon woo they were quite wellknown known actually there is a quotation from Wendell Phillips who is a celeb
American products. [applause] [crowd chanting four more years] pres. Biden thank you, thank you. Hello wisconsin. Nick, thanks for the introduction. Before i get started, i went to set the record straight. Please sit. I went to a Catholic High School in delaware taught by the no 14 priests from saint norbert college, a little team called green bay. [crowd cheering] heres the deal. You are the only high school in delaware who overwhelmingly rooted for green bay. [laughter] pres. Biden not a joke. I will tell you why. Every single sunday, not only did they have a great team at the time, still do, but at the time, my theology professor at the Catholic School i went to was a guy named riley. Last name. He had been drafted by the Green Bay Packers and he decided to become a priest before that, so he didnt go. But for single solitary monday that green bay won, we got the last period of the day off. [laughter] [applause] now we catholics call that indirect bribery. [laughter] but it worked. I
Immigrants are starting to m it to. For the gold rush, and working on the railroads and mines and such. So our population is exploding and changing. At a dramatic rate. Susan do you know approximately how many enslaved persons were in the United States at the time . Ilyon woo thats another good question, i am not on top of the figures. Susan i wrote down, about 3 million. That is one of your historical figures referenced. We will use that number from your book. You also tell readers that we think about the fugitive slave law is something that came out of the compromise of 1850, but you remind your readers that George Washington actually signed fugitive slave legislation so it had been enforced since the very founding of the country. What did that early legislation mean for enslaved people, what did it do to their lives . Ilyon woo both the fugitive slave law, the 18th century fugitive slave law and a clause in the constitution itself, made it possible for, or legalized enslavers rights
We are embedded in the past and the past is embedded in us. If you dont believe it, stay tuned. Welcome to another standing room. Only meeting. The initiative for the science of the human passed at harvard periodically. We hold Public Events and were just beginning to come back to life, really. After the pandemic that share the results of the Different Research groups and laboratories and seminars that participate in this network. At harvard and farther afield. To present to you the learned and general public cultivated public what our findings are and to open them for discussion with all of you. Today we have a really special treat for all of us about a subject that is filled with pain and joy and wrecking mission of the challenges of the human past and of assuming our responsibility as historians, as archeologists and as archaeal scientists to understand the past. However unpleasant it may be, this event is close, sponsored by various departments and programs at harvard, the departme
We are embedded in the past and the past is embedded in us. If you dont believe it, stay tuned. Welcome to another standing room. Only meeting. The initiative for the science of the human passed at harvard periodically. We hold Public Events and were just beginning to come back to life, really. After the pandemic that share the results of the Different Research groups and laboratories and seminars that participate in this network. At harvard and farther afield. To present to you the learned and general public cultivated public what our findings are and to open them for discussion with all of you. Today we have a really special treat for all of us about a subject that is filled with pain and joy and wrecking mission of the challenges of the human past and of assuming our responsibility as historians, as archeologists and as archaeal scientists to understand the past. However unpleasant it may be, this event is close, sponsored by various departments and programs at harvard, the departme