By now, it seems everyone has an opinion about The 1619 Project. Published in 2019, The 1619 Project was a special edition of The New York Times’ Magazine that tried to focus readers’ attention upon the centrality of race slavery in American history. 

In this program, University of Maryland historian Dr. Richard Bell will test three of The 1619 Project’s central claims against the evidence in the historical record. We will examine whether or not the preservation of slavery was a central motivation of the American Revolution. We will explore whether or not the 1787 Constitution enshrined the right to hold ‘property in man.’ We will also study the multi-faceted character of Abraham Lincoln’s racial politics during the Civil War.

While The 1619 Project has aroused controversy, this program will focus on the facts and the evidence, leaving participants well equipped to make up their own minds.

About Richard

Dr. Richard Bell is a Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. He has held major research fellowships at Yale, Cambridge and the Library of Congress and is the recipient of the National Endowment of the Humanities Public Scholar award and the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. Dr. Bell serves as a Trustee of the Maryland Center for History and Culture and as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

INVITE

This program is appropriate for ages 18+. Register by clicking on the "Begin Registration" button (below). A Zoom link will be sent a day before the event. 

**Make sure to register for To Preserve Slavery? Debating the Cause of the American Revolution. This virtual program is on May 8 at 7 p.m.**