“South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to Civil War”

Alice Baumgartner, PhD, assistant professor of history at the University of Southern California, will provide a necessary perspective on pre-Civil War America and the profound importance of Mexico in the history of the United States. She’ll highlight the collective stories of American enslaved people who escaped to Mexico during the 19th century seeking freedom, and how Mexican abolition contributed to the sectional crisis in the U.S. and shaped the lives of enslaved people.

Baumgartner will deliver a virtual presentation and present part of her research while engaging with the audience. Lunch will be served.

Baumgartner’s book South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War has won multiple awards and prizes, and was an  editor’s choice by The New York Times Book Review and a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Award.

The event is free, registration required.

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