South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the 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. 

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.

Food will be available, and guests are also welcome to bring their lunch.

This event is also available via zoom. Please, RSVP to receive the link.

If you are not on campus, join the event via zoom

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