In the context of slavery, science is usually associated with slaveholders’ scientific justifications of racism. But abolitionists were equally adept at using scientific ideas to discredit slaveholders. Looking beyond the science of race, "The Science of Abolition" shows how Black and white scientists and abolitionists drew upon a host of scientific disciplines—from chemistry, botany, and geology, to medicine and technology—to portray slaveholders as the enemies of progress.
The speaker for this event will be Eric Herschtal, Assistant Professor of History, University of Utah.
This event is part of the Lehman Center for American History's New Book Series: Historians in the Archives. It is co-sponsored by the RBML.