fight to memorialize abolitionist frederick douglass. and the power of the black committee placed on martha's vineyard. all today on "cityline." hello. welcome to "cityline." i am karen holmes ward. massachusetts played a pivotal role in the fight to end slavery. boston was a community of free african communities and that the charge for equal rights. many black and white were involved in the underground railroad, helping the enslaved escape to freedom. serve and abolitionist movement. someone has been missing from the landscape. one group of young people have helped to highlight his legacy. ? boston and massachusetts have made significant contributions to the abolitionist movement of the 1800s. with that historic role, a link to iconic figures the contributed to change. one being frederick douglass. >> friin equality. he became an abolitionist and worked with the group of people who also wanted the same as him and wanted freedom for the black community. karen: but the residents know and understand frederick douglass and his two impact in

was was the leading abolitionists of the congress'ed and had long's resided for morning a decade. he knew where he lived. there-incidented that surround lincoln's life as a congressman who don't have to do with the direct response of congress and let affect his experience and his thinking. they are among others that slave hunters and catchers, they -- came to abolition house and seized a situater as -- seized a waiter and tried to sell him, and every wilted this and they saved the waiter. the other involved -- the ship known as the pearl -- this is a little known incident now but while lincoln was a congressman, a group of more than 70 slaves in washington, many of them in the most privileged positions, including working the white house, working for dolly madison, all gathered at night, and had collaborated with the local abolition network in washington, to get on a boat and sail away, down the potomac to the chesapeake bay and go north to freedom and escape. they were caught. there was a trial of the captain. and the famous figures became the attorneys for them. a horse man who f

abolitionists such as william lloyd garrison did not of course not notice oco funds cabin. is anti-abolitionist newspaper, the liberator, published a story in january of 1853 called "uncle tom's cabin" media. in which, i am paraphrasing, it is such a manic love of this book and that folks have really attached themselves to the characters, he says it's taking away from the power to end abolition. folks are getting lost in the human connections they're making with these characters and a melodrama in the style attribute "uncle tom's cabin" was so popular as a stage production that more americans saw the play then read the book. also speaking to the popularity can one of the first movies ever made in the united states was a porter at this and film, "uncle tom's cabin," in 1903. for everyone knew the story for it was going to sell. people would buy the tickets were stage production or a film, and he was just part of american culture, and still is today. her characters you will see you on the poster, this is supposed to be the liza and her son harry and enslaved people who are es

we have songs written by abolitionists that were sung at different meetings by abolitionists and we had teaching tools for abolitionist children so this for example gives you a feel for the alphabet but also gives you a poem of each letter that talks about some negative aspects of slavery so the sort these sort of things were effective teaching tools at the time. even more than that we have photos that would have been circulated in newspapers to try to gain support for abolitionism. for example this is a photo here of emancipated slaves that would have been found in northern newspapers quite a bit after the fugitive slaves -- fugitive slave law pass. this would have been a private family space where harriet would spend time with her husband and her two twin daughters living here and they may be reading to each other, they may be writing letters, they may be playing the piano but it was more of a relaxation space than a public formal entertaining space. when visitors come into this room we don't allow them to touch anything or sit on any of the chairs. although we have reproduce the circ

henry clay an abolitionist. he was definitely not an abolitionist. he was for the idea of emancipation. and no, he never changed his position on that. and as we discussed earlier, especially in the election of 1840, it hurts him. the fact that he does -- tries to waffle. but, no, he never backs away from his idea of emancipation. >> cassius clay. >> 1799, clay speaks out the first time publicly in kentucky against slavery. letter to the local paper. and -- 50 years later, when he does the same thing again, kentucky trying to adopt a new constitution and hope to get slavery abolished but doesn't happen. he takes the same stance. over a 50-year period consistent. thing is over that 50 years the world -- his views are still the same. >> her question about cassius clay? >> i know of no -- question about whether or not they are african-american, no. i'm not aware of that. >> whether or not he had any descendants african-americans. >> there were at least one story that appeared 40 years after henry clay's death that -

he definitely was not an abolitionist. he was for the idea of emancipation and, no, he never changed his position on that. and as we discussed earlier, especially in the election of 1840, it hurts him. the fact that he doesn't -- he tries to waffle and straddle the fence but, no, he never backs away from his idea of emancipation. >> cassius clay. >> in 1899 clay speaks out against slavery in a letter to the local paper. when he does the same thing again when kentucky is trying to adopt a new constitution and they were hoping to get slavery abolished, it didn't happen, he takes basically the same stance. over a 50 year period he was pretty consistent. over that 50 years the world had changed around him. his views were the same. >> her question about the two cassius clays. >> i know of no -- >> it was a question about whether or not they were african-american -- >> no, i'm not aware of that. >> so whether or not he had any descendants who were african-american. >> there are over at least one story that appeared something lik

thomas clarkson was a major british abolitionists, beginning in the 18th century. and when stowe goes to england he has already passed that his widow wishes to present her with something other of his so she hs made a big it is engraved on the back with the date of the meeting. so we know stowe treasure to this ngo a print of clarkson as well, and it hung in her home as well as other british abolitionists and folks are really worked towards human rights during the time she lived. stowe is a celebrity author who really changed the way americans look at slavery. she was the one through her writings who gave enslaved people a human eye stealing. white folks really didn't understand in a lot of ways that enslaved african-americans were people. they were thought of as a property. so for her to humanize and making people and for readers to understand that, this is wrong, that the breaking up of human families is morally wrong and unchristian, that was the goal she set for herself in showing the wrongs of slavery in "uncle tom's cabin." >> you are watching booktv on c-span

now remember, the abolitionists had connections with england. they were transatlantic, no question about it. women's suffrage advocates back and forth, but the socialists were global in a sense. the socialist newspapers talks about the irish struggle for independence. they talked about india and anti-colonialism. they talked about russian revolution when it happened. they talked about the liberation of the jews in the need for the liberation of the jews in the czarist empire. they taught people that they were part of a worldwide movement. a worldwide problem. so they spoke an american language but it was not a kind of exceptionalism which said we are so superior to everybody else that we don't have to think about anything that's happening in other countries. and they did, despite what i said, bridge the gap between high culture and maybe a middle culture. many writers were associated with the socialists. they had public events. isadora duncan, for example, you know, pioneer of the 20th century dance. you would not have dance as it exists today w

now remember, the abolitionists had connections with england. they were transatlantic, no question about it. women's suffrage advocates back and forth, but the socialists were global in a sense. the socialist newspapers talks about the irish struggle for independence. they talked about india and anti-colonialism. they talked about russian revolution when it happened. they talked about the liberation of the jews in the need for the liberation of the jews in the czarist empire. they taught people that they were part of a worldwide movement. a worldwide problem. so they spoke an american language but it was not a kind of exceptionalism which said we are so superior to everybody else that we don't have to think about anything that's happening in other countries. and they did, despite what i said, bridge the gap between high culture and maybe a middle culture. many writers were associated with the socialists. they had public events. isadora duncan, for example, you know, pioneer of the 20th century dance. you would not have dance as it exists today w

that is what we -- two black people by white abolitionists and many internalize those ideas. we have been consuming them in teaching and reteaching and what i found in the book is that idea is based on a racist idea. that strategy is based on a racist idea. it connotes this idea that black people are responsible for the racist idea that white people have, that black people are somehow responsible for the racist ideas white people have which means there is some truth in the racist ideas that white people have because black people are acting a particular way. i basically chronicle this strategy of upwardly mobile blacks defying racist ideas and show the way those ideas are based on racist ideas. very quickly, typically most americans think of a racist idea as an idea that states racial groups are biologically distinct and black people are genetically distinct and inferior and typically people do not acknowledge the other ways people have considered blacks to be inferior like culturally to give you an example. throughout history you had a group i call assimilationist's who state

fr freemont and was an abolitionist. fascinating guy. so filibusters did occur and they did delay the climax of the debate and it drove clay crazy. and he said so. do you want to take that? >> no, go right ahead, i'll come along. >> i'll say parenthetically here, my wife works on capitol hill, she 's the staff director of a u.s. senate committee and this is my dinner table conversation every night. and -- are there lessons to be learned, let's say. is there -- i think there are some. i think the debate illuminates where we stand today. i think the analogy between the gridlock which we didn't talk about very much here but both the house and the senate were gridlocked, the term didn't exist in 1850, but that was very much the situation. it took scores of ballots for the house to elect a speaker, for example, in 1850. scores of ballots. it's an amazing debate in its own right which i cover in the book. and the senate did nothing else in 10 months but to debate this. nothing. all other business was pushed to the margins. whatever else govern

she was an abolitionist and someone who'll teach how to read and write and teach other slaves how to read and writewrite. my grandfather, shelter had kids and one of his kids were archie syphax who's my father. when i walk down the streets, i feel that i am in the shoes of those who where here before me. i feel empowered and i feel new strengths to want to carry on with the work that i am doing. >>> american history tv is marking this centennial of the national park service. now, from earlier this evening, we look back to a century of staurtship as it embarrasses on now conservation and preservation challenges. >>> 100 yaears ago, president woodrow wilson signed the law. this was a uniquely american idea of the concept's of the nation's beautiful. it is their right to visit these spaces. places like the grand canyon and yellow stone and the statue of liberty, they became familiar to us and many are known around the world. president obama on a visit to yosemite water falls told the crowd it is like the spirit of america itself is right here. today there are 84 million acres and 410 si

abolitionist and i think that -- quasi-ocean is and i think that death -- plaza -- quasi abolitionistnd i think that death changed his life. >> you talk to doctors, why? >> my interest is in personality. i think we have to try to psychology.he university,shington psychological profiles of political leaders from bill clinton to saddam hussein. this notion of trying. i'm interested in understanding what mix people take and when we think of presidents we tend to think of list of policies. coolidge, flow taxes. roosevelt, the new deal. i'm trying to change that and have people think of them as decision-makers. how do they make decisions. i think the scene -- seeing how the decisions inside the family can flesh out our understanding of them. >> chapter five is the grief stricken. i would to ask about somebody, william mckinley. have,all it -- you coolidge and the loss of his son and think what appears in the loss of his son and a couple children. what about william mckinley? >> mckinley loses to children in the 1870's and as with john quincy adams, out of that tragedy comes some kind of en

chaffe who was from massachusetts, he was an abolitionist and he was a member of congress, a sitting member of congress at this time. so suddenly he finds he's the owner of the most famous slaves in the united states. just literally overnight. and he wanted to divest himself of these slaves as quickly as he could before the press found out, basically. what he did was he actually sold the scott family for a token dollar to taylor blow, one of the sons of the original family from the plantation where scott was born back in virginia. and taylor blow brought them into this courtroom and set them free in 1857. so the scotts achieved the freedom that they had fought so long to obtain, while still provoking this incredibly important supreme court decision which led the country on a road to civil war, which, of course, eventually freed all the slaves. dred, unfortunately did not live very long after the decision was rendered. he died probably of tuberculosis in 1858 only a year after the case was decided. his wife lived on until 1876. she saw the civil war and saw freedom come along. for a g

chaffe who was from massachusetts, he was an abolitionist and he was a member of congress, a sitting member of congress at this time. so suddenly he finds he's the owner of the most famous slaves in the united states. just literally overnight. and he wanted to divest himself of these slaves as quickly as he could before the press found out, basically. what he did was he actually sold the scott family for a token dollar to taylor blow, one of the sons of the original family from the plantation where scott was born back in virginia. and taylor blow brought them into this courtroom and set them free in 1857. so the scotts achieved the freedom that they had fought so long to obtain, whi

abolitionists first in the 1790s began lecturing free blacks. this is the way that you undermine the prejudices and thereby undermine the ideas that were underlined in slavery, that you need to go before white n audiences and that's what we are taught and many then internalize those ideas and we have been teaching him to be teaching them ever since. what i found in the book is that idea is actually based on a racist idea. that strategy is based on a racist idea and actually promotes this idea that somehoww people are responsible for theha racist ideas that white people have. that people are somehow responsible for the idea which means that there is some truth in the ideas because black people are acting a particular way. and so, i basically chronicle what i call this sort ofrategy strategy and show the way that those ideas are based on racist ideas. so very quickly, most americans think of a racist idea as an idea that states the racial r groups are biologically distinc and people are distinct and interior and people do not acknowledge all of th

a were led mostly by abolitionists who proved to be abolitionists of the moment. was the 13th amendment is out and blacks are free, once piece comes, it is apathy over the north while involved -- the radical republicans really helped the black man is very open to argument over the long-haul. brian: u.s. grant. james robertson: he is a hero of the civil war. it is grants determination that wins the war. after the war, he fully expected to be elected president. both properties -- parties wanted him to run. he did not know anything about politics. the confirmation -- compromising, political acumen of altar he just sat back and accepted all the gifts and the accolades for two terms. he runs on a simple statement, let us have peace in the country is on apart. introduced a system of nepotism never challenged until the kennedys came into office and every relative was put on the payroll and several of his cabinet members for a most indicted for high crimes and misdemeanors. it was a terrible eight years. which proves once again that the nation can survive the voters. surv

asilton is being portrayed more progressive, more of in abolitionist and it is just not true.you have a book out called aaron burr? >> yes. i was interested in him not because i was in love with him, not because i wanted to simply defend him from all the previous criticism. i wrote that book because i thought historians were really missing something important. here is a guy who not only was vice president, he has incredible influence in new york. you cannot understand the relationship between hamilton and burn unless you understand politics back then. he had an incredible career. he got involved in a alabaster which was common factors. even hamilton supported ella busters, this idea of, if we have a chance to go toward to mexico, there were numerous filibusters and canada. manifestart of destiny. we really do not understand what was happening in politics and 1790's and 1800s. he did not have a single idea in his head. it was ludicrous. and they do not read his papers. it is harder to work on because he does not have all of his papers published like hamilton did. a lot of his p

who proved to be abolitionists of the moment.e 13th amendment is out, once the black people are freed, peace comes, apathy descends over the north while hey get involved in political contests. o the radical republicans really helping the black man is eally open to open to argument over the long haul. ost: ulysses grant is in your book, why. professor robinson: he was the hero of the civil war. it was his determination that won the war. afterwards, he was expected to elected president. both parties wanted him to run he should be. he was a man that knew nothing about politics, the give and acumens thatlitical are involved and he just sat back and accepted all the gifts come l the accolades that with being president. for two terms, he runs on a simple statement, let us have and the country is falling apart under reconstruction while he's president. he introduced a system of never challenged until the kennedies came into office. was put on the payroll. several of his most prominent members were indicted for high crimes and misdemeano

quasi abolitionist and i think that death changed his life. out of that pain, he wanted to do something with the rest of his life. brian: you talked to a couple psychiatrists, medical doctors. why? mr. kendall: my interest is in personality. i think we have to try to understand the psychology. gerald post at george washington university, he's done psychological profiles of political leaders from bill clinton to saddam hussein. what i'm interested in is understanding what makes people take and when we think of presidents we tend to think of list of policies. coolidge, low taxes. roosevelt, the new deal. i'm trying to change that and have people think of them as decision-makers. how do they make decisions? i think seeing how they make decisions inside the family can flesh out our understanding of them. brian: chapter five is the grief stricken. i want to ask about somebody, william mckinley. you have calvin coolidge and the loss of his son and franklin pierce and the loss of his son and a couple children. what about william mckinley? mr. kendall

it tries to paint him as an abolitionist. he was not. it tries to portray him as a self-made man. had patrons and mentors. it also tries to introduce the dream of the emigrant, it in fact what i highlight in my piece is that to aaron burr, aaron burr when he was in the new york legislature, he is talking about america as a place for immigrants to come. he is the one who is defending the rights of the immigrants because at that very moment, hamilton's party was pushing for a constitutional amendment which immigrant to hold any public office. they also pushed for restrictions on voting. and then we know the famous alien and sedition acts which were part of the federalist party and part of what hamilton does, you have no idea what the party was by watching the play. it is not history. it is fun. enjoy it. but do not assume that either by watching the musical, listening to the soundtrack, even reading the biography that you are going to get the full portrait of alexander hamilton. brian: are you saying the book is not accurate? nancy: yes. trying to push them in eight direction that i

slave owners saw it as something they didn't want to do and abolitionists saw it's a a bla kant hypocrisyry few were left in what he felt was the middle ground most would adopt. clay was sure it was the way forward. so sure of it was he that in 19349 he did a speech for a friend and after it his friend said, henry, this will never work. you can't take this tact, you'll never get elected with this. clay said, i don't care, i should rather be right than be president. it doesn't matter what happens to me and doesn't matter if i get elected. what matters is what's right for country. i must always do what is right for the country and what is right for the country is support to ideology, this will get us through and deal with the issue. unfortunately we know it didn't but that is what henry clay believed was the way forward. clay ended his life in washington, d.c. he returned in 1849 to resume his place in the senate and accomplished the compromise of 1850, but was always very sick during that period. he had tuberculosis, something he didn't believe for a long time but it took a further and fur

who knows what impact out a pad on the abolitionist movement for 100 years.i am not focusing on the negative, i recognize as many of you do that there have been tremendous changes and progress in this country over that long arc. we have ended slavery, we ended jim crow at the -- public accommodation we have been elected and reelected our first black president. this is monumental. this is progress. this legislation we have passed antidiscrimination legislation hasn't made a huge difference and many minority families in this country. let me give give you an example of my own history. my data mail goal both volunteer. >> who is your uncle? >> you may have heard of him, he is one of the longest-serving -- in the country, first african-american federal commissioner. somebody who fought for civil rights in this country until he died in 1998. the judge when he was it you lost in 1952 he won more oral advocacy awards than any other student in the history of the law school. where he won the prize three judges were there, one, john w davis the had a law firm on wall st

in massachusetts the northern state, widely considered the cradle of abolitionist. it was a state he learned early in life that was hardly free of racial prejudice. at harvard, only the seventh man of african descent admitting he was one abundant praise from his teachers but felt distant from his students by his classic background of background and his color. he later right that he was asked but not of the place. in berlin where louis observes he spent some of the most exuberant and carefree days of his life, he soaked up all he could in the classroom, awestruck, proud, determined, determined to make the most of this miraculous opportunity. in germany the division into his soul deep in. as he heard his teacher one of the intellectual founders of area nationalism, the greatest of all the professors explode from the podium and the translation is, they are inferior. they feel themselves inferior. his notebook is filled with a generic self-conscious of a precocious student above but with special twists and turns. descriptions of solitary ceremonies by candlelight, praye

we sit down and look at the abolitionist who was strong in making sure he ended slavery and worked within that movement. we have amazing scholar web du bois, the naacp leader and the legendary prison activist angela davis. ibram kendi is a native son of jamaica, queens, new york, where he lived until he moved to virginia. he went to the florida and them for the undergraduate, and got his doctorate, from temple university. he is now a professor at the university of florida. ibram kendi will give the background under the history of racism in america. professor d. watkins put together a number of essays, living and dying while black in america. the book chronicles his life story in many ways, talks about the things he grew up with and the things he witnessed but professor d. watkins is able to

that pushed throu t the civil righ legislatio and voting right th tepublican they wer etablished abolitionist party docra come alo sayin yeah, know but it a switched anepublica becam democra what a tot l there's no evidence of tha whatsoever. sma gro people stil goi o, stil manipulating, stil using lyin do we want t tal abo tha yes, we do want to tal about i to som degree but we really ne t tal abo the issues tha aect t quality of life o o cldre that i s iportan 20 triion dollars deb what is that goi t d t them why don't we talk abou the things >> dickerson: let me a y about the pitch that donal trump made to th aic american community in hi speech, this idonald tru saying, what do you have to lo by tryi somethi n lik donald trump you live i poverty, you schools are no good, you hav n employed what the hell do you have t us what do you make -- what d y think that have pitch how i will be received well again, y want listen t what i bei sai he tlkinbou progressiv moveme ahey' rulg an majo cti o o nati what has that l t in t l 30 years, mor pvert mo incarceration, broke hom ou o school dropout ho

fight to memorialize abolitionist frederick douglass. and the power of the black committee placed on martha's vineyard. all today on "cityline." hello. welcome to "cityline." i am karen holmes ward. massachusetts played a pivotal role in the fight to end slavery. boston was a community of free african communities and that the charge for equal rights. many black and white were involved in the underground railroad, helping the enslaved escape to freedom.

abolitionist party, democrats come along saying, yeah, i know, but it all switched. and republicans became democrats what a total lie. there's no evidence of that whatsoever. a small group of people. still going on, still manipulating, still using, still lying. do we want to talk about that, yes, we do want to talk about it to some degree. but we really need to talk about the issues that affect the quality of life of our children. 20 trillion dollars in debt, what is that going to do to them? why don't we talk about these things. >> dickerson: let me ask you about the pitch that donald trump made to the african american community in his speech, this is donald trump saying, what do you have to lose by trying something new like donald trump. you live in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth sun employed. what the hell do you have to use. what do you make -- what do you think that have pitch how it will be received? >> well, again, you want to listeno he's talking about progressive movement and they're ruling and major cities of our nati

so it wasn't just one southern lady, it was three southern ladies living under the roof of an abolitionist and a lincoln republican. the perfect combination for some family drama. unlike the library, which was the equivalent of today's family room where the children spend most of their time, the parlor was generally off limits to the roosevelt children, reserved for sundays or formal occasions. one occasion was in 1868 when the charter that established the american museum of natural history in new york was signed in this room by his father. most people tend to associate president the door radios let with the museum of natural history. with good reason, there's a big statue outside, that is the official new york state memorial to president roosevelt. you walk inside this rotunda, there's a mural, there's a memorial gallery below. but when the museum opened up he was only 10 years old. his father was also involved in the founding of the metropolitan museum of art. he helped raise money that built a pedestal for the statue of liberty. organizees the children's aid society, the orthopedic hosp

garfield does not consider himself to be an abolitionist, but he was fiercely opposed to slavery and very, very eagerly supportive -- not eagerly, but very, very passionately supportive of the rights of african-americans to be equal citizens in this country. when he was relatively poor, a number of freed slaves, he put them up. in particular, one stayed with him for a while. and he gave him what little money he had to try and help this escaped slave. he was enormously upset when john brown was hanged. he said this is a dark day in the history of our country. and then in his diary, of course in latin, he writes slavery be damned. his diary would switch from between latin and greek and english. he was obviously -- from what you can pick up of this guy, it's no surprise that people were drawn to him and were very impressed with him. in 1859, a state senator in ohio died and the republican party, which is relatively new, comes to him and says you're opposed to slavery, you're for emancipation, you're for the union, would you run for state senate. he says, i know nothing about politics. t

and yet you said he was not an abolitionist. you want to help us understand that piece? >> you viewed the abolitionists as trying to end slavery through violence and he didn't think that was the right way to go about it. but he was so opposed to slavery. soon as the civil war broke out -- when the civil war broke out, lincoln tried to make the case of the civil war is to preserve the union. garfield said, no, the civil war is to end slavery. he really in his gut just felt it was wrong. i'm so glad we have these questions. >> yes. can you think of any specific ways that the country's history would have been different afterwards if garfield had done one or even two terms? >> wow, what a great question! historians love the "what if?" if you wonder what are historians doing when they sit around together and no one's paying attention, we play the "what if" game. so that's a great question. if garfield had survived, and served out his term, i think he might have been able to restructure the way reconstruction was going. it was going terribly. it was going -- grant was not good

who knows what impact out a pad on the abolitionist movement for 100 years.i am not focusing on the negative, i recognize as many of you do that there have been tremendous changes and progress in this country over that long arc. we have ended slavery, we ended jim crow at the -- public accommodation we have been elected and reelected our first black president. this is monumental. this is progress. this legislation we have passed antidiscrimination legislation hasn't made a huge difference and many minority families in this country. let me give give you an example of my own history. my data mail goal both volunteer. >> who is your uncle? >> you may have heard of him, he is one of the longest-serving -- in the country, first african-american federal commissioner. somebody who fought for civil rights in this country until he died in 1998. the judge when he was it you lost in 1952 he won more oral advocacy awards than any other student in the history of the law school. where he won the prize three judges were there, one, john w davis the had a law firm on wall st

abraham lincoln never belonged to an abolitionist party. fire from below is what i believed in and that is what this book is about. >> host: you have been, dissident, radical, terrorist. how do you label yourself? >> dissident and radical i'm happy with, i'm not a terrorist endeavor was. a good friend passed away a few weeks ago, was also called a terrorist and radical, if you want to put me in that category i am pleased to be in that category but i don't measure up. the freedom fighters we admire, martin luther king, malcolm x, you can go back through history. all the great people who moved history forward were dissidents and radicals. that is where we look for inspiration. what we did in the weather underground a moment and 6000 people a week were being murdered by our government be considered extreme acts of vandalism, we destroyed property and that is not terrorism. we were not using violence as a weapon of trying to crush people or persuade people, we were issuing a noisy scream against genocide of the terrorists were the people droppi

attacking with a heavy cane -- attacked with heavy cane and nearly clubbed to death the outspoken abolitionist charles sumner of massachusetts. there was a day in 1950 when a freshman senator from maine, margaret chase-smith, had the courage to stand and challenge senator joseph mccarthy as no one yet had. saying that those who shouted loudest about americanism all too frequently ignored such basic principles of americanism as the right to criticize. the right to hold unpopular beliefs. the right to protest. the right of independent thought. harry truman later said to her, mrs. smith, your declaration of conscience was one of the finest things that's happened here in washington in all my years in the senate and in the white house. as should be appreciated, too, there is here and rightfully an enduring pride that comes with serving one's country, of navigating with skill and good intentions and to good effect within this political institution. congressman barbara jordan once put if proudly, i am neither a black politician nor a woman politician. just a politician. a professional politician. my

look to the inspiration, if not the instigation of british abolitionists in london. >> you can watchthis and other programs online at booktv.org. >> the second annual mississippi book festival will continue live from jackson in just a few minutes on booktv. >> welcome, everyone. i'm chris goodwin with the mississippi department of archives and history. please silence your cell phones. c-span is recording these sessions. this is the mississippi history panel. sponsored by beard and ricer architects architects architects and nautilus publishing we thank the legislature for letting us use the beautiful mississippi state capitol this year for the book festival. we could not ask for a lovelier spot to be. all of our authors, all of our panelis are authors. all of their books are available for sale outside today, and they will all be signing copies of their works. you can find the schedule for a when they'll be available to sign in your program. and i encourage you al all to visit with him. thank you for doing this. this is wonderful and we're excited about it. our moderator for the panel

walking in the footsteps of 1776, that to say that 1776 was an attempt to escape the logic of abolitionistslavery, and southern africa was an attempt to escape the logic of decolonialization and one person one vote and african majority rule. you cannot nunn trials experienced by people of african descent in north america unless you understand they fought against the formation of the united states of america. they sided with london and its tempt attempt to crush the slave holder rebellion just like the africans did not accept the establishment of the new state of rhodesiain' 1965 and if you fight a war and lose you can expect to be penalized forever more unless and until you're able to turn the tables against your oppressors, and one of the ways we were able to turn the tables against our oppressors was through the haitian revolution, 1791 to 1804, which follows quickly upon the footsteps of the formation of the u.s. constitution and the first convening of congress in some ways it was a rebuke and a reputation of this new slave-holding, which is why i start the book with u.s. president geor