Bill Ayers discusses his recently finished book, When Freedom is the Question, Abolition is the Answer, a collection of essays reflecting on the concept of collective freedom. The book explores the contradictions of modern times,...

The Statue of Liberty is more than just a statue – it’s a collection of powerful symbols that represent the United States, its history and the ideals that it holds dear.

From its creation in 1701 to its role in American independence and beyond, the Liberty Bell embodies the United States’ enduring values of liberty, equality, democracy, and freedom for all.

Newton Knight was a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War who went AWOL to form a guerrilla force of fellow deserters and escaped slaves, who fought against the Confederacy.

Born into slavery on George Washington's plantation, Ona Judge's daring escape highlights the ideological contradictions of personal liberty in early America.

Enduring slavery and loss, Matilda Hughes's relentless quest to reunite and rebuild her family showcases the indomitable spirit of love amidst America's darkest chapters.

The first Black newspaper editor in the history of the United States, Mary Ann Shadd Cary spoke out to champion the cause of freedom in an era when the voices of African Americans were rarely heard.

A pioneering suffragette and free thinker, Ernestine Rose was way ahead of her time. Described as the “first Jewish feminist”, she used her voice to campaign for women’s rights and improve the lives of millions.

The Presidential Election of 1876 was considered a foregone conclusion, with Democrat Samuel J. Tilden sure to defeat Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, but disputed Southern electoral votes led to an outcome that nobody predicted.

The Presidential Election of 1860 proved the most divisive in U.S. history, with the election of Abraham Lincoln triggering the secession of Southern states. But how did it play out at the polls?

The Black Lives Matter protests in the US, which escalated in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have brought the little-known but decades-old campaign to abolish US police into the spotlight. But what are...

A disproportionate number of people who occupy the top jobs across the UK – from the prime minister and leading politicians to judges and entertainers – were privately educated. Campaigners who think this situation has gone on too long...

Harvard University historian David Armitage speculates on the potential link between slavery and revolution, asking the question, If the United States had not declared itself independent from the British Empire, might slavery have ended...

1787 - Delegates at the Constitutional Convention are divided on how slaves will be counted for the purpose of representation in the United States Congress. Northern states don’t want slaves to be counted at all, while Southern states...

Dr. Bettina L. Love is an award-winning author and the William F. Russell Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her writing, research, teaching, and educational advocacy work meet at the intersection of disrupting education...

National Archives: This films is part of a series called ‘Rebels in the Records’. The films in the series were created by young people in July 2021 and combine puppetry, model-making and animation. They explore stories of people and...

Timestamps:

0:00 Early
Life
6:55 Escape
to Freedom
9:08 Fugi
tive Slave Acts
10:03 Roots of the
Underground Railr
oad
10:46 B
lack Moses
1
4:48 Civil War
16:45 L
ater...

Has racist thinking discouraged us from looking at how sophisticated West African empires were before the Europeans arrived? How did trade mesh with a rise in inequality between Africa and the Europeans? West Africa Before the Europeans,...

She’s known as a savior of the enslaved – but few know that during the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman was an exceptionally capable Union Army spy.

National Expansion (1832-1848) American democracy has a lineage of written records that we can trace to show the development of our nation, and how each document builds on those before it to make our foundation of freedom stronger. In...

It was published nine years before a shot was fired. And was written by a woman. How did Uncle Tom’s Cabin fan the flames of the American Civil War?

Abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglass believed that the U.S. could become the greatest nation in history – if it accepted the defining principles set out in his speech, Composite Nation.

He’s revered as the greatest Confederate general of them all, the personification of Southern loyalty, tradition and military strength. But there’s a lot more to the so-called ‘Marble Man’ than meets the eye. So, who was the real Robert...

Why are we ignorant of the archaeology left behind in West Africa? Are West Africans going to rediscover their history and will there be a demand of giving back physical objects from foreign museums in aiding that rediscovery?

West...