Institute Schedule with Readings
Sunday July 5/Exploring the Origins of American Slavery
4:30-5:30PM
Registration/Capitol Hill Hotel Lobby
6:00-8:30
Introduction/Workshops Overview/Keynote Presentation
Capitol Hill Hotel Dining Hall will be the site of dinner and an
address by Peter Kolchin, Henry Clay Reed Professor of History
at the University of Delaware, who will discuss the question of
American slavery’s origins, how it came into existence in America
and why slavery became so important to the American economy.
Sunday’s Required Reading:
Selections from Peter Kolchin’s American Slavery: 1619-1877 [in the Slavery in the American
Republic Reader [Chapter 1 “Origins & Consolidation,” 3-27; Chapter 2 “Colonial Era,” 28-62;
Chapter 3 “American Revolution,” 63-92; Chapter 4 “Antebellum Slavery I,” 93-132; and Chapter 5
“Antebellum Slavery II,” 133-168]
Monday July 6/Slavery in a New Republic
All sessions the first week are in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress/Woodrow Wilson
Room
9:00-10:15 AM
Dr. Kolchin’s seminar is continued with questions & answers and
discussion
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30-10:45
Jason Steinhauer, Program Officer, Office of Scholarly Programs
at the Library of Congress’ John W. Kluge Center, will welcome
the group to the Library of Congress.
10:45-12:30 PM
Orientation Tour of the Library of Congress’ vast holdings
12:30-2:00PM
Lunch on your own
2:00-3:00
6:30-9:00
Participants will then register for and receive a Library of Congress Research
Card
Washington City and Slavery-- Evening Tour Part 1, a guided field study
(and using the Metro), will orient participants to sites in Washington DC
related to slavery with Institute Director Paul Benson or participants may
also do research at the Library of Congress using the Second Street, SE,
Entrance for Researchers betweenn 5:00 – 9:30 PM
Monday’s Required Reading:
Selections from David Davis’ Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the
New World in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter 6 “Slavery in
Colonial North America,” 124-140; Chapter 7 “The Problem of Slavery in the American
Revolution,” 141-156; Chapter 9 “Slavery in the 19th Century South I,” 175-192; and
Chapter 10 “Slavery in the 19th Century South II,” 193-204]
Tuesday July 7/Researching Slavery
9:00-10:15 AM
Jeffrey Flannery, Director of the Library of Congress’ Manuscripts Room,
speaking about the most effective ways to find slavery papers in the Library
of Congress or through the Library of Congress’ online resources
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30-11:45
Mark Dimunation, Chief of the Rare Books Division at the Library of
Congress, will conduct a seminar on Jefferson's attitude about slavery based
on the manuscript record
11:45-1:45 PM
Lunch on your own
1:45-5:00
Participants will start research projects in the Library of Congress
5:00-9:30
Evening free for personal reading and study
Tuesday’s Required Reading:
Selections from David Davis’ The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation in
the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter 1 “Some Meanings of Slavery,”
15-44 and Chapter 9 “Fugitive Slaves, Free Soil, & the Question of Violence,” 226-255]
Wednesday July 8/Politics of American Slavery
9:00-10:15 AM
William J. Cooper, Boyd Professor of History at Louisiana State
University, will examine the question of how slavery came to
dominate American politics and the Southern economy
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30 -11:45
Dr. Cooper will discuss how slavery influenced American
legislation such as the Fugitive Slavery Law
11:45-1:45 PM
Lunch on your own
1:45-2:45
William Cooper will answer questions about his morning
presentation
2:45-5:00
Participants will have research time in the Library of Congress
6:30-9:00
Washington City and Slavery Evening Tour Part 2 or participants
may also do research at the Library of Congress using the Second Street, SE,
Entrance for Researchers betweenn 5:00 – 9:30 PM
Wednesday’s Required Reading:
Selections from William J. Cooper‘s Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860 in
the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter 3 “Creating a New Political
Arena,” 47-69; Chapter 5 “Politics and Power,” 96-119; and Chapter 8 “The Jacksonian
Party and Southern Politics,” 170-191]
Thursday July 9/Abolition Movement
9:00-10:15 AM
James Oakes, Professor of History at the City College University
of New York, will explore the debates about the origins and
development of the abolition movement to end slavery
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30 -11:45
Dr. Oakes will further examine all the complex political
implications of abolition
11:45-1:45 PM
Lunch on your own
1:45-2:45
Oakes seminar concludes with a question & answer session
2:45-5:00
Free research time is available in the Library of Congress
5:00-9:30
Participants may also do research at the Library of Congress using
the Second Street, SE, Entrance for Researchers between 5:00 –
9:30 PM
Thursday’s Required Readings:
Selections from James Oakes’ The Scorpion's Sting: Antislavery and the Coming of the
Civil War [Chapter 1 “The Scorpion's Sting,” 6-45;
Chapter 2 “The Right versus the Wrong of Property in Man,” 46-82; and Chapter 3 “Race
Conflict,” 83-102]
Friday July 10/Slave Trade
9:00-10:15 AM
Greg Grandin, Professor of History New York University, will
explore the global aspects of the slave trade and how even after
slave trading was illegal in America in1808, it still had a huge
impact on the institution of American slavery
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30 -11:45
Dr. Grandin will discussion the economic and political
implications of the slave trade in America
11:45-1:30
Lunch on your own
1:30-2:30
Greg Grandin will answer questions and continue the discussion
from his morning presentation
2:30-5:00
Participants will tour the US Capitol and learn of the contributions
of slaves to the building of the US Capitol
Friday’s Required Reading:
Selections from Greg Grandin’s The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and
Deception in the New World in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter
1 “Hawks Abroad,” 13-21; Chapter 2 “More Liberty,” 22-30; Chapter 3 “A Lion Without
a Crown,” 31-37; Chapter 4 “Body and Soul,” 38-48; and Chapter 5 “A Conspiracy of
Lifting and Throwing,” 49-53]
Saturday July 11/Research Day
Participants will have the entire day for slavery research in the Library of Congress. The
library is open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday July 12/Free Day in Washington, DC
Library of Congress is closed
Monday July 13/Mount Vernon
8:00-9:00 AM
Bus travel to Mount Vernon
9:00-10:15
Mary V. Thompson, Research Historian at the Fred W. Smith
National Library for the Study of George Washington, will conduct
a seminar about slavery at Mount Vernon
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30-12:00 PM
A field study will be conducted by Mary V. Thompson on slave
life at Mount Vernon with emphasis on the work of the slaves and
their contributions to plantation life
12:00-1:30
Lunch on your own
1:30-3:00
Travel to Richmond
3:00-4:30
A field study of sites associated with slavery in Richmond such as
the site of the slave market, capitol of the Confederacy, and homes
of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis
4:30-6:00
Travel to Charlottesville
Monday’s Required Reading:
Selection from Henry Wiencek’s An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves,
and the Creation of America in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter
11 “The Justice of the Creator” 344-362]
Tuesday, July 14/Jefferson: Monticello
All sessions at the University of Virginia
9:00-10:15
Peter Onuf, History Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, will
examine recent scholarship on Jefferson and slavery
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30 -11:45
Dr. Onuf will continue with an analysis of Jefferson’s political
theory about slavery.
11:45-1:15 PM
Lunch on your own
1:15-2:15
Peter Onuf will answer questions and discuss Jefferson and slavery
2:15-3:00
Travel to Monticello
3:00-6:00
A special field study of slavery at Monticello and the Mulberry
Row Slave Quarters with Leni Sorensen, Monticello Slavery
Interpreter, Retired
6:00-6:30
Return to Charlottesville
Tuesday’s Required Reading:
Selections from Peter Onuf’s “‘To Declare Them a Free and Independent People:’ Race,
Slavery, and National Identity in Jefferson’s Thought.” Journal of the Early Republic 18
(1998), 1-46 in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader
Wednesday, July 15/Researching Plantation Slavery
9:00-10:00 AM
Edward F. Gaynor, Head of Description of the Albert and Shirley Small
Special Collections Library, will explain the most effective way to find
slavery papers in the library’s collection
10:00-10:30
Gary Treadway, Librarian for History, Politics, and the Batten
School University of Virginia Library, will demonstrate how to
access UVA resources online
10:30-10:45
Break
10:45-12:00 PM
NEH Summer Scholars have time for research in the UVA
Libraries
12:00-2:00
Lunch on your own
12:00-5:00
Research continues
Wednesday’s Required Reading:
Selections from Louis Hughes’ Thirty Years a Slave from Bondage to Freedom: The Institution of
Slavery as Seen on the Plantation and in the Home of the Planter: Autobiography of Louis
Hughes from in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader [Chapter 1 ‘Life on a Cotton
Plantation” 2-46]
Thursday July 16/Madison and Monroe and Slavery:
9:00-10:15 AM
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, former Director of James Madison’s
Home Montpelier, explores James Madison’s attitudes and policies
on slavery
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30-11:45
Dr. Taylor, examines James Monroe’s opinions on slavery during his
Presidency
11:45-1:15 PM
Lunch on your own
1:15 -2:00
Travel to Montpelier Plantation
2:00-3:00
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor will lead a field study of slavery at
Madison’s plantation Montpelier
3:00-3:30
Travel to Ash Lawn-Highland Plantation
3:00-5:00
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor will lead a field study of slavery at
Monroe’s plantation Ash Lawn-Highland
5:00 -5:45
Return to Charlottesville
Thursday’s Required Readings:
Selections from A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons by
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor in the Slavery in the American Republic Reader Chapter1
“Raised and Nurtured” 1-30; Chapter 2 “Presidential Household” 31-62; and Chapter 3
“Enamoured With Freedom” 63-108]
Friday, July 17/End of Compromise and the Sunset of Slavery
9:00-10:15 AM
Michael F. Holt, Langbourne M. Williams Professor of American
History at the University of Virginia, will lead a seminar the era of
compromises on slavery
10:15-10:30
Break
10:30-11:45
Dr. Holt will examine the problems that came with if the end of
compromise and the developing national crisis over slavery.
11:45-1:30 PM
Lunch on your own
1:30-2:30
Michael F. Holt will continue the discussion from his morning
presentation and answer questions
2:30-5:00
Independent research at the UVA Libraries
6:30-8:30
A field study tour entitled Charlottesville and Slavery will take
participants to historic sites in Charlottesville associated with
slavery and the major advocates of slavery led by institute director
Paul Benson
Friday’s Required Reading:
Selections from Michael F. Holt’s The Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery
Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War in the Slavery in the American Republic
[Chapter 3 “The Compromise of 1850” 50-91; and Chapter 4 “ The Kansas-Nebraska
Act” 92-128]
Saturday, July 18/Sharing New Insights
8:30-11:00 AM
Breakfast and wrap-up session with participants sharing new insights gained
from their research
11:00-12:00 PM
Lunch
12:00-3:00
Travel to Washington’s Reagan National Airport