Fighting Slavery in Early America
In the decades between 1619, when the first enslaved Africans arrived, and 1787, when delegates in Philadelphia drafted the new Constitution, men and women committed to opposing the spread of slavery in North America grappled with difficult questions. This class presents a large and often unfamiliar cast of characters — both Black and white, enslaved and free — who developed a range of tools and tactics, means and methods to escape slavery or try to resist it.
Faculty Bio
Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize.
This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course
- Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
- Classes will also be video recorded
- You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program
Schedule Highlights
- Course starts on Thursday, Sept. 19, and ends on Thursday, Oct. 24
- Classes meet for 6 weeks, 1.5 hours per session (10:30–noon)
- Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
- All course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through Dec. 31
Member Praise for Richard Bell
What a wonderful class and brilliant instructor! I loved Rick’s style of presentation = intense and dramatic. I’m so impressed with my fellow OLLIians = smart, informed, engaged. Everything worked for me.
Amazing content. Amazing delivery.
After the first ten minutes of the first class, I turned to my husband, who had also signed up for the class, and said, "He is terrific!"
Faculty Q&A
- Read an interview with Richard Bell from our archive.