The Captive’s Quest for Freedom: Fugitive Slaves, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, and the Politics of Slavery

R.J.M. Blackett joins Cambridge University Press editor Deborah Gershenowitz to discuss the impact fugitive slaves had on the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, and how their agency influenced the outcome of the American Civil War. Dr. Blackett’s book, The Captive’s Quest for Freedom, has been shortlisted for the 2019 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize.

The Captive's Quest for Freedom: Fugitive Slaves, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, and the Politics of Slavery is available now.