Please join us for the 18th Annual Fusco Distinguished Lecture with

DeWitt Clinton Professor of History Columbia University

Based on his most recent book, Professor Foner’s lecture draws on newly discovered documents to paint a portrait of the underground railroad in the eastern United States, focusing especially on the role of New York City as a central hub. It explores the impact of the fugitive slave issue on national politics, and examines the motivations and actions of hundreds of slaves who managed to escape, and the underground railroad operatives who assisted them.

Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History, specializes in the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and 19th-century America. He is one of only two persons to serve as President of the Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association, and Society of American Historians. His book, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery won the Pulitzer, Bancroft, and Lincoln prizes for 2011. His latest book is Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad.

This lecture series is made possible by the Edmund J. Fusco, Sr. Fund for Excellence in History.