Co-Sponsored by the University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, and DePaul University

Thursday, March 16, 2006, 5:30-7:00pm
The Newberry Library

Fleeing the Founding Father
Cassandra Pybus, University of Tasmania

As Harry Washington faced a military tribunal in 1800 he may not have appreciated the irony that his escape from enslavement to the leader of the rebellion in colonial America led inexorably to his trial for rebellion in Sierra Leone. Where General Washington was subsequently reified as father of the United States, Harry Washington lost everything in his attempt to forge an independent community in West Africa. The contrast between these two Washingtons could not be greater, yet they share a commitment to the transforming ideals of liberty and self-determination, albeit one which played out very differently for George Washington and the African man he purchased in 1863.

Admission is free, pre-registration is required. To register and receive copies of the paper, e-mail Ginger Shulick at scholl@newberry.org, or call 312.255.3524.