Let the Oppressed Go Free: Abolitionism in Revolutionary America
July 5, 2026
2:00 PM
–3:00 PM
Historic Rock Ford's Untold Stories of the Revolution Lecture Series welcomes Nicholas P. Wood as he presents “Let the Oppressed Go Free: Abolitionism in Revolutionary America.”
In 1764, on the heels of the French and Indian War, slavery was legal in every British colony and poised for expansion as Britain acquired new territories in the Americas and Africa. Yet within just two decades - by the end of the Revolutionary War - six northern states had taken decisive steps toward abolition, with two more soon to follow. In this talk, Professor Nicholas P. Wood explores how the American Revolution reshaped public attitudes toward slavery by intersecting with preexisting Quaker antislavery movement along with Black resistance. Pennsylvania became the first state to pass an abolition law in 1780, and this decision can only be understood in the context, war, antislavery theology, and Black activism.
This presentation will begin at 2 PM in the Langmuir Education Room located on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. Prior to the lecture, attendees may visit the Snyder Gallery and our 2026 Focus Exhibit. The Snyder Gallery closes at 4 PM.
Admission
Related Partners
881 Rockford Road Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 392-7223
