Tesiero on Elizabeth Freeman, 4 Dec.

On Wednesday, 4 December, the Massachusetts Historical Society will host a virtual program with Donna Tesiero speaking on “A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman & the Abolition of Slavery in the North.”

The event description says:

At the end of the American Revolution, Elizabeth Freeman was an enslaved widow and mother living in Massachusetts. Hearing the words of the new Massachusetts state constitution which declared liberty and equality for all, she sought the help of a young lawyer named Theodore Sedgwick, later Speaker of the House and one of America's leading Federalist politicians.

The lawsuit that she and Sedgwick pursued would bring freedom to her and her daughter, as well as thousands of other enslaved people. Freeman left her enslaver to be employed by Sedgwick. After Sedgwick's wife, Pamela, became a chronic invalid, Freeman effectively became the foster mother to his seven children, enabling him to pursue a political career.

Donna Tesiero is the author of A Revolutionary Woman, published by McFarland this year. Trained as an attorney, she has studied history and government and also writes historical fiction for young people.

This free event is scheduled to start at 6:00 P.M. To register and receive a link for logging on, go to this page.