American Antiquarian Society
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Worcester, MA 01609
United States
In December of 1850, a faculty wife in Brunswick, Maine, named Harriet Beecher Stowe, hid a fugitive slave in her house. While John Andrew Jackson stayed for only one night, he made a lasting impression. Drawing from this experience, Stowe began to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the most consequential books in American history and the novel that helped inspire the overthrow of slavery in the United States.
In this AAS program, historian Susanna Ashton delves into the life of John Andrew Jackson, combing obscure records for evidence of his remarkable flight from slavery to freedom, his quest to liberate his enslaved family, and his emergence as an international advocate for abolition. Based on A Plausible Man, her 2024 book about Jackson, Ashton takes us on a detective's journey through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the restoration of white supremacy--where we last glimpse Jackson losing his freedom again on a Southern chain gang.
Susanna Ashton is a professor of English at Clemson University, and her work has been profiled in the New York Times, CNN, and many other media outlets across the country.
Ashton has authored, edited, or coauthored multiple titles on American literary and cultural history, as well as published in numerous scholarly journals, popular newspapers, and public-facing digital media. Her latest book A Plausible Man was published by The New Press in August 2024.