Terror, Hope, & Exodus: The Testimony of Henry Adams, Freedman
About this episode
The episode discusses Henry Adams' testimony on the exodus of formerly enslaved people and the struggle for Black freedom and democracy.
May 5, 2026—In March 1880, an extraordinary American traveled to Washington, DC, to testify before a Senate committee investigating the exodus of formerly enslaved people from the Southern states. Vividly describing the nightmarish violence and exploitation inflicted by “the very men who held us slaves,” the Louisiana freedman Henry Adams spoke of Black resistance to terrorism and disenfranchisement, articulating hope for a future where Black people might “make themselves a name and a nation.” Join Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Hahn and acclaimed historian Kidada E. Williams for a conversation about a revelatory text, recently published in full for the first time by Library of America, that speaks to the fragility of democracy and the bravery of those who fought for freedom in the aftermath of the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
People in this episode
Host: Steven Hahn
Guest: Kidada E. Williams
Topics covered
- Black resistance
- freedom
- Civil War aftermath
- democracy
- testimony
- historical narrative
Keywords
- Henry Adams
- testimony
- Black resistance
- Civil War
- democracy
- freedman
- Senate committee
- Louisiana
- Steven Hahn
- Kidada E. Williams
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Library of America
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