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Broad History

American Revolution | Part 4 | Elizabeth Freeman, the woman who sued her enslavers (with Errin Haines)

July 25 · 40 min · Season 1 · Episode 13 · 38.5 MB
0:00-40:04

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When Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman overheard the opening of the new Massachussetts constitution in 1780 – "all men are born free and equal" – she knew the words had to apply to her, too. Elizabeth was the first enslaved woman to sue for and win her freedom in a US court. To talk about arguably the most impactful woman in this series and the true meaning of freedom and the American promise, I'm joined by Errin Haines, co-founder and editor-at-large of The 19th*.

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On this episode:

  • Errin Haines - Guest
  • Isabelle Roughol - Host

Read Errin Haines' column about Elizabeth Freeman and subscribe to her newsletter for The 19th*, The Amendment

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Get Donna Tesiero's biography of Elizabeth Freeman, "A Revolutionary Woman"
🇺🇸 in the US
🇬🇧 in the UK
(Affiliate bookshop.org links support Broad History and indie bookstores.)

Jump to:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (02:12) - Why Elizabeth Freeman matters
  • (04:31) - When Mumbet overhears the Massachussetts Constitution
  • (06:26) - The heated shovel episode
  • (07:40) - Theodore Sedgwick
  • (09:24) - The hypocrisy of Massachussetts slavery
  • (11:41) - Her separation from her parents in childhood
  • (12:20) - Elizabeth's thriving life after slavery
  • (14:53) - A true founder
  • (18:09) - Elizabeth's double whammy as an enslaved person and a woman
  • (21:36) - Raising the Sedgwick children
  • (23:36) - Catharine Maria Sedgwick
  • (25:40) - Buried on the Sedgwick family plot
  • (27:28) - Everybody should know her name
  • (30:10) - Errin's 250th series
  • (34:27) - The next 250 days
  • (38:09) - Outro

Click here to view the episode transcript.