“The Capital of Slavery: Washington, D.C. 1800-1865” with Gerald Horne

Was the founding of the United States a "great leap forward for humanity" or a project deeply rooted in slavery and settler colonialism?

 

In this episode, we sit down with renowned historian Dr. Gerald Horne to discuss his new book, “The Capital of Slavery: Washington, D.C. 1800-1865.”

 

We dismantle the myth of Washington, D.C. as a pure symbol of democracy and reveal its brutal reality as the nerve center of American slavery. We discuss how enslaved people were sold in the shadow of the Capitol and how their resistance—including joining the British to burn the White House in 1814—shaped the nation's politics.

We explore:

• How the "unpaid sector of the working class" built the capital and constantly challenged their oppression.
• The direct link between the American Colonization Society (which created Liberia) and the backlash against Black resistance.
• The parallels between the Fugitive Slave Act and modern ICE raids, and the historical roots of family separation.
• Why this suppressed history is so threatening that it sparks modern-day battles over "woke" museums and critical race theory.

 

Dr. Horne places this history in an urgent contemporary context, arguing that understanding this past is essential to comprehending the rise of neo-fascism and the political struggles of today. This is a conversation about America’s hidden past and the fight for its future.

Horne received his undergraduate education at Princeton, received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.

 

Get the Book: https://www.intpubnyc.com/browse/capital-of-slavery/  

Mentioned:  https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/freedom-now/

Greg’s Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/

Pat’s Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/about

 

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