In the Shadow of Freedom

Paul Finkelman is an expert on constitutional history, the law of slavery, and the American Civil War. He coedits the Ohio University Press series New Approaches to Midwestern Studies and is the president of Gratz College.Donald R. Kennon is the former chief historian and vice president of the United States Capitol Historical Society. He is editor of the Ohio University Press series Perspectives on the History of Congress, 1789–1801.

"These articles succeed admirably in emphasizing the irony of slavery's centrality in what Finkelman terms 'the seat of power of the world's most prominent democratic republic.'" (Journal of American History) "This essay collection does a nice job of keeping its focus, and all of the essays work well together. It offers a comprehensive understanding of just why it matters that the capital of the United States was a slave city. It also includes a diversity of perspectives—from the political to the social—and clearly shows exactly how slavery cast a shadow over all regions of the nation and all Americans." (H-CivWar)