The Negro in Tennessee, 1790-1865

This study invites listeners to travel back to the early days of Tennessee, tracing how African‑American lives were shaped from the territory’s first enslaved arrivals through the turmoil of the Civil War. Drawing on court records, legislative acts, personal testimonies and church archives, it paints a detailed picture of the legal and social framework that defined freedom, restriction, and everyday survival for both enslaved and free Black residents.

Organized around themes such as the privileges and limits imposed on slaves, the economics of plantation labor, and the role of religious communities, the narrative also explores the rise of manumission societies, abolitionist voices, and the complex process of emancipation. Listeners will gain a nuanced understanding of how law, economy, and faith intersected in a border state, revealing the often‑overlooked struggles and agency of its Black population during a pivotal era in American history.