The Promise and Paradox of Freedom: Race, Slavery, and the Northwest Ordinance

An evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed.

What did freedom truly mean in America’s earliest years, and for whom was it intended?

In 1787, the Northwest Ordinance helped shape the future of Ohio and the American Midwest, establishing restrictions on slavery while raising enduring questions about race, citizenship, and equality.

Join renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed for an exploration of the promises and contradictions of freedom in early America. Discover how decisions made more than two centuries ago continue to inform our understanding of American history, justice, and the meaning of equality.

This special lecture invites us to reflect on our nation’s past and the continuing pursuit of its founding ideals.

Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Ohio University Chillicothe, Bennett Hall
Free admission

For more information, contact the Ross County Historical Society at 740-772-1936 or info@rosscountyhistorical.org.

This program is supported by a grant from the Ohio History Connection.