Banking, paleontology and Lincoln among program topics Sept. 27
The ninth annual History Book Festival will present a wide variety of author talks and topics from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 26 to 28, at several venues in Lewes.
Attendees can access their choice of 20 presentations, Saturday, Sept. 27, all free of charge.
Authors Justene Hill Edwards, Riley Black and Saladin Ambar will discuss their books about banking, paleontology and a young Abraham Lincoln, respectively.
An associate professor of history at the University of Virginia, Edwards researches the intersection of capitalism and African American history. She will present her book, “Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman’s Bank.”
The Freedman’s Bank was the first personal banking institution to serve formerly enslaved African Americans in the aftermath of the Civil War. Established by Congress in 1865, it collapsed after nine years, squandering more than $2 million ($77 million today) of depositors’ money along with their path to prosperity. How that happened left a legacy which sent ripples through the Reconstruction era to the present, providing critical context to current debates and a new lens through which to view the story of American capitalism.
The Delaware Historical Society and the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice signed on as community partners in support of Edwards’ event.
A paleontologist and science writer, Black will present “When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals and Evolution’s Greatest Romance.” The book walks through prehistoric time and place to explore the influence of plants on animal evolution and vice versa. Black shows how the dinosaurs of the Mesozoic era, the colossal mammals of the Ice Age, and even modern-day humans would not exist without the evolutionary efforts of their green counterparts, underscoring how the interactions among species have shaped planet Earth.
The Nature Generation signed on as community partner in support of Black’s event.
A professor of political science and senior scholar at Rutgers University, Ambar will present his book, “Murder on the Mississippi: The Shocking Crimes that Shaped Abraham Lincoln.”
Three brutal murders over three years crystalized the worldview of Abraham Lincoln in his mid-20s, inspiring the speech that put him on the national map, “The Lyceum Address.” Through meticulous research and gripping storytelling, “Murder on the Mississippi” sheds new light on Lincoln’s transformation from a struggling young legislator bordering on suicidal despair to a leader ultimately willing to risk everything to save a nation.
The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice signed on as community partner in support of Ambar’s event.
Books will be available for purchase at each author presentation, and they may also be bought in advance at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach or at Biblion in Lewes. Authors will be available to personalize books after their presentations.
Founded in 2016, the History Book Festival is an independent nonprofit dedicated to building historical literacy through well-researched, well-told stories. HBF showcases new historical fiction and narrative nonfiction from multiple subjects, eras and voices. To learn more, go to historybookfestival.org.
