I spent my Sunday down at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh; if you are in the area, and haven't caught it yet I would suggest going by to check out an exhibit that is scheduled to close next week.
Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries, is an exhibition tracing the region's involvement with slavery. While the Quaker State officially abolished slavery back in 1780, numerous loopholes allowed the practice to exist for years.
The exhibit is centered on records from 1792-1857, newly discovered by the Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds, that document the sale, freedom rights, and imprisonment of more than 50 slaves and indentured servants in Western Pennsylvania.
Free at Last? also features biographies of leading abolitionists, successful freedom stories, a George Beck painting that is the earliest-known visual representation of Pittsburgh, and commentary on slavery written by noted Pitt history professors Marcus Rediker and Seymour Drescher.
Prof. Rediker was awarded the prestigious George Washington Book Prize for his latest work, The Slave Ship: A Human History.
History buff or not, you are bound to learn something. Go check it out.
