Presented by Dr. Mariana Dantas, Associate Professor (History, OHIO)

Urbanization was part and parcel of the European imperial project. In the
Americas, it often relied on the integration of slavery into the urban economy
and fabric and on the actions of African descendant peoples. This talk will focus on
the comparative family story of two African descendant families, one in Baltimore,
in the U.S., the other in Sabará, Brazil. These stories help to explain urbanization and
the possibilities of black freedom in the early modern era, and the promises and
limitations of the age of abolition.

The CIS Thursday Forum is a weekly series focusing on international research, scholarship and creative activity for the OHIO community.