Almost nothing is known about the vast majority of enslaved African Americans. There are only a few biographies of enslaved and free African Americans who lived prior to the end of slavery, and they are generally little known or long forgotten. One of them is York, who accompanied his “master” William Clark on the epic 1803 to 1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. While on this three-year, 8,000-mile odyssey, York was an important, contributing member of America’s greatest exploring venture. Yet, at its conclusion, it was his fate to remain a slave for at least nine years before being granted his freedom. Expedition journals, letters and other sources of the day provide important knowledge about York’s life, allowing a more complete biography than almost any other African American of the early 19th century. Join York scholar Jim Holmberg of The Filson Historical Society to learn more about the triumphs and tragedies of this slave and explorer who lived most of his life in Louisville. Cash bar.
5:30 p.m. doors open for gallery access / 6:30 p.m. program begins
$7 general admission/FREE to Frazier & Filson members.
More
Less
