American Slavery On Screen

Since the advent of American cinema, antebellum slavery has remained an abiding topic of interest for filmmakers and theatergoers alike. From Thomas Edison’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1903) to Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave (2013), our infatuation with the peculiar institution appears be as relevant to our nation’s ongoing discussions about race and civic belonging as it was to those antislavery debates that precipitated the Civil War. This course examines the various ideological ends to which cinematic slavery has been put to use.