American Revolution | Ep 4 | Elizabeth Freeman, the true meaning of freedom (with Errin Haines)

When Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman overheard the opening of the new Massachussetts constitution in 1780 – "all men are born free and equal" – she knew the words had to apply to her, too. Elizabeth was the first enslaved woman to sue for and win her freedom in a US court. To talk about arguably the most impactful woman in this series and the true meaning of freedom and the American promise, I'm joined by Errin Haines, co-founder and editor-at-large of The 19th\*. [**★ Support this podcast ★**](https://www.broadhistory.com/membership "★ Support this podcast ★") **On this episode:** - Errin Haines - Guest - Isabelle Roughol - Host Read Errin Haines' column about Elizabeth Freeman and Subscribe to her newsletter for The 19th\*, The Amendment **[Click here to watch a video of this episode.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0B-S3ryEis "Click here to watch a video of this episode.")** **Get Donna Tesiero's biography of Elizabeth Freeman, "A Revolutionary Woman"** 🇺🇸 in the US 🇬🇧 in the UK (Affiliate bookshop.org links support Broad History and indie bookstores.) **Jump to:** - (00:00) - Intro - (02:12) - Why Elizabeth Freeman matters - (04:31) - When Mumbet overhears the Massachussetts Constitution - (06:26) - The heated shovel episode - (07:40) - Theodore Sedgwick - (09:24) - The hypocrisy of Massachussetts slavery - (11:41) - Her separation from her parents in childhood - (12:20) - Elizabeth's thriving life after slavery - (14:53) - A true founder - (18:09) - Elizabeth's double whammy as an enslaved person and a woman - (21:36) - Raising the Sedgwick children - (23:36) - Catharine Maria Sedgwick - (25:40) - Buried on the Sedgwick family plot - (27:28) - Everybody should know her name - (30:10) - Errin's 250th series - (34:27) - The next 250 days - (38:09) - Outro [Click here to view the episode transcript.](https://share.transistor.fm/s/914fa8e1/transcript "Click here to view the episode transcript.")