© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Forgotten Courtroom Dramas That Put Freedom On Trial

Season 2 Episode 1 | 11m 37s

Decades before abolition, enslaved people sued for their freedom in court and won. But today, the only freedom suit most people are familiar with is the case of Dred Scott. So why don't we know more about these early lawsuits? From Massachusetts to Missouri, the history of freedom suits is more complicated than you might think.

Aired: 06/24/25
Extras
Get ready for the all-new season, coming January 17, 2027 at 9/8c.
The cast play a game of "What's in the vet bag?" with sentimental props from the series.
Celebrate the legacy of Gene Wilder, the actor behind Willy Wonka and Young Frankenstein.
Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus join The Tabernacle Choir for an epic holiday celebration.
Explore the site of the Battle of Camden and its importance to the American Revolution.
Formerly enslaved Americans formed Britain's Colonial Marines unit and marched on Washington, D.C.
A metal detector survey reveals long-lost soldiers at Camden Battlefield.
A musket ball reveals the deadly reality of Revolutionary War combat.
DNA may help identify a soldier killed at the Battle of Camden.
The chimpanzees in Fongoli have adapted humanlike behaviors to survive their environment.
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • In the Margins Season 2
  • In the Margins Season 1
For centuries, blood was law in America, with the power to remove land rights and freedom status.
Why was the U.S.'s first foreign war fought off the coast of North Africa?
Ona Judge was born into slavery on George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation.
In 1800s, leaders backed sending Black Americans to Liberia, exposing divides on citizenship.
Why were the British Caribbean colonies left out of the Revolution? Slavery explains it.
After the Revolutionary War, the U.S. was drowning in debt.
Deep in the Great Dismal Swamp, thousands of Black people created a hidden free society.
One hot mosquito-filled summer, yellow fever brought the capital city to the brink of collapse.
Water isn’t just a resource — it’s a battleground where the sacred meets the stolen.
Why are states with stringent environmental regulations dumping their toxic waste onto a poor Alabam