Trading Freedom: How Trade with China Defined Early America

On Thursday, November 3, University of Delaware professor Dr. Dael Norwood will join LancasterHistory for a lecture on his latest publication, Trading Freedom: How Trade with China Defined Early America.

While the United States has certainly been shaped economically by Europe and Africa through trans-Atlantic trade, the United States has also been monetarily, politically, and psychologically intertwined with China. Trade with China from the late 18th century onward, including agreements put in place by James Buchanan, influenced the formation of America’s self-definition as a capitalist nation. Dr. Dael Norwood will examine how debates over political economy and trade policy, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and even the looming sectional struggle over slavery were all influenced by Sino-American relations.

Dael A. Norwood, Ph.D. is a historian of 19th-century America specializing in the global dimensions of U.S. politics and economics. He earned his doctorate at Princeton University in 2012, and is an assistant professor in the Department of History at the University of Delaware. Most recently, he is the author of Trading Freedom: How Trade with China Defined Early America (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2022).

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event is expected to take place in person at LancasterHistory and online on Thursday, November 3. The doors open and check in begins at 6:30pm. The lecture will begin at 7pm. The lecture will also be streamed to YouTube for those who wish to join us for the lecture virtually.

The program is free and open to the public but requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat or to receive your link to the presentation. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. Registration will close online on November 3 at 6:30pm ET. Due to capacity restrictions, at-door tickets may not be available. Advance registration is strongly encouraged. The online version of this program will be auto-recorded and available replay on LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel.