In The Ties That Bound, professor and author Marie Jenkins Schwartz, examines the relationships that developed between the First Ladies and their slaves in the households of the Founding Fathers from Virginia. American icons like Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson, and Dolley Madison were all slaveholders who, in many cases, had close relations with their slaves and saw them more as constant companions. By looking closely at the complicated intimacy these women shared, Schwartz is able to reveal how they negotiated their roles, illuminating much about the lives of the slaves themselves, as well as class, race, and gender in early America. A book signing will follow the program.

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