American Studies Professor Andrew Delbanco Wins 2019 Lionel Trilling Award

The Center for American Studies is pleased to announce that Professor Andrew Delbanco has been named the 2019 recipient of the Lionel Trilling Award for his book, The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War. The honorees are selected annually by a committee of Columbia College students that recognize faculty members for their contributions to academia and publishing. In awarding the Lionel Trilling Book Award, the Committee chairs wrote that "Professor Andrew Delbanco’s book struck us as illuminating and engrossing, especially given the lingering vestiges of slavery that affect our current political climate. By synthesizing various sources, it not only offers a comprehensive analysis on the legacy of slavery, but also grapples with the moral and political complexity surrounding these issues.” The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 1, at 6 p.m. in Low Library. More information can be found here.