The Cazenovia Public Library will host author Christopher L. Webber for an engaging presentation and book-signing event at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, in the community room.
In this special presentation, Webber will discuss his book, “Give Me Liberty: Speeches and Speakers that Shaped American History.” The work features chapters on Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Martin Luther King Jr., and other notable American figures.
His lecture will focus on Abraham Lincoln and his momentous Cooper Union speech, delivered on February 27, 1860. In the address, he argued against the expansion of slavery into the western territories by claiming that it contradicted the intentions of the nation’s founders. Considered one of Lincoln’s most important speeches, the Cooper Union address is speculated to have secured his presidential nomination later that year.
Webber grew up in Cuba, N.Y., and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in public and international affairs. He has written books on a number of subjects, ranging from marriage and St. Paul, to Beowulf. Recently, he has focused his attention on a lifelong interest: American history. Webber believes that learning about American oratorical history is essential to evaluating contemporary candidates for office.
Copies of “Give Me Liberty: Speeches and Speakers that Shaped American History” will be available for purchase following the presentation.
All events at the Cazenovia Public Library are free and open to the public. For more information on this or other Library events, call 655-9322 or visit cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.
