Dr. David Barber, professor of history at the University of Tennessee at Martin, will detail events leading up to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, conflicts over the central issue of slavery, and the compromises made which kept 700,000 in bondage. These decisions not only influenced political power at the time but continue to have far-reaching impacts on democracy in the United States. This event supports the visit of the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, Voices and Votes, at the Martin Public Library, October 7-November 18.