Curated OER
Slavery and Abolition: Three Unforgettable Names
Students research the people and events involved in the abolitionist movement prior to the U.S. Civil War. They read about and discuss the roles of Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown. Students complete a word splash, Venn...
Curated OER
Abolishing Slavery
Students explain the goals and methods of the abolitionist movement.
They identify key leaders in the movement. This lesson has adaptations for elementary through high school. Links are provided for resource readings.
Curated OER
Children and Slavery Document Search
Students review the causes of slavery, the Middle Passage, triangular trade and the spread of slavery throughout colonies. They work in small groups and search documents in order to find the answers to a question and document packet.
Curated OER
What Events Led to Lincoln's Assassination?
Fourth graders use primary and secondary sources to research the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. They identify arguments supporting and opposing the position that Lincoln's assassination could have been prevented and write a report...
Curated OER
Landmarks of the Underground Railroad
Students explore the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, students read slave accounts and discuss the details of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Students consider the impact of anti-slavery efforts in Boston and...
Curated OER
Landmarks of the Underground Railroad
Ninth graders explore the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, 9th graders read about the Shadrach Minkins case and discuss the details of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Students consider how the Underground...
Smithsonian Institution
John Brown’s Legacy
So who exactly was John Brown? John Brown fought for abolition during the Civil War. Scholars learn all about his legacy through the variety of activities in the sixth of 15 lessons, including viewing and analyzing primary source...
Curated OER
150 Years of Abolition in Pennsylvania
High schoolers study the struggle for abolition in Pennsylvania starting with the Quakers first protest through the burning of Pennsylvania Hall. They conduct research using primary source documents.
Curated OER
The 1808 Slave Trade Abolition Deadline
Students study the trans-Atlantic Slave trade. In this slave trade lesson, students study the Constitutional Convention Notes and the impact on United States slavery. Students research the slave trade database and other primary sources...
Curated OER
The Antebellum South
Your history students will be on the edges of their seats during this fascinating presentation, which details the abolition movement and slave life during the Antebellum period in the American South. Students will be left agape at the...
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman Warns "Kill the Snake Before It Kills You"
Harriet Tubman developed a rich extended metaphor for slavery and the imperative for Lincoln to abolish it in this dictated letter from 1862. Young historians read the original document and interpret Tubman's allegory with a pair of...
Curated OER
The Life of Frederick Douglass
Young scholars discuss the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. They study the significance of the contributions of Frederick Douglass to America. They compare the effects of political, economic, and social factors...
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman
Students investigate Harriet Tubman. In this African-American lesson, students read the book A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman and discuss how she was a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Students identify the leadership qualities she...
Curated OER
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
In this online interactive reading comprehension activity, students respond to 13 multiple choice questions about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
The Anti-Slavery Movement
Eleventh graders as a class create and write a constitution for an anti-slavery society. They investigate demographics of slavery, treatment of slaves, the colonization movement, and women in the abolition movement, and present their...
PBS
African American History: Climbing the Wall
Imagine the challenge of trying to trace your family genealogy if no records were kept of births and deaths. Where would you look for information? What types of documents could provide you with the information you seek? History...
Curated OER
Presidents and the Constitution: Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
Learners consider the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students read a narrative regarding the move by Lincoln to officially end slavery. Learners take notes on the case and respond to...
Curated OER
Reforms of the Mid-1800's
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the reform movements of the mid-1800's in the U.S. They participate in an Internet scavenger hunt, analyze primary source documents, and develop and perform a simulation of a mid-19th century...
Curated OER
The Hartford Convention and the Battle of New Orleans
For this United States history worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the Hartford Convention and the Battle of New Orleans. A short answer question is included as...
Curated OER
Slavery and the Legal Status of Free Blacks
Students examine the status of free blacks in Illinois and slavery in the U.S. They read and analyze primary source documents, answer and discuss questions, participate in a group discussion, and present the group's findings to the class.
Curated OER
The Role of the Connecticut Abolitionists with the Amistad Case
Tenth graders compare the activities of the Underground Railroad with the Amistad Case. In this slavery lesson, 10th graders research primary and secondary sources to discover information about Connecticut abolitionists. Students use...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad
High schoolers write about the impact of the Underground Railroad. They examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for abolition. They...
National Constitution Center
Thirteenth Amendment Poster
President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document...
Library of Congress
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment
How did the Emancipation Proclamation lead to the Thirteenth Amendment? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents including the text of the Emancipation Proclamation, political cartoons, photographs, and prints to understand...