Curated OER
Loc: For Teachers: From Slavery to Civil Rights: Male Slave in Chains
"Large, bold woodcut image of a supplicant male slave in chains appears on the 1837 broadside publication of John Greenleaf Whittier's antislavery poem, 'Our Countrymen in Chains.'"
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: An Uneasy Peace
See what turmoil resulted from the acquisition of new territory after the Mexican-American War. There was great disagreement between those who wanted to abolish slavery and those who wanted to be able to carry slavery into the new lands....
Digital History
Digital History: The Slave Power Conspiracy
Read about a book published in 1864 that contended that there was a conspiracy to spread slavery into the western territories. See that the accusations included in the book could not be authenicated, but the ideas presented showed the...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Fugitive Slave Harriet Jacobs: Coming Up for Air
Harriet Jacobs escaped from slavery and wrote a book about her life experience. Her autobiography was written in 1861 with the help of an abolitionist.
Digital History
Digital History: John Brown at Harper's Ferry [Pdf]
Find out about the influences in John Brown's life that led him to think inciting a slave insurrection would be the way to get rid of slavery. Read about his actions in Kansas, and the raid he planned at Harper's Ferry. [pdf]
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner
Violence associated with strong feelings about slavery entered the halls of the Senate. Read what happened to Senator Charles Sumner after a two-day tirade he gave in the Senate after the sack of Lawrence, Kansas.
Other
Three Speeches From Frederick Douglass
The actor Fred Morsell provides the text of three speeches given by the abolitionist Frederick Douglass: "The Church and Prejudice", "Fighting Rebels With Only One Hand", and "What the Black Man Wants".
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Fredrick Douglass
Selected (11) reading passages (grades 7-11) to pair with the autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Fredrick Douglass. Frederick Douglass recounts his experiences as a slave in Maryland, and his treatment at the...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Brief biography of famous Civil War writer Harriet Beecher Stowe. Includes list of additional titles about author.
C-SPAN
American Writers: Harriet Beecher Stowe
An informational site on Harriet Beecher Stowe. Includes general information about her life, works, and writings, including Uncle Tom's Cabin. Also includes links to other sites.
CommonLit
Common Lit:letter From Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman by Frederick Douglass
A learning module that begins with "Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman" by Frederick Douglass, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Reading Guide: David Walker, From "Appeal"
Brief biographical information about David Walker and a link to the complete text of his famous writing, "Appeal," written in 1830.
Library of Congress
Loc: Abolition
This site, which is provided for by the Library of Congress, is part of the African American Mosaic. It describes abolition and gives references to books about the topic.
C-SPAN
C Span American Writers: Narrative of Frederick Douglass
A brief summary of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Also includes an on-line text of the work as well as links to other informational websites.
Tom Richey
Tom richey.net: The Crisis of the Union (1850 1860) [Ppt]
Presents key ideas for examining the events and issues that led to the American Civil War.
Other
Republican Party: Our History
Read the first few paragraphs of this article to find out about the formation of the Republican Party in 1854 and how it affected the political scene in the last part of the 1850s.
Curated OER
National Park Service: The Significance of the Dred Scott Trial
In this article from "The Old Courthouse" by Donald Dosch the facts of the Dred Scott decision are laid out. Read why the outcome of the case fanned the embers of the coming Civil War.
National Women's Hall of Fame
National Women's Hall of Fame: Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Brief biography of this famous women's rights leader.
Other
History Net: The Madness of John Brown
Was John Brown mad, suffering from a mental disorder or perfectly sane? This article briefly contrasts the possibilities. (July 2009)
Cengage Learning
Heath Online Instructor's Guide: Angelina Grimke Weld and Sarah Moore Grimke
Instruction guide in teaching the writings of Angelina and Sarah Grimke. Included are discussion questions.
Penguin Publishing
Penguin Random House: "Frederick Douglass American Slave" [Pdf]
Teacher guide for Douglass's biography features 24 pages of chapter-by-chapter study questions, quotations, and activities. Valuable post-reading activities as well as methods for eliciting student responses also included. This is a .pdf...
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
In this learning module, students will engage in a deep study of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Worksheets, that assess reading comprehension and inferencing skills, and map projects are provided to reinforce Fredick...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Fort Scott National Historic Site: Bleeding Kansas
Discusses the effects of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In particular, the site details incidents from the period known as "Bleeding Kansas."
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: James Buchanan: A Life in Brief
A brief look at James Buchanan as president and the controversies he faced. From the Miller Center.