Practice analyzing primary sources in a thought-provoking lesson on the impact of slavery. Young historians read a petition regarding the Fugitive Slave Law and answer a series of questions to understand the importance of the document....

It's difficult to truly grasp the effects of slavery. Young historians use historical analysis to understand the struggle of slavery on African Americans. The resource provides text from the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave to help...

African Americans fought in the Civil War, and they were recruited by both the Union and the Confederacy! By comparing the wording of posters—one directed at freedmen and another to the owners of enslaved people—young historians discover...

The lesson focuses on slavery in the ancient world and asks academics to decide if it was always about race. Scholars view primary sources, participate in a short discussion, and complete a worksheet to understand how slavery in the...

When thinking about the American whaling industry most imagine Moby Dick and Nantucket sleigh rides, harpoons and scrimshaw, whale-oil lamps and baleen in women's corsets. But it may come as a surprise that the industry was also...

Decode primary sources in a fast-paced activity. A quick guessing game helps pupils use visual clues to understand primary sources. Academics look at a picture of the cotton gin and must guess what it is without other knowledge or clues....

While Juneteenth was more than 150 years ago, today Americans debate whether it should be a national holiday. Using a military declaration proclaiming the last of the enslaved people in Texas free, individuals look at the significance of...

Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...

Good primary resources, offering different perspectives on important issues and events, are hard to find. A packet of 12 primary source images, videos, audio recordings, records, and newspaper articles related to the 1960s civil rights...

What did you have for dinner last night? Many scholars ask that question without considering the history behind the foods they eat. Using a simulation, scholars investigate how the foods they eat are the product of the Columbian...

Honor Black History Month with a spotlight feature on Harriet Tubman. After learning about the path the Underground Railroad followed, scholars imagine themselves on it, and share their experience and feelings through writing. 

From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains biographical information about the famous African American abolitionist and former slave, Frederick Douglass. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage includes biographical information about Harriet Tubman and her role in leading escaped slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. It contains questions and a teacher's guide that can...

Provides a few statistics on slaves in Maryland and Virginia and then contrasts the lives of field hand vs household or urban slaves.

Comprehensive description of slaves in South Carolina. Click on the topics on the left to take you to a wealth of information about the lives of slaves in South Carolina.

This site from The History Place provides an account of the history of Dred Scott, an African-American slave, who took his suit for his freedom to the Supreme Court. The information is somewhat brief, but worthwhile.

A clickable list of student resources for researching the life and work of this 19th century African American civil rights leader and abolitionist.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage shares biographical content about the abolitionist named Sojourner Truth. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and...

This resource provides a brief overview of how many settlers in the colonies were indentured servants and how the system of indentured servitude tied to slavery.

A painting of antislavery fighter John Brown leading an attack on horseback against settlers who supported slavery. Provides a short biography of the artist, Jacob Lawrence, questions about the painting for students to answer, and an...

Moving description of the Middle Passage and African American trauma through the perspective of the artist, Tom Feelings.

Shows maps of the Underground Railroad routes that slaves took when they sought freedom, along with an informative article on the history of this movement in Indiana.

Using primary materials and oral histories, PBS tells the story of the slaves' legal rights and their position with the US Government.