Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Slave Life and the Underground Railroad
A brief summary of the history of African American slavery and the Underground Railroad. Activities and books pertaining to slave life, plantations, and the Underground Railroad are suggested.
University of North Carolina
Unc: First Person Narratives of the American South
A unique collection of first-person accounts, this concentrates on all the populations of the South, such as ex-slaves, enlisted men, middle-class women, displaced plantation owners. The works are sorted by the author's name. To search...
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.
New Georgia Encyclopedia: The Butler Family
An entry on the Butler family who owned large plantations on the Sea Islands. The "patriarch" was Pierce Butler who also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
Library of Congress
Loc: Women in the Civil War: Ladies, Contraband and Spies
This lesson uses primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses, female...
Other
Monticello: A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson
Discover citizen and U.S. President Thomas Jefferson's daily routine, habits, inventions, and the home that he designed for his Virginia plantation.
US National Archives
Docsteach: Twelve Years a Slave
Students will examine several documents related to the life of Solomon Northup, whose life story is told in his autobiography Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841...
Scholastic
Scholastic: The Underground Railroad: Escape From Slavery
In this interactive unit students travel back to 1860 to follow a young slave as he flees a Kentucky plantation for Canada along the Underground Railroad. The interactive slideshow lets students read a short article at each stop. They...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: South Carolina
Explore how South Carolina moved from a "plantation culture" in 1670 to a "growing research center and banking state" today. South Carolina played a major role in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
University of North Carolina
Documenting the American South: Thirty Years a Slave
From the extensive site, "Documenting the American South," read Louis Hughes' "Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom: The Institution of Slavery as Seen on the Plantation and in the Home of the Planter," which was originally...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Movement South and Westward
Following Eli Whitney's invention in 1793 of the cotton gin -- a machine that separated raw cotton from seeds and other waste -- the cotton market boomed. Planters in the South bought land from small farmers who frequently moved farther...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Resource Study: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site [Pdf]
A scholarly publication which examines the archaeological findings of Snee Farm, the plantation and house owned by Charles Pinckney, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention from South Carolina. Click on "Table of Contents" to get a...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Colonial Economy
Whatever early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, the fishing industry was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people relied primarily on small...
University of Oregon
University of Oregon: Mapping History: Slave Crops in the American South: 1860
This very interesting map shows the crops grown by slaves on plantations in pre-Civil War South.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: The Rise of Consumerism
With the increasing variety in clothes, food, and household items, shopping became an important cultural activity in the 18th century. This article describes buying and selling during this period and explains the connection between many...
A&E Television
History.com: How the South Helped Win the American Revolution
British commanders attempted to reverse their floundering fortunes by launching a campaign in the South. There the British would find not just crops such as tobacco, rice and indigo that were vital to their economy, but stronger Loyalist...
Digital History
Digital History: Slave Labor
Not all slaves worked in the fields. Read about the jobs of many skilled workers who were slaves in the South. Read also about the slaves who were field hands and find out about the harsh labor conditions they endured.
Georgetown University
Heath Online Instructor's Guide: William Bradford
Here, one can find helpful information on studying the works of American author William Bradford (1590-1657 CE). This website provides insight into specific themes and styles prevalent in Bradford's writing as well as suggestions for...
Digital History
Digital History: The Sections [Pdf]
Soon after the end of the Revolutionary War, the characteristics of the various parts of the new United States established themselves. Find out about the sectionalism, economy, and needs in the country in the early 1800s--the...
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.
New Georgia Encyclopedia: Joel Chandler Harris (1845 1908)
The famous Uncle Remus folktales were retold by this writer. Site offers a biography of Harris, a brief discussion of the Uncle Remus tales, and a list of suggested readings.
PBS
Pbs: Africans in America: Part 1: The Growth of Slavery in North America
Focuses on slavery in North America, the worry about uprisings, and slavery's economic impact. Links to related information.
Other
Understanding Slavery: The Lives of Eighteenth Century African Americans
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.
Other
Univ. Of North Carolina: William Bradford: 1590 1657
Contains brief biographical information about William Bradford, presented in an easy to read outline format. Lists a chronology of major dates in Bradford's life, his occupations, a list of major writings and their publication dates, and...
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Colonial Williamsburg: Colonial African American Life
Provides a few statistics on slaves in Maryland and Virginia and then contrasts the lives of field hand vs household or urban slaves.
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Pre Civil War African American Slavery
Get an overview of slavery in the South, but also see physical evidence in photographs and historical narratives from slaves of the time.
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