During the time of slavery, resistance was a way of life for the men and women held in bondage. Using music as evidence of their fight against oppression, learners explore how enslaved people fought back. Writing prompts round out the activity, asking young historians to put themselves in the shoes of an enslaved person writing to their enslaver.

Concepts

slave narratives, slavery, slave resistance, primary source analysis, primary sources, american music, african american history

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Explore the various forms of resistance to racism by including the lesson in a classroom unit on civil rights

Classroom Considerations

• Part three of a six-lesson Freedom is Coming series discussing slavery in America
• Learners must be able to listen to the songs on a mentioned two-CD set or another resource

Pros

• Resource explores music as a primary source
• Materials include a variety of adaptations for different kinds of learning strategies

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.9-10.3.a W.9-10.3.b W.9-10.3.c W.9-10.3.d W.9-10.3.e RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.9-10.4 RH.9-10.10