Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Sack of Lawrence
Read about how the destruction of Lawrence, Kansas, seat of the Free-Soiler government by border ruffians inflamed attitudes in the North toward the actions of the slave-holders.
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....
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe threw gas on the fire of the slavery issue with the publication of her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Read about her background as an abolitionist, and find out the influence her book had in the North and even in Great...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: African American Abolitionists
Read about three African-American abolitionists who worked alone and in concert with white abolitionists. The most radical was David Walker, who was the founder of radical abolitionism.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: William Lloyd Garrison and the Liberator
Read a good biography of William Lloyd Garrison, who was one of the new, radical abolitionists who thought slavery was absolutely immoral and should be ended immediately. He was the publisher of the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator....
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Abolitionist Sentiment Grows
Abolitionists had been active since the end of the Revolutionary War, but in the 1830s they became more radical in their demands to end slavery. See what their solutions were, and read about how abolitionist views were thwarted in the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Free (?) African Americans
Not all African-Americans were slaves in the South. Some were freed by their owners, others escaped, but none had the same rights as free whites. Read about their restrictions that were put into law. Find out about the church...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: An Explosion of New Thought
The 19th century brought an Americanization of literature, art, thought, and social reform. Read about how the Second Great Awakening brought a revival in religion and sparked reform movements in suffrage, slavery, and treatment of...
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."
Ohio Test Prep
Ohio Test Prep: Module 5. Sectionalism and Antislavery
Ohio Social Studies test preparatory module informs about the anti-slavery movement, the Underground Railroad and the key role Ohio played during this era. Site includes video tutorial, interactive practice material, and assessment.
Ohio History Central
Ohio History Central: Free Soil Party
A description of the platform and beliefs of the Free Soil Party which opposed expansion of slavery into US territories.
Scholastic
Scholastic Instructor: The Path to Freedom
Here is a great list of ideas for teachers to utilize in the classroom for lessons about the Underground Railroad. This site provides historical information, facts, reproductibles and more.
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.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Boston African American National Historic Site
A tour and commentary about the many sites in Boston where abolitionists lived and worked. Click on the links to find out about these brave souls, both black and white, who fought against slavery.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: The Amistad Case:
Pictures and text from the Smithsonian Institute about the 1839 slave rebellion on the slave ship, The Amistad and the ensuing trial of the 36 Africans involved in the rebellion.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: American Literature: Resistance and Abolition
This article focuses on the resistance and abolition of slavery in the United States. It discusses the ways in which the slaves resisted slavery and the role abolitionists played.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Mexican American War
The Mexican-American War fulfilled James Polk's desire to acquire the territory of New Mexico and California from Mexico. See how the fight was provoked, and read about Stephen Kearny's actions in New Mexico and John Fremont's in...
The History Cat
The History Cat: Countdown to Civil War
Describes the events leading up to the start of the American Civil War. Looks at clashes between pro- and anti-slavery groups, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the fight over California, the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act,...
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.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History:sarah and Angelina Grimke
Encyclopaedia Britannica provides a biography about the Grimke sisters, both Quakers and avid social reformers. They spoke out about women's rights and slavery.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: John Brown's Raid
John Brown was considered a madman by many and a martyr by others. Read about his ill-fated raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Why did this raid cause such a reaction in the Southern states?
Other
Presentations From the Life of Frederick Douglass
The actor Fred Morsell, a Frederick Douglass reenactor, provides plays about the 19th century civil rights leader as well as other resources about Douglass's life and work.
Columbia University
Columbia University: Columbia University & Slavery 11. Columbians
This website was created by faculty, students, and staff to publicly present information about Columbia's historical connections to the institution of slavery. This article looks at the different approaches among Columbians to the...
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Britain's Involvement With New World Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
With a focus on the 17th and 18th centuries, this article traces the history of Britain's large-scale involvement in the enslavement of Africans and the transatlantic slave trade.