Other
Cartoons of Thomas Nast: Reconstruction, Chinese Immigration, Native Americans
A collection of political cartoons from the 19th century by Thomas Nast. They provide insight into prevailing attitudes on Reconstruction, Chinese immigrants, Native Americans, slavery, and during the Gilded Era.
Other
University of Delaware: Abraham Lincoln: A Bicentennial Celebration
Commemorating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, this exhibition provides several documents and photographs remembering the President's life. Resources cover his political career, slavery, the civil war and his assassination.
Other
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources: Civil War Sesquicentennial
North Carolina is rich in Civil War history. The Department of Cultural Resources has compiled this digital library of primary source documents to and from soldiers in honor of the sesquicentennial of the war.
Other
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Human Trafficking Report [Pdf]
Review this shocking report regarding human trafficking in the Greater Cincinnati area from information gathered between 2008-2009.
Other
Hillcrest High School: The Colonies Come of Age: The Agricultural South [Pdf]
A chapter from a history text that looks at the plantation economy of the Southern colonies, which relied on slave labor. It discusses the role of women as second class citizens, the cash crops that were grown, indentured servitude, the...
Other
Emory University: Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database: Voyages
Take advantage of this thorough database covering all of the voyages which participated in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Other
The Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database: Introductory Maps
Nine full-color, excellent quality maps depicting the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, each with an interpretation and explanation of the voyages portrayed during the specific time period.
Other
Dbq Theme: Slavery in the United States [Pdf]
A Grade 8 writing assignment on slavery. Students examine nine different primary source documents and answer questions about each. After completion, they would be asked to write an essay. This task uses the method called DBQ or...
Hanover College
Hanover College: Slave Narrative of Olaudah Equiano Vol. 1
The complete text of a famous slave narrative from the late 18th century (1789), it tells the story on how Equiano is captured in Africa, transported to the Americas and his experiences as a slave. It provides rich details about the...
Other
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Slavery Today
Resource draws attention to contemporary slavery of the 21st Century. Contemporary slavery includes human traficking and forced labor.
University of Virginia
University of Virginia Electronic Text Center: African American Resources
A collection of primary source materials on African American history. Much of it is about slavery and racism. There are many slave narratives here, letters, essays, and biographical materials, and some of the names are well known ones,...
The Henry Ford
Living Under Enslavement: African Americans on Hermitage Plantation
This virtual tour of the slave quarters of the Hermitage Plantation tells of the family life of slaves, their skills, and their resistance to the institution of slavery.
PBS
Pbs: Scientific American Frontiers: Unearthing Secret America
The fun part of history is finding the clues that unlock the secrets of the past. This is the companion site to the TV show with Alan Alda that features archeological discoveries. Students will find interesting lessons from the past on...
Virginia Tech
Digital History Reader: Unthinking Decision: Slavery in Virginia
Why did slavery evolve in Virginia? Examine this module to understand the context of the times, review resources identifying racial attitudes, economy, and public safety, consider thought-provoking questions, and follow up with further...
Other
Mo Ad: Slavery Narratives
A collection of narratives taken from autobiographies, letters and diaries of slaves. Read the text or listen to the haunting stories.
Scholastic
Scholastic: The Underground Railroad: Escape From Slavery
Imagine being a slave escaping from the South in 1860, and heading to freedom through the underground railroad. Students will hear from first-person accounts and investigate other primary sources from the 1800s.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Harriet Tubman: An Informative and Impressionistic Look
Harriet Tubman was a leading figure in the Underground Railroad movement. In this lesson, students research information about her using informative resources and look at impressionistic artwork depicting her life. Comparing informative...
PBS
Pbs: Literature & Life: From Freedom to Slavery
Some of the African-American writers and poets who spoke out eloquently about their experiences of slavery in the 1700s and 1800s are featured in this section of Literature & Life. Read powerful first-person accounts of Harriet...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Opb American History Interactive: Evaluating Evidence
Use this interactive lesson to practice evaluating evidence from primary sources in order to draw conclusions about a historical event. In this particular case, the event is the Civil War. The challenge is to decide for yourself which of...
US Government Publishing Office
U.s. Government Publishing Office: Thirteenth Amendment [Pdf]
Complete text of the thirteenth amendment of the United States Constitution.
National Geographic
National Geographic: How Slaves Found Their Way North
Help young students understand how slaves utilized the Underground Railroad with this lesson plan.
New York Times
New York Times: Insurance Policies on Slaves
[Free Registration/Login Required] Read this intriguing article about the newly unearthed insurance policies that were sold to plantation owners to insure their slaves. This is a superb example of how the U.S. viewed slaves as a...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?"
Explores the argument made by Frederick Douglass and his appeals to convince northern whites to oppose slavery and favor abolition. Lesson content includes resources for both teachers and students.
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Bullock Museum: African Americans
Share in the campfire stories of the people who defined Texas. Read about free people of color, and how the Republic of Texas was between a rock and a hard place.