TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The History of African American Social Dance
Why do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric...
PBS
Africans in America: Colonial Laws
Read some excerpts from original colonial laws concerning slaves.
PBS
Pbs: Cet: Africans in America: The Threat of Fasting During the Middle Passage
Description of how slaves tried to starve themselves to death on slave ships as a form of resistance, and how the slave traders forced them to eat so they would not lose money. Click on Teacher's Guide for teaching resources.
PBS
Africans in America: William Byrd's Diary
Excerpts from "The Secret Diary of William Byrd" in which, among other things, he describes slaves as piece of property.
Other
West Ark Church of Christ: A Study of Galatians
An outlined overview of Galatians that focuses on the main points of the book. It provides a good introduction, then you can click on the specific chapters to read a more detailed commentary on the book.
Other
University of Arkansas: Arkansas Historical Association: Slavery in Arkansas
A series of lesson plans and teaching activities on slavery in Arkansas are provided for educators.
Other
Southern Illinois History: Homepage
A good reference page, even if it limits itself to Southern Illinois. Good information on slavery in the Land of Lincoln, and the struggle between kidnappers and underground railroad. Site has a search function and plenty of photos.
Understanding Slavery Initiative
Understanding Slavery Initiative: Plantation Life: Personal Accounts
Read first-hand accounts of former slaves, and learn about the devastating realities of the Transatlantic slave trade in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Other
Mission Us: Mission 2: Flight to Freedom
[Free Registration/Login Required] Players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky. As they navigate her escape and journey to Ohio, they discover that life in the "free" North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the...
BBC
Bbc History: British History: Empire: British Anti Slavery
A five-part article describing the British antislave trade movement. All major figures in the abolition movement discussed. Archived.
Read Works
Read Works: Primary Source Texts About Slavery
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage provides two stories about slaves in America with question sets. This passage uses primary source documents to teach reading skills including comparing and contrasting.
Other
San Antonio Express News: History of Slavery Unique but Not 'Brief'
Read a commentary of how Texas' slave history involves Spain, Mexico and the United States. Depending on who was in charge, there was always a mix of pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists in Texas, leading to a contentious struggle for...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: The Slave Experience: Legal Rights and Government
Using primary materials and oral histories, PBS tells the story of the slaves' legal rights and their position with the US Government.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Landmark Cases: Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
PBS features a summary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v. Sanford which ruled that African Americans are not American citizens, and therefore could not sue in federal court. Decision written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.
University of North Carolina
Documenting the American South: Olaudah Equiano
This site from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill presents the full text of "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano detailing the cruelty of the slave trade in the...
University of North Carolina
First Person Narratives of the American South: Twenty Nine Years a Slave
Here at this site from the University of North Carolina, read the full text of Henry Clay Bruce's (1836-1902) book, "The New Man: Twenty-Nine Years a Slave, Twenty-Nine Years a Free Man." A very interesting account of a former slave of...
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...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: The Reconstruction Amendments
[Free Registration/Login Required] An article that discusses the 13-15th amendments and their impact on social history.
Other
Online Archive of 19th Century u.s. Women's Writings: Emancipated Slaveholders
Writing in the 1840s, Lydia M. Child tells the story of ex-slavers living in Virginia. Demonstrates the complexity of the abolition debate in Pre-Civil War America.
The History Cat
The History Cat: History of Colonial America: Jamestown Colony
Describes the struggles of the Jamestown Colony to survive in its first years. Many died from disease and starvation, and things only began to turn when the colonists started to grow tobacco. The use of indentured servants and later,...
US Department of State
U.s. Dept. Of State: Trafficking in Persons 2006 Report
The complete report in which the practice of human trafficking is reviewed both here in this country and around the world. The report acknowledges that progress is being made in ending human slavery but that is still continues.
PBS
Pbs: Cet: Africans in America: The First Slave Auction at New Amsterdam in 1655
This website contains a general description of the time and reason for the first large slave auction held in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Click on Teacher's Guide for teaching resources.
PBS
Pbs: Africans in America: The Slave Chain
A close up picture providing an example of what a slave chain looks like. Click on Teacher's Guide for teacher resources.
PBS
Pbs Africans in America: The Boston Massacre
From its series entitled "Africans in America," PBS offers a comprehensive overview of the Boston Massacre from the viewpoint of the poor, the oppressed, and enslaved or free Africans. The article highlights how these individuals were...