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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Border Ruffians

For Students 5th - 8th
Because of the terms of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a election would be held to determine whether Kansas would be a slave or free state. Read about the fraudulent votes cast by the so-called border ruffians from Missouri, and see how Kansas...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: "Bloody Kansas"

For Students 5th - 8th
Here's an overview of the turmoil caused in the Kansas-Nebraska territory as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Read about the potential of conflict between the free-soilers and the border ruffians.
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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Fort Scott National Historic Site: Bleeding Kansas

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the effects of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In particular, the site details incidents from the period known as "Bleeding Kansas."
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit:letter From Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman by Frederick Douglass

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman" by Frederick Douglass, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
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Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Elizabeth Cady Stanton

For Students 9th - 10th
Encyclopedia Britannica provides a biography of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902 CE), noted suffragist and reformer of the women's rights movement. Additional content includes a photograph and Stanton's statement before the Judiciary...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "The Underground Railroad" by Us history.org

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with "The Underground Railroad" by USHistory.org, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
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Study Guide
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Compromise of 1850

For Students 11th - 12th
This Khan Academy resource provides a table of contents with notes for The Compromise of 1850.
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Primary
Other

Online Archive of 19th Century u.s. Women's Writings: Emancipated Slaveholders

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Article
PBS

Pbs: Africans in America: Harriet Tubman (1820 1913)

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a brief article from PBS on the life and accomplishments of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who risked her life on several occasions to ensure the freedom of others. Links to a teacher's guide and primary sources are provided.
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Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Black Heritage Day Ii: Harriet Tubman (1821 1913)

For Students 9th - 10th
A profile of Harriet Tubman, for a Black History calendar. Harriet Tubman fought tirelessly against slavery, and was responsible for rescuing over 300 slaves. She received many accolades and awards over the course of her long life.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Benjamin Franklin Timeline

For Students 3rd - 8th
Independence Hall Association features an easy-to-read timeline offering a wealth of information about Franklin's life.
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Unit Plan
Other

Presentations From the Life of Frederick Douglass

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Article
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Britannica Kids: 300 Women Who Changed History: Harriet Tubman

For Students 9th - 10th
Encyclopedia Britannica provides a biography of Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), an escaped slave from Maryland who later became one of the Underground Railroad's most famous "Conductors."
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Website
Columbia University

Columbia University: Columbia University & Slavery 11. Columbians

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Article
Social Studies for Kids

Social Studies for Kids: Frederick Douglass: Great Foe of Slavery

For Students 1st - 5th
One of the most important Black Americans in the history of the country was Frederick Douglass. Find out more about this outspoken foe of slavery.
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Website
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Preface to Sancho: An Act of Remembrance

For Students 9th - 10th
Paterson Joseph describes how his research into Black British history led him to write his first play, Sancho: An Act of Remembrance. In this one-man show, Paterson Joseph inhabits the life of Ignatius Sancho, the 18th-century composer,...
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Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Osu History Teaching Institute: The Age of Reform

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson looks at two reform movements anti-slavery and women's rights and their cultural connections among the various reform impulses.
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Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Harriet Tubman Web Hunt: Leading the Way to Freedom

For Students 5th - 8th
A "web hunt" activity where students answer questions about Harriet Tubman and her experience on the underground railroad. Activity includes questions and internet links to find the answers to the questions.
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Unknown Type
History Teacher

Historyteacher.net: The Antebellum South: Quiz (2)

For Students 9th - 10th
This 10-question multiple choice quiz is immediately scored and tests your comprehension of slavery in the South during the mid 1800s.
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Primary
PBS

Pbs: Levi Coffin's Underground Railroad Station

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from PBS provides an excerpt from a historical document written by Levi Coffin about his Cincinnati Underground Railroad Station.
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Graphic
National Geographic

National Geographic: The Underground Railroad: Routes to Freedom

For Students 9th - 10th
Map with Underground Railroad routes and text.
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Handout
National Women's Hall of Fame

National Women's Hall of Fame: Lucretia Mott

For Students 9th - 10th
The National Women's Hall of Fame offers a brief biography on the life of Quaker abolitionist and women's rights advocate, Lucretia Mott.
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Website
Learning to Give

Learning to Give: Anthony Benezet

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed biography of the famous Quaker abolitionist who founded the first anti-slave group in Philadelphia in 1772.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

For Students 9th - 10th
Interest facts about John Brown, the militant anti-slavery activist who tried to seize ammunition from an armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859.