The History Place
The History Place: The Dred Scott Decision
This site from The History Place provides an account of the history of Dred Scott, an African-American slave, who took his suit for his freedom to the Supreme Court. The information is somewhat brief, but worthwhile.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "By the Bayou St. John" by Alice Dunbar
This is the full text of the short story "By the Bayou St. John" by Alice Dunbar, an African American poet, journalist and political activist. Among the first generation born free in the South after the Civil War.
Read Works
Read Works: The Struggle for Equality
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about heroic African Americans including Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Barbara Jordan. A question sheet is available to help students build...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Walking Down Park by Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni is one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement and has won numerous awards. Her work ranges from covering topics on race, gender, the African American experience and social issues to children's literature and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson describes her experiences growing up as an African American girl in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 3-6) to pair with "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson. [Free...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Fences" by August Wilson
The play "Fences" explores the complex relationships of a 1950s middle-class, African American family and how they deal with issues of financial hardship, infidelity, and insecurities. Selected (7) reading passages (grades 7-11) to pair...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Stopping for Olympic Gold" by Angie Kay Dilmore
John Woodruff was an African American track athlete who won a gold medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In this informational text, Angie Kay Dilmore discusses John's life and famous race. As you read, take notes on how John achieved...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Changing America" by Barbara Radner
This is an informational article about how Martin Luther King Jr. worked toward changing America in the 1950s and 1960s. It includes a short bio of Dr. King and a reading purpose: As you read, take notes on the problems that African...
Other
Ford's Theatre: Remembering Lincoln
People felt the Lincoln assassination in deeply personal ways. Examine the journal entries and letters from those who were directly affected by his death and worried about the leadership of Andrew Johnson. Included are entries by a free...
Read Works
Read Works: The Struggle for Equality
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage gives biographical information about famous African Americans who have worked hard to fight against inequality. This passage reinforces essential reading comprehension skills....
iCivics
I Civics: Jim Crow
Use primary documents and images to discover the ways state and local governments restricted the newly gained freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. Compare, contrast, and analyze post-war legislation, court decisions...
Black Past
Black Past: Forten, James (1766 1842)
An encyclopedia article about James Forten, a free black man, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and later became a supporter of abolition and suffrage.
PBS
Africans in America: American Colonization Society
Learn about the views of the American Colonization Society (ACS) and about their efforts to send free blacks to Liberia. This website briefly overviews how the ACS started and how their efforts lead to the emigration of thousands.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Africans Ii, American Beginnings: 1492 1690
Three illustrations and five documents about slave codes, master-slave power dynamics, and free blacks within French and Spanish settlements of the Caribbean.
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: The Freedmen
This resource provides information about the Freedmen, who were free after the Emancipation of Slaves.
PBS
Pbs: God in America
Site has much to offer on the topic of the 400-year history of religion and public life in America. At this point in time the full videos are available to watch for free. Topics include: American Scripture, God in the White House, Sacred...
Other
Augustine.com: Black History in St. Augustine: Fort Mose
The first sanctioned free black town was Fort Mose located near what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Learn about its rich historical background as a slave sanctuary and battleground.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: Women and the Great Depression
[Free Registration/Login Required] A very interesting essay showing how the Great Depression affected women as housewives and as employees. See how many New Deal programs discriminated against women, and find out who supported women's...
Stanford University
Sheg: Document Based History: Reading Like a Historian: Sharecropping
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learners solve a problem surrounding a historical question by reading primary source documents. This historical inquiry instructional activity allows students to critically evaluate their classroom...
Crayola
Crayola: Bold and Bright in Harlem (Lesson Plan)
This lesson plan incorporates art into a social studies or language arts class. Students create their own pictures, using the work of Harlem Renaissance artists as inspiration. Also provides resources and adaptations to try with this...
New York Times
New York Times: Insurance Policies on Slaves: New York Life's Complicated Past
[Free Registration/Login Required] This article describes the controversial history of New York Life Insurance. In 1846 the company began selling insurance policies to slave owners in the South that guaranteed compensation if a slave...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Who Is Katherine Johnson?" by Nasa
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: The Importance of Muhammad Ali
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about the life and career of famous boxer Muhammad Ali while exploring his role in the civil rights movement. Also, discover his views on religion and politics and his legacy for being a positive...
Black Past
Black Past: Whipper, William
A brief encyclopedia article about William Whipper, businessman and abolitionist.