Learn about William Lloyd Garrison, leader of the abolitionist movement and publisher of The Liberator. [5:58] Includes supplemental materials for both students and teachers.

Video clip tells about the impact of novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe on the abolitionist movement. [5:17] Supplemental material for both students and teachers is included.

Find out how anti-slavery activist Angelina Grimke and her sister Sarah went about trying to end slavery and win equal rights for women. [5:57] Includes supplemental materials for both students and teachers.

By examining Lincoln's three most famous speeches the Gettysburg Address and the First and Second Inaugural Addresses in addition to a little known fragment on the Constitution, union, and liberty, students trace what these documents say regarding the significance of union to the prospects for American self-government.

This collection uses primary sources to explore The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

One of the heroes of the Battle of Bunker Hill was Salem Poor, an African American. Black people fought on both sides during the American Revolution. Census data also reveal that there were slaves and free Blacks living in the North in 1790 and after. What do we know about African-American communities in the North in the years after the American Revolution?

About one-third of Patriot soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill were African Americans. Census data also reveal that there were slaves and free Blacks living in the North in 1790 and later years. What were the experiences of African-American individuals in the North in the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War?

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.

This site provides some good lecture notes on Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Easy to read and understand. Includes some biographical information on Harriet Beecher Stowe as well.

In this lesson and activity booklet, students learn about The Black Brigade of Cincinnati. The Black Brigade was a military unit of African American soldiers organized in 1862 during the Civil War when the city of Cincinnati, Ohio was in danger of being s

Whether it be called the Civil War, the War between the States, the War of the Rebellion, or the War for Southern Independence, the events of the years 1861-1865 were the most traumatic in the nation's history. This curriculum unit will introduce students to several important questions pertaining to the war.

This is a reader's theater performance of a scene from George Aiken's 19th-century dramatization of the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin involving the escaped slave Eliza, her husband George, and their friend Phineas. Included are teaching tips and additional background information. Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class. [6:12]

In this lesson, students analyze similarities and differences among depictions of slavery in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Frederick Douglass' "Narrative", and nineteenth century photographs of slaves. Students formulate their analysis of the role of art and fiction, as they attempt to reliably reflect social ills, in a final essay.

A brief look at how slavery in America was tied to the crops grown in the South. See how the need for skilled workers was decreased and the use of unskilled slaves increased with the introduction of the cotton gin.

This video [5:39] demystifies the film editing process as producers and editors discuss edits to the documentary American Masters: Bill T. Jones: A Good Man. The film chronicles Bill T. Jones creating Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray, a dance performance commemorating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. As the post-production process evolves, the filmmakers confront the same challenge Jones faced: should they include a reference to "snakes in bed," a metaphor Lincoln used to illustrate his views on slavery in the new territories, or should it end up on the cutting room floor. Includes teaching tips and discussion questions.

A comprehensive look at the economy of the South and the changes brought by the cotton gin. Read through five pages that discuss the economy, the tradition of the plantation, and the sectionalism that arises in this time period.

Students will enhance their understanding of contemporary injustices, or Unfreedoms,* and develop critical thinking as citizens of the global community.

Here, read the entire text to "Fifty Years in Chains; or, The Life of an American Slave," which was written by Charles Ball and originally published in 1859.

This site, from the University of North Carolina, provides the full text of "My Life in the South," the autobiography of an emancipated slave, Jacob Stroyer(1849-1908). The text is complete and in-depth with a full introduction and photos of the original publication.