homework slaves mistress

ANTHONY SMITHand

STEPH YATES

ISBN 1 86025 233 8

Illustrated byNEIL CROSSLEY

HISTORYLESSONS WITHHOMEWORKS:

BLACK PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAS

The pack

Studentsuitability

Using the pack

Other linkedChalkface packs

The peopleinvolved

Photocopy laws

How to contact us

History Lessons with Homeworks: Black Peoples of the Americas provides a widerange of materials and activities enabling students to explore the history of BlackAmericans from the slave trade to the civil rights movement of the sixties. Students willlearn about black leaders and the events which influenced them, as well as about whatlife was like for ordinary black people. The pack covers the United States and theCaribbean. Each sheet includes a homework activity based on the work covered duringthe lesson.

The pack is designed for use with KS3 students in History lessons studying the BlackPeoples of the Americas. Because the pack is photocopiable, you can use it flexibly,with individual students, small or large groups, or across a whole year set.

You can use the sheets separately to focus on one particular area, or group severaltogether to provide the basis for a project lasting several lessons. The Teachers’ Notesprovided opposite each worksheet give the page’s aims, preparation needed, classroommanagement advice, differentiation possibilities, answers and extension activities. Wepresume that you have access to pen, paper and chalkboard, and that students are usedto working individually and in small and large discussion groups. If you have a queryabout how best to use the pack, we are happy to help; please write to us at the addressbelow.

You may also find the following pack useful History Lessons with Homeworks: Britain1750–1900.

Anthony Smith, the consultant author for this pack, is a teacher in South London. Steph Yates is a freelance writer. The pack was illustrated by Neil Crossley and thecover and series design was by Michael Lopategui. Deborah Sheward was the editorialco-ordinator, and Karen Reed was the editor and layout artist. The Chalkface formatwas created by Susan Quilliam.

The text and pictures in this pack belong to The Chalkface Project Ltd. However, youmay photocopy the sheets, provided you do so only for use within your owninstitution. If you wish to photocopy for any other use, you must write to us forpermission, for which we may charge a fee.

Address: The Chalkface Project Ltd, PO Box 111, Milton Keynes MK11 1XNTel: 0800 781 8858Fax: 0845 458 5344E-mail: [email protected]: www.chalkface.com

History Lessons with Homeworks: Black Peoples of the Americas© The Chalkface Project Ltd 1999

ISBN 1 86025 233 8

Last updated 4/9/02

1

.INTRODUCTION.

.CONTENTS.The Slave Trade

7 AFRICA BEFORE SLAVERY Students learn about Africa in 1550 and use the information towrite magazine articles.

9 WHAT IS SLAVERY? Students explore what slavery means and produce anencyclopaedia entry on the subject.

11 TRIANGULAR TRADE. A map enables students to write a newspaper article about thetriangular trade between Africa, America and Europe.

13 THE MIDDLE PASSAGE Students use roleplay to explore conditions on a slave ship.

The Life of a Slave15 THE RAW MATERIALS Students produce a map showing American colonies and the

raw materials produced by slaves there.

17 THE PRICE OF PROFIT Students explore how individuals benefited and suffered as aresult of slavery.

19 LIVING BY THE RULES Students look at some of the rules imposed on slaves andconsider the consequences.

21 THE BOOK OF LIVES Students discover what made a slave valuable in the eyes of aslave owner.

23 TO BE FREE IS VERY SWEET Students roleplay an interview with a freed slave based on thelife of Mary Prince, and plan a report on life as a slave.

Abolition of Slavery25 NANNY AND THE MAROONS Students use information about communities of escaped slaves

to produce television programmes.

27 REVOLUTION IN HAITI Students produce posters exploring the causes of the slaverevolt in Haiti and reasons for its success.

29 SLAVERY IS ODIOUS Students write abolition speeches based on the moralarguments against slavery.

31 WHY DID IT END? Students explore the reasons for the abolition of slavery.

The American Civil War33 A COUNTRY DIVIDED Students consider the reasons for the American civil war,

including the issue of slavery.

35 BUFFALO SOLDIERS Students use extracts from letters to gain an understanding ofthe experiences of black soldiers during the American civil war.

37 ADVISING THE PRESIDENT Students use information about the life of Sojourner Truth towrite a film script of her meeting with President Lincoln.

2

Civil Rights in the 20th Century39 JIM CROW Students learn about the growth of segregation after the civil

war.

41 WAYS AND MEANS Students find out about the different campaign approaches ofBooker T Washington and W E B Du Bois.

43 OUR OWN LAND Students find out about the beliefs of Marcus Garvey and designa museum display based on this.

45 A LONG WAY TO GO Students learn about some of the self-help organisations set upby black people.

47 SING AMERICA Students look at a poem and discuss what it tells them aboutthe life of a black man living in America in 1930.

49 FIGHTING ABROAD Students consider the implications of segregation in theAmerican armed forces during the second world war.

51 GETTING INTO SCHOOL This page re-tells the events at Little Rock, Arkansas, to helpstudents explore how segregation was fought in the 1950s.

53 ROSA PARKS Students learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and considerthe effectiveness of non-violent protests.

55 JOURNEYING SOUTH Students produce radio programmes on the Freedom Rides andsit-ins of the 1960s.

57 YOU WILL UNDERSTAND Students analyse extracts from a Martin Luther King letterwritten from Birmingham Jail in 1963.

59 MALCOLM X Students reflect on the turning points in the life of Malcolm Xand produce a film script based on one of them.

61 WHO IS IT? Students complete a quiz about Black People of Achievement.

62 APPENDIX 1 For ‘The Raw Materials’: Outline map showing Europeancolonies in America at the end of the 18th century.

63 APPENDIX 2 For ‘Why did it End?’: Reasons for the end of slavery.

64 DATA RECORD PAGE Assessment grid.

Lesson-specific Teachers’ Notes are to be found on the pagefacing each worksheet.

.CONTENTS.

3

.GENERAL GUIDELINES.

5

The Teachers’ Notes opposite each page provide information on each specific page as required.These more general guidelines give advice on using the whole pack. They offer suggestions onpreparation, running the lesson and follow-up work, and could form the basis of in-servicetraining prior to using the pack.

Please remember to photocopy both the relevant Teachers’ Notes and these GeneralGuidelines if you are copying worksheets for a supply teacher to use.

Preparing for the lesson• Specific preparation requirements are indicated in the Preparation section of the Teachers’

Notes. You should always have available copies of the worksheet, pens, pencils and achalkboard or equivalent.

• Allow approximately an hour’s lesson for each page unless advised otherwise in the Timingsection of the Teachers’ Notes.

• The heading Points To Be Aware Of will draw your attention to any possible classroommanagement issues which may arise from using the page. These may be to do with racial,cultural, emotional, religious or gender issues requiring sensitive handling. There aremany opportunities within this pack to explore and challenge racial stereotypes. Somepages require students to roleplay black American characters and you may want to discusswith students ways that they can do this realistically.

The lessonMost pages leave you free to choose how to manage the lesson, and suggestions are madeunder the heading Classroom Management. Where a particular approach is required, this ismade clear in the Teachers’ Notes. One way of structuring the lesson is to begin with an‘introductory chat’, moving on to individual, group or paired work, and finishing with a chanceto share ideas in groups or as a class.

Each sheet contains a number of activities. These fall into several basic formats:

• Thought starters • Reading

• Oral work • Brainstorming

• Research • Acting or writing in role

• Written work • Empathy work

Suggestions are made under Differentiation to enable you to adapt the sheet for more or lessable students. For assessment purposes, differentiation will usually be by outcome.

Following up on the lessonWhere appropriate, the Teachers’ Notes include suggestions for Extension Activities. These areusually designed to carry the topic into a double lesson, or to provide an opportunity for out-of-classroom work.

6

Aims

Preparation

AdditionalInformation

Differentiation

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page introduces students to the diversity of African history andaims to challenge the notion that Africa was ‘backwards’ beforeslavery. Students explore some of the cultural and social informationavailable about Africa in the sixteenth century.

You may wish to have additional resources available for students touse. The British Museum, Commonwealth Institute and HornimanMuseum all have material such as postcards which could be used.

The date 1550 has been chosen for the main activity because this iswhen Al-Hassan ibn Muhammed al-Wazzani (known as Leo Africanus)published a book describing his travels in Africa. The description ofTimbuktu is taken from his book. The description of Gao is by IbnBattuta, a Tunisian traveller born in 1304. The population of Africa in1600 is estimated to have been about 60 million, and over 1,000languages were spoken.

As some of the descriptions are not in modern English, you may needto read them with students to ensure they understand them. More ablestudents could be encouraged to imitate the style in their accounts.

Attainment levels 4–6.

Students could use the first verse of County Cullen’s poem ‘Heritage’as the centre piece for a collage on what Africa means to the class:

What is Africa to me:Copper sun or scarlet seaJungle star or jungle track,Strong bronzed men, or regal blackWomen from whose loins I sprangWhen the birds of Eden rang?

Teachers’ NotesAFRICA BEFORE SLAVERY

.AFRICA BEFORE SLAVERY.

7

3 Your account is to be published in amagazine. Draw a suitable picture to gowith it.

Homework Think about the words you brainstormed about ‘Africa’ at the beginning ofthe lesson, and the things you have learnt during the lesson. Write a personal piece ofwriting with the title, ‘What Africa means to me’.

1 Write down all the things you think ofwhen you hear the word ‘Africa’. Compareyour ideas with those of other people.

2 The year is 1550. You have just returnedfrom travelling around Africa. Using theinformation given below, write an accountof what you have seen.

A brass head from the city of Benin

ZimbabweTimbuktu

A bird carving, originally covered in gold leaf,

from the arm of a stool

Gao is one of the finest towns… with rice in plenty, milk and fish…The buying and selling is done with cowrie shells.

Great Zimbabwe is the commercial centre of apowerful state and trades with many countries,including China.

There are many different languages, and most speak more thanone. There are different writing systems and many religions.

The inhabitants in Timbuktu are exceedingly rich… Here are doctors,judges, priests and other learned men… and manuscripts or written books.

The Asante people trade in gold. They are great craftsmen producing goldrings, ceremonial daggers, crowns and ornaments.

Benin is a very big city with many streets… The palace of the King isvery large.

8

Aims

Preparation

ClassroomManagement

Differentiation

Assessment

Answers

ExtensionActivities

This page looks at what is meant by the term ‘slavery’. Students gain anappreciation of the differences between slavery and paid work.

Examples of encyclopaedia entries for young people would be useful.ICT facilities could be used for this lesson.

The initial brainstorm could be held in groups or as a class. Slavery hasoccurred in many cultures at many times. The significant differencesbetween slavery in other parts of the world and the Atlantic slave tradeare differences of scale, distance, planning, bureaucracy, economicscale and organisation.

Students could produce their encyclopaedia entries using ICT facilities,and include pictures where appropriate. It may help to show themsome entries from a children’s encyclopaedia so that they have an ideaof design elements such as layout, use of pictures, diagrams andcaptions.

Less able students could write a simple entry defining slavery using thestatements from the page. More able students could include historicalinformation about slavery.


Statements a), c), d), g), h), j), k), l) and m) are all true of slavery.

Students could find out about the use of slavery in places other thanthe Americas. Information is available on current slavery from theShaftesbury Society.

Teachers’ NotesWHAT IS SLAVERY?

.WHAT IS SLAVERY?.

9

4 Some people who are poorly paid orover worked describe their jobs as ‘slavelabour’. Explain why work of this kind isnot slave labour. Do you think peopleshould use this phrase?

Homework Imagine you are a visitor from another planet, where slavery has neverexisted. Write a report about slavery on Earth and your feelings about what you havediscovered.

1 Brainstorm the word ‘slavery’. Where dowe get our ideas about slavery from?

2 Select the statements below which aretrue of slaves. Then, based on thestatements you have chosen, and your ownideas, produce an encyclopaedia entry foryoung people explaining what slavery is.

3 Write a paragraph explaining what theworst aspects of slavery are. Are thesemental or physical?

n) They are paid.

b) They may work long hours for money.

c) They can be born into this position.

a) They are owned by a master or mistress.

e) They may earn a great deal of money.

f) They can travel wherever they want to.

j) They may have been kidnapped.

i) They can work for whoever they want.

d) Their children may be taken from them and sold.

g) They are not paid.

k) They have no rights.

h) Their skin may be branded (marked with the owner’s mark).

l) They can only be freed by their owner.

m) They can be sold and bought.

10

Aims

ClassroomManagement

Answers

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page introduces students to the idea of the triangular trade.Students discover how the trade worked and who profited from it.

You will probably need to talk through the triangular trade route withstudents before they can write their newspaper articles.

1 and 2 Europeans captured or bought Africans and transported themas slaves to the Americas, where they worked on plantations toproduce raw materials such cotton, sugar, and tobacco. The rawmaterials were then shipped to Europe where they were manufacturedinto saleable goods. Goods such as textiles, and metal goods includingtools and weapons, were then transported from Europe to Africa to besold to some West African leaders, who supplied the traders withcaptives to be transported as slaves. It should be stressed that not allAfrican leaders complied with the slave trade, but that some didcapture people from rival tribes and sold them to white traders.

3 Profits would have been made in the following ways: merchants –buying and selling at each stage; plantation owners – selling rawmaterials; manufacturers – selling manufactured goods; shop keepers –selling manufactured goods; governments – taxes; some West Africanleaders – selling Africans as slaves.


Students could produce a display showing how different groups ofEuropeans were affected by the slave trade.

Teachers’ NotesTHE TRIANGULAR TRADE

.TRIANGULAR TRADE.

11

3 Look at the groups of people listed inthe box below. How would each grouphave made money from the triangulartrade? Which groups would usually havemade the most profit?

Homework Choose three groups of people from the list above who would have mademoney from sugar during the time of the triangular trade. Explain how they would havemade their money.

The ‘triangular trade’ is the name oftengiven to the trade involving slaves movingbetween the Americas, Africa and Europe.

1 Look at the goods and people in the boxon the right. Which part of the route wouldeach one have travelled on?

2 Using the above map to help you, writea newspaper article describing thetriangular trade, and explaining whathappened at each stage.

Merchants Plantation owners Manufacturers

Shop keepers Governments Some West African leaders

African men,women and

children

Tools

Sugar

Cotton

Textiles

Metal goods

Tobacco

Weapons

1

2

3

12

Aims

ClassroomManagement


Differentiation

Assessment

Homework

This page explores conditions on board a slave ship. Students gain anunderstanding of the conditions and the reasons why resistance wasalmost impossible.

You could measure out the space described to show students howsmall it was. The roleplays will need to be handed sensitively andcould be shown in groups or as a class.

The description of the attempted escape is based on the account byOlaudah Equiano, a captured slave who later bought his freedom. Themeasurements are based on the Liverpool slave ship The Brookes.

More able students could roleplay the part of the captured slave.


The interview could be with a slave, the ship owner or one of thecrew, and should reflect the opinions of the time.

Teachers’ NotesTHE MIDDLE PASSAGE

.THE MIDDLE PASSAGE.

13

3 What would you say to someone whoclaims that the slaves should have foughttheir way off the ship?

Homework Imagine you have been asked to make a documentary about the Atlanticcrossing slaves were forced to make. Write an introduction explaining what life on the shipwas like, and then write an interview with someone who was involved.

1 Millions of slaves were born into slavery,but millions of others were transported onships from Africa. Look at the picture belowand read the information. What emotionsmight the slaves have felt?

2 Prepare a speech where a slave whowas transported from Africa talks about thejourney. The speech should include theconditions on board, why resistance wasdifficult, and how slaves could escape.

The Africans had to sleep on bare boards with no bedding, in aspace of about 180cm x 40cm, and only 80cm high.

The journey lasted two– three months.

The slaves came from different tribes and spoke differentlanguages, which made revolt difficult.

Diseases like smallpox spread quickly.

One African described how a group of slaves jumped overboard, preferring death to a life of slavery.

One in six slaves died.

They were allowed on deck for a few minutes each day, butspent the rest of the time chained up in the hot, dark hold.

14

Aims

Preparation

ClassroomManagement

Differentiation

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page aims to give students some understanding of the extent ofcolonisation around Central America towards the end of the 18thcentury. Students also find out about the raw materials which slaveswere used to produce.

Students will need copies of the outline map in Appendix 1 on page62, atlases and colouring pens or pencils.

The map shows the larger colonies at the end of the eighteenthcentury. It has been simplified in order to make it more accessible tostudents, and many of the smaller islands have not been included. Youshould point out to students that the countries named are the moderncountries, and that during colonisation they had different names andboundaries. Students also need to know that the Europeans fought overthe colonies, and that areas of land often changed hands. Thedistribution of raw materials has also been simplified, but reflects themain areas where materials were produced. Students will need to workmethodically, identifying the places using an atlas and shading them inbefore adding symbols for the materials.

More able students could draw in and shade the following islands:British – Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, Dominica, Tobago; French –Guadeloupe, Martinique, Lucia, Grenada; Spanish – Trinidad.


Students could find out about how colonialism influenced one of thecountries on their map.

Teachers’ NotesTHE RAW MATERIALS

.THE RAW MATERIALS.

15

3 Now add a key to show what thesymbols and colours stand for.

Homework Write a report on who owned colonies in the Americas at the end of the 18thcentury, how the land was divided between them, and what the colonies produced.

When Europeans landed in America, theybegan to colonise (take over) large areas ofland. Often, they used slaves to farm ormine raw materials such as cotton, gold orsugar. The materials were then sent back toEurope.

1 Using an atlas and the information inAppendix 1, choose a colour for eachEuropean country and shade in on the mapthe colonies each one owned.

2 Choose a symbol for each of the rawmaterials and mark them on your map inthe appropriate places.

Cotton was produced in the USA colonies and Brazil.

Tobacco was produced in the USAcolonies, Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil.

Sugar was produced throughout the Caribbean Islands and in Brazil.

Silver was mined inMexico and Peru.

Gold was mined in Nicaragua,Columbia and Ecuador.

Cocoa beans were grown in Venezuela.

16

Aims

ClassroomManagement

Differentiation

Assessment

This page helps students to identify the ways in which some peoplesuffered from the slave trade and others benefited. Students gain anappreciation of the far reaching effects of the slave trade.

Students could work in groups of about four for the roleplay which is a‘hot seating’ exercise. They could share their lists of questions withother groups before beginning the roleplay. Try to encourage a rangeof questions, from purely practical ones such as, ‘How do you makeyour money?’ to questions exploring moral issues such as, ‘Do you feelguilty about what you do?’. It might be useful to pause the roleplaysfrom time to time and ask students to show extracts to the class. Youcan then draw out the differences between the students’ own opinionsand the likely opinions of the characters in the picture. At some stage itwould be useful to reflect on the fact that slavery played a large part inthe European economy and that in this sense, as well as in many otherways, the lives of everyone in Europe were probably affected byslavery.

This will be by outcome.


Teachers’ NotesTHE PRICE OF PROFIT

.THE PRICE OF PROFIT.

17

4 Produce a list showing the advantagesand disadvantages of the slave trade forfour of the characters from this sheet.

Homework Imagine you were one of the characters from this page. Write a letter to afriend explaining how slavery affects you.

1 Many people made money out of theslave trade, others suffered as a result of it.Some of the people affected by the slavetrade are shown below. Match eachstatement to the person who could havemade it.

2 Write a list of questions about the slavetrade that you would like to ask the peoplein the picture.

3 Now take it in turns to roleplay one ofthe people while the others ask some of thequestions from your list. The person playingthe character should answer in role.

My slaves have made me rich

– they work myland.

I make a lot of money making

cloth to trade in Africa.

I am able to charge my customers high prices

for luxury goods such as sugar.

I have lost my family, my

tribe, my land –everything.

I am in the Caribbean to help stop the slaves

mutinying. It is dangerous, full of disease and the pay is poor,but I may save enough to buy

a piece of land for myself one day.

The slave trade has made me very

wealthy, as the boats Iown carry slaves, weapons

for trading, sugar and rum.

I am at sea for months, the pay is terrible,and there is danger from

the slaves and from disease,but I have no other job.

Merchant

British soldier in theCaribbean

Shop keeperin Britain

African slave

Plantationowner in theCaribbean

British laboureremployed on aslave ship

Factoryowner inBritain

18

Aims

Preparation

ClassroomManagement

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page begins to investigate the conditions slaves lived under.Students think about the reasons for many of the rules imposed onslaves, and the consequences of these rules.

Students will need large sheets of paper.

Students could work in pairs or small groups to write their pairs ofsentences. In looking at the rules, it should be recognised thatconditions did vary from place to place and from year to year. Someplantation owners considered themselves to be very humane and‘allowed’ activities such as Christian worship. Conditions on theplantations would have varied, with food, housing, working hours andgeneral conditions being comparably better in some places than inothers. Even the most liberal plantation owners regarded the slaves astheir property.


A few plantation owners believed that they should provide slaves withreasonable living conditions, partly because this would make themmore ‘productive’. Students could debate whether these owners wereputting the needs of the slaves or their own needs first.

Teachers’ NotesLIVING BY THE RULES

.LIVING BY THE RULES.

19

3 How would the plantation owners havemade sure that the rules were not broken?

Homework Slaves did break the rules. Choose one of the rules and write a story about aslave who broke it.

1 Look at the illustration below. Whichrules would have been the most hated bythe slaves? Give reasons for your opinion.

2 Write out all the rules on a large sheet ofpaper. Under each one, write two sentenceson the following:

a) why the plantation owners would havewanted the rule

b) what effect the rule would have had onthe lives of the slaves.

1 Slaves are the property of the plantation owner.

2 Slaves may not own anything.

3 Slaves must do whatever work and hours the master or his overseerstell them to do.

4 Slaves must not travel beyond the plantation without the master’spermission.

5 Slaves will not marry.

6 Children born to slaves become slaves themselves belonging to themaster.

7 Slaves can be sold at any time. Parents and children may beseparated.

8 Slaves may not learn to read and write or attend religious services.

9 Slaves must not carry weapons.

10 The master has the right to punish slaves in any way he sees fit.

20

Aims

Points To BeAware Of

ClassroomManagement

Assessment

Answers

ExtensionActivities

Homework

This page tries to bring home the fact that slaves were considered acommodity whose value was determined in monetary terms. Studentsdiscover what affected the value of a slave and reflect on the fact thateach slave entry in a plantation log book represented a real person.

The idea of ‘valuing’ people in monetary or other terms needs sensitivehandling and you may need to challenge students’ assumptions. Whenfaced with records of this kind, it is easy for students to begin to seeslaves as commodities, and you may be surprised at how easilystudents accept the idea of pricing slaves when they invent their ownslaves for the log book. It is essential that at some point in the lessonyou give students the opportunity to reflect on the fact that each of theentries in a log book would have been real people. Perhaps ask themhow a slave might have felt as he or she grew older and could notcarry out as much work.

Students could study the table in pairs or small groups. You couldpoint out that the names would have been names given by the owners,most of whom did not allow African names. Provide severalopportunities for students to reflect on what they are working on.


The cooper made barrels, the head driver was in charge of the otherslaves. The factors determining the value of a slave would have beengender (women past child-bearing age were generally worth less thanmen), age (young children and elderly slaves were worth less) and job(‘skilled’ jobs and those in charge of others were worth more). Otherfactors would include the health, strength and ‘attitude’ of the slave.For example, a slave who attempted to run away would have beenconsidered a liability. Intelligence may have been valued to someextent, as a slave who could learn a skilled job would have beenvaluable, but in general, signs of intelligence in a slave would havebeen considered dangerous.

Students could work in groups to produce short plays based on thecharacters they wrote about in their homework.

The homework is designed to reinforce the point that log entriesrepresented living people.

Teachers’ NotesTHE BOOK OF LIVES

.THE BOOK OF LIVES.

21

3 What other things about a slave mighthave affected his or her price?

Homework The slaves are listed almost like objects, but each one was a real person.Choose one of the slaves from the log book above and imagine you had actually met thatperson. Write about the meeting, describing the person and explaining what happenedwhen you met.

After 1817, slave owners were required togive details of all the slaves they owned tothe government. The information belowshows some of the information they had torecord.

1 Look at each of the job titles. What workwould each job have involved?

2 Study the table and make a list of threethings which would have affected the valueof a slave.

Now write two more entries for the logbook, one for a slave worth £110, the otherfor a slave worth £30.

Name Age Job Value

Isaac 53 field worker £50Joe 18 field worker £110Peter 38 head driver £110William 40 sugar boiler £70Charles 7 cattle boy £60Jim 42 cooper £90Susan 38 cook for gangs £40Amelia 52 washerwoman £60Sunday 15 domestic £90Cecily 18 field worker £90

22

Aims


ClassroomManagement

Timing

Assessment

This page looks at life as a slave using evidence from theautobiography of Mary Prince. Students will learn about the abusesslaves suffered and about some of the things they did to try to improvetheir lives.

The information about Mary Prince refers to sexual abuse.

Students could take it in turns to act out an interview rather thanwriting one. Some of the these could then be acted out for other pairsor the class.

Generating headings for the report could be done in small groups.Make sure that students focus on life as a slave, rather than the widertopic of slavery. You may want to agree three or four headings with theclass and ask all students to use the same ones for their reports.Headings could include work, conditions and rights. The reports areintended to be an extended piece of work covering various aspects oflife as a slave, and could be used as the final piece of work on thetopic.

Students may need more than one homework to complete theirreports.


Teachers’ NotesTO BE FREE IS VERY SWEET

.TO BE FREE IS VERY SWEET.

23

3 Imagine the year is 1830 and you havebeen asked to write a report on life as aslave for the British government. You haveinterviewed Mary Prince and gatheredother information. Make a list of headingsyou could use in your report.

Homework Using the some of the headings you thought of, write a report for the Britishgovernment on life as a slave.

1 Read the information given below. MaryPrince was a slave who was born inBermuda in about 1788. What does it tellyou about life as a slave?

2 Write an interview between Mary Princeand someone living in Britain who wants tofind out what it was like to be a slave in theCaribbean.

When Mary was 12 her owner died. She and her sister were sold

to different owners.

Mary made some money by taking in washing and selling coffee,

yams and other goods to the sailors in the port.‘Slaves who tried to run away were sometimes hanged.’

Mary was probably sexually

abused by one of her owners. She

says, ‘My master was a very harsh

and selfish man.’

Slaves used to sing, dance and tellstories together in the evenings. Manyremembered slaves telling storiesabout Anansi – the spider full of tricks.Mary often saw slaves beingpunished. They were whippedand beaten. She said, ‘I haveseen their flesh ragged and rawwith licks.’

When one of her owners asked who

had been putting ideas of

freedom into her head, Mary

replied, ‘To be free is very

sweet.’

Mary was often beaten. She describeshow she was stripped naked, hung up bythe wrists and had her ‘flesh made openwith cowskin’.

24

Aims


ClassroomManagement

Timing

Differentiation

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page shows students that, for some slaves, resistance was possible.Students find out about the way in which some escaped slavessucceeded in organising new communities.

Be ready to challenge stereotyped portrayals of Nanny or othercharacters involved in the story.

Students could work in groups to prepare the television programmes.They could use a mixture of scripted pieces with roleplay, and couldvideo the final programme if you wished.

You may need a second lesson if groups are going to show or videotheir work.

Less able students could do the obituary activity, although this conceptmay need to be explained to them.


Students could produce a classroom wall display of ‘quotations’ aboutNanny taken from their television programmes.

Teachers’ NotesNANNY & THE MAROONS

.NANNY & THE MAROONS.

25

3 How might Nanny have answered thequestion, ‘Do you feel your life has been asuccess?’ Give reasons for your answer.

Homework Write a newspaper report following a Maroon attack on a plantation. (Hint – would the newspaper have been in favour of the Maroons or against them?)

1 Many slaves ran away. What problemswould runaway slaves have faced?

2 One slave who escaped was calledNanny. Read the story of Nanny below,then either:

a) use the information to put together a‘This is your life’ programme on Nanny; or

b) write and illustrate an obituary forNanny.

A Nanny was a slave in Jamaica. She ran awayand joined a rebel town of escaped slaves inthe hills.

B By 1720, Nanny had become leader ofNanny town. The town worked like anAshanti tribe. The escaped slaves(Maroons), farmed and traded. They alsoraided plantations.

C Nanny town was often attacked byBritish soldiers. The Maroons gotwarning of the attacks from people theyhad placed as lookouts and spies. TheMaroon warriors fought off the soldiers.

D In 1739 the British finally captured Nanny town.Other Maroon leaders signed a peace treatywhich gave them their freedom. In return theyagreed to help capture runaway slaves and putdown revolts. Nanny refused to sign a treaty likethis, but eventually she agreed a truce.

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This page looks at Haiti, where slaves succeeded in defeating a varietyof white rulers and gained independence. Students will explore someof the causes of the revolution and consider what led to its success.

You may want to photocopy the information about ToussaintL’Ouverture below for students.

Students could discuss the jigsaw pieces in small groups before sharingideas as a class. Posters could show what students consider to be themain reason, or could include several.

St Domingue was the most important French colony in the Caribbean.In 1789, the French revolution defeated the ruling classes in France.The French revolution’s ideals of equality and liberty encouraged theoppressed slaves. Slave revolt broke out in 1791. The revolt continuedunder the leadership of a slave, Toussaint L’Ouverture. Therevolutionary French government also wanted the white rulersoverturned and worked with the slaves and mulattoes (people of mixedrace) to achieve this. In 1794 the French declared all slaves to be free.Toussaint L’Ouverture helped the French defeat the British and Spanishwho had invaded. He became leader of a self-governing state, stillofficially part of the French Empire. St Domingue was renamed Haiti.By 1802 the French revolution had given way to a new governmentunder the leadership of Napoleon 1. Napoleon decided to recaptureHaiti and Toussaint was taken prisoner. Other leaders continued thefight against the French and in 1804 Haiti became the first blackindependent state in the world. Toussaint died in a French prison theyear before Haiti gained its independence.

Less able students could produce their posters by copying out theinformation on each jigsaw piece and illustrating it.


Teachers’ NotesREVOLUTION IN HAITI

.REVOLUTION IN HAITI.

27

2 Your teacher can tell you more aboutToussaint L’Ouverture, who was thegrandson of an African king. He learnedabout Africa from his family and was proudof being an African. How might these factshave helped the revolution to succeed?

Homework Write a newspaper article for a Haitian newspaper in the week thatindependence is declared, explaining why and how this has come about.

In 1804 Haiti became the first blackindependent republic in the world. Thejigsaw below shows some of the thingswhich helped this come about.

1 How would each of these things havehelped the revolution succeed?

3 Using the ideas you have talked about,design a poster to encourage slaves in Haitito revolt.

The slaves had an brilliant

leader – Toussaint L’Ouverture,

who was born a slave. He

educated himself and worked as

a doctor before becoming the

leader of his army.

Haiti was a French colony. In

France, the ruling classes were

overthrown by a revolution that

believed in equality and freedom.

These ideas spread to

Haiti.

The slave populationwas very large.

Slaves conditions were

terrible under th

e white

plantation owners.

Black people heldvoodoo meetings, wherethey were able to talkand make plans.Other colonies hadsucceeded in theirfight forindependence; theUSA was formed afterthe colonials therehad defeated theirBritish rulers.

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This page looks at some of the moral arguments against slavery. Inparticular, students gain an understanding of those arguments used byabolitionists in the eighteenth century.

After brainstorming reasons against slavery, students could considerthe quotations on the sheet. Encourage them to consider how views inthe eighteenth century may have differed from views today. Religionwas a particularly prominent theme in the argument against slavery,and many Christian groups, including the Society of Friends (Quakers)and Methodist groups, campaigned.

Sources of quotations: The Wedgwood Plaque designed by JosiahWedgwood; Adam Smith from Wealth of Nations, 1776; Lord ChiefJustice Mansfield from his summing up of the Somersett case in 1772,a test case resulting in a ruling that slavery was illegal according toEnglish law. About 15,000 slaves were subsequently freed in England; Ottabah Cugoano, a former slave, writing in Thoughts and Sentimentson the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of theHuman Species, 1787; Olaudah Equiano, former slave, PublicAdvertiser, 5th February 1788; Thomas Clarkson, abolitionist, TheHistory of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition ofthe African Slave Trade, 1808.


Students could roleplay a public meeting discussing the abolition ofslavery. You could roleplay the part of someone arguing againstabolition. The anti-abolition argument needs sensitive handling andwould best be played by an adult.

Teachers’ NotesSLAVERY IS ODIOUS

.SLAVERY IS ODIOUS.

29

Homework Write a conversation between an abolitionist and a slave owner, in whichthey discuss reasons for keeping or ending slavery.

1 Brainstorm reasons for ending slavery.Which reasons are the most important?

2 Imagine the year is 1797. There is astrong movement to abolish (end) slavery.You have been invited to give a speech at apublic meeting arguing that slavery shouldbe abolished. Use the information belowand your own ideas to write your speech.

Nearly everybody today would argueagainst slavery, but in the eighteenthcentury there were many people whobelieved that slavery was right.

3 Why do people think differently today?Give reasons for your opinions.

Am I not a man and a brother?The Wedgwood Plaque

Whatever work a slave does is squeezed out

of him by violence only.Adam SmithSlavery is so

odious that there is nothing that can be said

to suppor it.Lord Chief Justice Mansfield

If any man should buy another man…

and compel him to his serviceand slavery… the enslaver is a

robber and defrauder of that man.

Ottabah Cugoano

Can any man be a Christian who asserts

that one part of the humanrace were ordained to be in

perpetual bondage to another?

Olaudah EquianoThe argument

that states them [slaves] tobe an inferior link in the chainof nature and so designed for

slavery… is wholly false.Thomas Clarkson

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Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page looks at the reasons for the abolition of slavery. Studentsexplore a range of reasons and reflect on the fact that historians do notalways agree on which reasons were the most influential.

Students will need scissors and three different coloured highlighterpens or pencils for shading, and a copy of the reasons given inAppendix 2 on page 63.

Students could work in small groups or pairs. Check that studentsunderstand the terms ‘moral’ and ‘economic’. Some reasons couldarguably fit more than one category. For example, one of the reasonsthat slavery became unprofitable was because slave resistance costplanters money, either in terms of damage to property or becauseslaves deliberately worked slowly. Students could pick the categorythey felt was most relevant, or include some reasons under twocategories and shade them in stripes. When the reasons are sorted intoorder of importance, the colour which appears in the largest amountstowards the top of the list will indicate whether students have chosenmoral reasons, economic reasons or slave resistance as the mostinfluential factors.

Traditionally, campaigners such as Wilberforce, Clarkson and Sharphave been credited with ending slavery, but more recently historianshave acknowledged the importance of economic reasons and of theefforts of slaves themselves.

Less able students could be given less reasons to work with, but ensurethat reasons concerning economics, morals and slave resistance are allincluded.


Students could use graphs, diagrams or pictograms to provide a visualinterpretation showing the part played in the abolition of slavery bymoral reasons, economic reasons and slave resistance.

Teachers’ NotesWHY DID IT END?

.WHY DID IT END?.

31

3 Which were the most important reasons– moral, economic or slave resistance?Why are there different views on this?

Homework Write a page for a young person’s question and answer book, answering thequestion, ‘Why was slavery abolished?’. You should include the reasons you think weremost important.

In 1834 slavery was finally abolished in theBritish Caribbean.

1 Cut out the reasons for the abolition ofslavery from Appendix 2. Now sort theminto three groups headed ‘moral or religiousreasons’, ‘economic reasons’ and‘resistance of slaves.’ Choose three coloursand shade each group a different colour.

2 Now put all the reasons together, andthis time sort them into order beginningwith the reason which was most importantin ending slavery, and ending with the leastimportant.

Moral or religious reasons

Economic reasons

Resistance of slaves

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Answers

This page looks at the reasons for the American civil war. Studentslearn about the economic and social reasons for the war, including theissue of slavery.

Students will need paper, scissors and glue.

The information on this page has been simplified to enable students togain an overall grasp of the reasons for the American civil war and youmay want to add further information. You could introduce the terms‘confederacy’ and ‘union’, and discuss each of the pairs of facts inmore depth. Students could work in pairs or small groups, with achance to share ideas as a class. At some point you should discuss thefact that the issue of slavery was very important; indeed, some haveargued that this was the central issue which led to the war.


The Union had the advantages of more wealth, industry and a largerpopulation over the Confederacy.

Teachers’ NotesA COUNTRY DIVIDED

.A COUNTRY DIVIDED.

33

Homework Imagine you are an American from either the North or the South at the startof the civil war. Write a letter explaining why the civil war has broken out, and what youhope will happen.

2 Make a list of reasons why the Southwanted to be independent. (The statementsyou cut out will help you.)

3 Now look again at the statements youcut out. Which three ideas helped theNorth to win?

In 1861 civil war broke out between thesouthern and northern States of the USA.

1 For each statement about the North (witha ‘stars and stripes’) there is a matchingstatement about the South (with a ‘rebelflag’) Cut out the statements and match thepairs. Then stick them onto a piece of paperin two columns under the headings ‘North’and ‘South’.

North

South

Wanted a strong central government which wouldtake charge of the economy and help industry grow

Produced manufactured goods (for example – machinery, tools, clothes)

Home to 67% of the population

Produced 91% of the country’s wealth

Was against slavery

Wanted North and South to be one country

Had elected Abraham Lincoln

Depended on slave labour

Produced cotton, rice and tobacco

Home to 33% of the population (a third of these were slaves)

Produced only 9% of the country’s wealth

Fought against the abolition of slavery

Work was done by paid labourers

Wanted to control power locally and wasagainst paying ‘tariffs’ on manufactured goods

Wanted to break away from the Northern States

Unhappy about the election of Abraham Lincoln

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This page looks at the experiences of black soldiers during theAmerican civil war. Students gain an understanding of the dilemmablack soldiers faced between the call of patriotism and the reality ofthe inequality which existed.

The feature film ‘Glory’ deals sensitively with this issue, and ifavailable may be a suitable starting point for students.

The central issue of the gap between the idealism of the North and thetreatment black soldiers received can be quite difficult for students tounderstand. The information below can be told to students to aid theirunderstanding.

Although the North fought for an end to slavery, prejudice andinequality still existed. Black regiments were formed, but theyremained segregated from white units and did not receive equaltreatment. They received lower pay until Congress insisted on equalpay for black and white soldiers in 1864. They were given poorerequipment and weapons, they often lacked supplies of food andmedicine, and they faced the prejudices of white soldiers andcommanders. Many white people felt it was dangerous to arm blackmen in case they staged a rebellion. Frederick Douglass urged blackmen to join up as he saw the war as a fight against slavery. He felt itwould show the courage of black men, increase their self-respect and,he argued, once black men wore the Union uniform, their citizenshipof the Union could not be denied. Sslaves in the South may have beenshowing fear of, or loyalty to, their masters, or support for the SouthernStates.


Students could write leaflets aimed at recruiting black soldiers.

Teachers’ NotesBUFFALO SOLDIERS

.BUFFALO SOLDIERS.

35

Homework In the letter to the Christian Recorder above, a black soldier explains why hefeels like deserting the army. Write a conversation between a black soldier who is thinkingof deserting and another black soldier who thinks he should stay. Try to include as manyreasons as possible on both sides of the argument.

Black men who joined the Union(Northern) army were nicknamed ‘BuffaloSoldiers’, as some people said their hairwas like that of buffaloes.

1 Why might black men have wanted tojoin the Union army?

Black soldiers were treated very differentlyto white soldiers.

2 Using the information below to helpyou, write a diary entry for a black soldierduring the civil war.

3 Some of the slaves in the South helpedfight the North in the Civil War. What mighthave been their reasons for fighting?

Letter from a black soldier to the ChristianRecorder newspaper, February 1864

When I was at home I could make a living for mywife and my two little ones; but now that I am asoldier they must do the best they can or starve.It almost tempts me to desert… It is a shamethe way they treat us; our officers tell me nowthat we are not soldiers; that if we were we wouldget the same pay as the white men; that the government just called us out to dig and drudge… Really, I thought I was a soldier, and it made mefeel somewhat proud to think that I had a right tofight for Uncle Sam. When I was at Chelton Hill Ifelt very patriotic; but my wife’s letters havebrought my patriotism down to the freezing point,and I don’t think it will ever rise again.

Letter from Sergeant Harden, 43rd US coloredinfantry

We are constantly under the fire of the enemy, whoshell our camp nearly every day. There have been somefew wounded in our regiment since we have been here,but no one killed as far as I can ascertain… I thankGod that He has spared my life so far, and still hopeto see the city of brotherly love once more.

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ExtensionActivities

This page looks at the work of Sojourner Truth. Students gain anappreciation of the respect accorded to Sojourner Truth by politicalleaders of the time.

The brainstorm could be done as a class, and should generate enoughideas for the students to be able to write their scripts. You may need toremind students that Truth and Lincoln respected each other and thatthis would have set the tone of the meeting.

Sojourner Truth was born about 1797 and died in 1883. She began lifeas a slave and, despite remaining largely illiterate, became one of theleading campaign figures of her time. At the time of her meeting withthe President, the civil war was drawing to a close and Sojourner Truthwanted to make sure that the President was aware of the needs ofblack people after the war.

The second activity may be difficult for less able students. Analternative would be to write a list of answers the President might giveto the questions from the first activity.


Students could research Harriet Tubman as another example of a blackwomen who fought against slavery.

Teachers’ NotesADVISING THE PRESIDENT

.ADVISING THE PRESIDENT.

37

3 Your film is being released on video.Write a paragraph to go on the video casetelling people what the film is about andpersuading them to watch it.

Homework Design a monument to Sojourner Truth to be included in an exhibitioncelebrating Black Women of Achievement. Your monument should include an inscription(piece of writing on or beside the monument) explaining why Sojourner Truth is worthy ofbeing included in the exhibition.

Sojourner Truth was a life long campaignerfor rights for black people and women. In1864 she met with President Lincoln to putforward her views.

1 Read the information about SojournerTruth below. Based on what you know ofher, brainstorm a list of some of the thingsshe might have said to the President.

2 A film is being made about the life ofSojourner Truth. You are the script writer.Write the script for the meeting betweenLincoln and Sojourner Truth. Remember toinclude instructions for how they shouldmove and speak, as well as writing theirconversation.

Sojourner Truth began life as a slave.

She was religious and believed she heard

messages from God.

She began preaching in the streets.She argued for the abolition of slavery and forwomen’s rights.

She campaigned for supplies for black soldiersduring the civil war.

She described Lincoln as a ‘greatand good man’.

She would speak at meetings,

sometimes facing angry and

violent crowds.

She worked to improveconditions for the Blackpeople living in slumareas of Washington.

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This page helps students gain an understanding of what life was like forBlack Americans after slavery was abolished. Students are introducedto some of the ‘Jim Crow’ laws.

You will need to ensure that students understand the term‘segregation’. Students need to appreciate the gap between the wordsof the constitution, which gave full citizenship to black men, and theexperiences of black people. When students have considered thecartoons, you can reveal that all of these restrictions were true at sometime in some parts of the USA.

‘Separate but equal’ became a legal term in 1896 when the supremecourt ruled that separate but equal facilities were acceptable. Thesouthern states tended to have the most ‘Jim Crow’ laws. The origin ofthe term ‘Jim Crow’ is unclear, but may have referred to a slave orslave owner. The cartoons focus on the Jim Crow laws, but you mayalso want to discuss other issues which affected black people, forexample they usually had poorer housing, lower paid jobs and lessaccess to education. They were also victims of verbal and physicalracial abuse. The Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1867, is thought to havebeen responsible for more than 10,000 lynchings of black men andwomen in its first twenty years.


All the statements were true at some time in some parts of the USA.Some laws, like those forbidding ‘mixed’ marriages, existed until the1950s. The Jim Crow laws were unfair because facilities offered werenot of an equal standard and, more fundamentally, because any lawbased on race is discriminatory.

Teachers’ NotesJIM CROW

.JIM CROW.

39

3 The ‘Jim Crow’ laws were based on theidea that black people could be providedwith facilities which were ‘separate butequal’. Suggest at least two reasons whythis was unfair.

Homework The historian Lerone Bennett Junior wrote about the Jim Crow laws, sayingthat, ‘Brick by brick, bill by bill, fear by fear, the wall grew taller and taller.’ Design aposter to illustrate his words.

In 1875 the USA passed a civil rights billwhich gave all persons ‘full and equal’rights. Despite this, many Southern statesbrought in laws segregating black and whitepeople. These laws became known as ‘JimCrow’ laws.

1 Look at the cartoons below. Which ofthese do you think really happened?

2 Imagine you are a European visitingSouth Carolina in 1900. Write a letterdescribing what you have learnt about lifefor black people, and how you feel about it.

Separate carriages in trains

Black and white peoplewere not allowed tomarry each other

People had to passreading and writing

tests in order to vote

Separate waterfountains and

telephone boxesSeparate schools

Text books printed for blackand white students were

kept apart in the warehouse

Black and white workers at acotton mill were not allowed tolook out of the same window

Black and white people werenot allowed to play board

games together

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ExtensionActivities

This page looks at two of the influential movements concerned withBlack rights at the beginning of the twentieth century. Students explorethe different approaches of Booker T Washington and William Du Bois.

Students will need the information from these teaching notes.

Students could sort the statements in pairs, then check them as a class,giving you the opportunity to discuss the statements and theirimplications. Students should appreciate the difference betweenWashington, who believed in working with the system, and Du Bois,who believed in fighting it. After preparing the opening statements,students could hold debates in groups or as a whole class. You mayneed to point out that Booker T Washington was not related toPresident Washington!

Booker T Washington and William Du Bois both wanted to improvethe lives of black Americans, but they used different methods.

Booker T Washington 1856-1915Washington was born a slave and became a teacher. He believed thatblack people should not fight against their position but should try toimprove it by working hard. He accepted segregation, and workedclosely with black and white people. He met with politicians and wasdescribed as ‘the most powerful Negro in America’.

William Du Bois 1868-1963Du Bois was the first black man in the United States to receive a PhDdegree. He believed that black people should campaign for equalrights. He campaigned for freedom of speech, votes for black men andan end to racial discrimination of all sorts. He criticised Washington forsaying that black people should accept their position.

Students could base their debate statements on the ten statements theyhave sorted. More able students could carry out further research intoWashington and Du Bois before writing their debate statements.


Statements c), e), i), g), and j) reflect the views of Booker T Washington;a), b), d), f) and h) reflect the views of Du Bois.

Students could find out about the lives of Washington and Du Bois andreflect on how far their upbringings may have influenced their views.

Teachers’ NotesWAYS AND MEANS

.WAYS AND MEANS.

41

3 If you could meet Washington and DuBois, what questions would you ask them?What replies might they give?

Homework Imagine you are a black American in 1910. A friend has written askingwhether you are a follower of Washington or Du Bois. Write a reply explaining which manyou agree with, how black people should behave according to him, and why you think heis right.

1 Your teacher will give you someinformation about Booker T Washingtonand William Du Bois. Sort the statements inthe illustration into two lists showing whichstatements each man would probably haveagreed with.

2 Imagine you have been invited to adebate between followers of Washingtonand followers of Du Bois. Write the openingstatements each side would make.

a) Black people with the ability should be encouraged to goto university.

b) Black people should fight against prejudice and injustice.

c) Black people need to show their loyalty to the United Statesbefore being granted the right to vote.

h) Black people should be given the right to vote immediately.

g) Black people should try to improve their lives by workinghard to earn money to keep themselves.

i) Black students should learn trades, not study for highereducation and degrees.

e) Black people should continue to work for white people.

f) Black people should demand the end to segregation.

d) Black people have the right to live as equal citizens with white people.

j) Segregation in schools and public places

such as buses and cafés isn’t important

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Assessment

This page looks at the life of Marcus Garvey. Students find out abouthis life and aims, and explore his opinions.

The idea that black people should ‘return’ to Africa has at times beensupported by both black activists and white racists. Garvey’s visionwas based on the belief that black people deserved their own state andyou may need to point out that this is very different from the racistviewpoint of ‘they don’t belong over here – send them back to wherethey come from.’ Students also need to appreciate that whilst manyblack people living in Britain feel that Africa is their true home, manyothers feel entirely British. The first activity will provide an opportunityfor exploring these issues.

Students could discuss the initial questions in groups before sharingideas as a class. When looking at the information on Garvey, it mayhelp to remind students that at the time Garvey was asking for Africa tobe ‘restored’, many parts of Africa were still governed by whiteEuropeans. You may also need to point out that the word ‘negro’ wasconsidered acceptable at this time. The museum could be annotatedsketches showing what the figure of Garvey will be doing, and whatwill be around him.

The amount of written information students include can vary from twoor three sentences about Garvey’s life to a more detailed account of hislife, opinions and aims.


Teachers’ NotesOUR OWN LAND

.OUR OWN LAND.

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3 What do you think was the greatestachievement of Garvey’s life? Why?

Homework Consider all you know about Marcus Garvey. Do you think his life was asuccess or a failure?

1 Marcus Garvey believed that blackpeople belonged in the land of theirancestors – Africa. Why do you think hethought this?

2 Using the information below, design adisplay about Marcus Garvey for amuseum. Your design should includewritten information on Garvey, his life andhis aims.

Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica in 1887. He moved to the USA in 1919.

He set up many black groups toachieve his aims.

Garvey said, ‘Where is the black man’sgovernment, where is his king andkingdom?… I could not find them; and thenI declared, ‘I will help to make them’.’

He told people that ‘black is beautiful’.

Garvey believed that black people shouldhave their own land in Africa. He set up asteamship line to enable black people fromthe Americas to move to Africa.

By 1919 he had over 2 million supporters.

His steamship company went bankrupt, he wascharged with fraud, and was sent to prison. Twoyears later he was pardoned, but he wasdeported from the USA and was unable to carryon with his work. He died in London in 1940.

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Homework

This page looks at some of the organisations set up by black peopleafter the civil war to provide opportunities for black people. Studentsthink about why such groups were needed, and how black peoplebenefited.

You may want to point out that the words ‘negro’ and ‘colored’ (USspelling) were commonly used at the time.

The initial statement and questions will give students the chance toreflect on the prejudice, discrimination and segregation faced by blackpeople at this time. You may want to refer to work done on the JimCrow laws. Each of the self help schemes could be discussed as a classbefore students choose which one to focus on for their leaflets. Inanswering the final question, students should explore the idea thateducation is regarded by many as the key to achieving equality for anyoppressed group. They should focus on the idea of education being theway to a better life.


Students could brainstorm ideas for the homework as a class in thelesson. Ideas might include raising finance, attracting customers,competing with competition, and dealing with prejudice. Students willneed to have talked about the importance of black financialorganisations such as banks and insurance companies.

Teachers’ NotesA LONG WAY TO GO

.A LONG WAY TO GO.

45

3 Black schools, universities, medicalschools and law schools were opened.Why did black people believe educationwas so important?

Homework What problems might black people who wanted to start their own businesseshave faced? How could they have overcome these?

1 ‘Although the civil war had freed blackpeople from slavery, it had not freed themfrom hostility, discrimination and violence.’What does this statement mean? Whatproblems faced black people after slaverywas abolished?

The illustration below shows informationabout self-help schemes set up by blackpeople.

2 Choose one scheme and design a leafletto raise funds for it. You will need to explainwhat the scheme does and why it is needed.

State schools for black children were overcrowded and had

very little equipment. Black churchesand other organisations opened theirown schools. Mary McLeod Bethune

started a girls high school in Florida.Pupils paid 50 cents a week.

The National Negro Business League began in 1900 to support

black businesses. By 1907 it had 320local branches offering help and advice in many areas, including

finance and law.

In 1908 the National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People began. It published a regular

magazine with black news and opinions, and challenged discrimination by taking

cases to court.

White-owned banks often refused to lend money to black

businesses. Black people organisedtheir own banks, credit unions, friendly societies and insurance

companies.

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ExtensionActivities

This page uses a poem by Langston Hughes to encourage students toreflect on life for black people in America in the 1930s. Students willexplore the experiences, attitudes and hopes expressed in the poem.

Students will need to know a reasonable amount of factual informationabout segregation in America in order to understand the poem. Theworksheet JIM CROW could be used before this sheet.

Students could read the poem in small groups. Each group could havea large sheet of paper to brainstorm their thoughts and feelings aboutthe poem. They could then highlight five or six points which they couldshare with the class. The statements can also be written in smallgroups. Limiting them to five statements will mean they have to discusstheir ideas and negotiate which ones they want to include. Studentsshould focus on the emotions that songs and poems can inspire for thehistorian.

You could highlight particular lines, or groups of lines, for students tofocus on when writing the ‘poet believes’ statements. Suggestions foreight highlighted sections: lines 3–4, 5, 7, 8–10, 11–14, 16, 17, and 18.


Students could find out about the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ and the workof other artists such as poet Countee Cullen, artists William M Johnsonand Aaron Douglas, photographer James Van Der Zee, sculptor MetaWarwick Fuller and novelists Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright.

Teachers’ NotesSING AMERICA

.SING AMERICA.

47

3 How useful is poetry to a historian whowants to know how people thought and feltat a particular time?

Homework Langston Hughes wrote poetry partly because he wanted people to knowabout life for black people in America. Imagine you lived in America in 1930. Write downone thing you would want people to know about life for black people at this time. Nowwrite a poem to help people to understand this.

1 Read the poem below several times andjot down your thoughts and feelings as youread it.

2 Write five statements about what thepoet is trying to say, beginning eachstatement with the words, ‘The poetbelieves that…’ Do you think he is right?

EpilogueI, too, sing America

I am the darker brotherThey send me to eat in the kitchenWhen company comes,But I laugh And eat wellAnd grow strong

Tomorrow,I’ll sit at the tableWhen company comes.Nobody’ll dareSay to me‘Eat in the kitchen’Then.

Besides,They’ll see how beautiful I amAnd be ashamed

I, too, am AmericaLangston Hughes

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ExtensionActivities

This page explores the experience of black soldiers during the SecondWorld War. Students focus on the dilemma felt by many blackAmericans of feeling loyalty to a country where they did not haveequality.

Students could discuss the information around the poster before writingtheir magazine articles. Students should discuss the notion of blackpeople fighting for others’ freedom while they themselves were not freefor the third activity.

Some historians feel that the Second World War was a turning point forblack Americans, who felt the irony of being asked to fight for ‘their’country, when in reality their country still treated them as second classcitizens.

Crisis was the magazine published by the NAACP, and the coverdescribed is from the July 1940 issue. Some felt that black peopleshould not fight and in 1941 a group of young Black Americans fromChicago formed a group called ‘Conscientious objectors against JimCrow’.

Ideas could be collected on the board which could be included in thearticles.


Students could design their own covers for war time copies of Crisismagazine.

Teachers’ NotesFIGHTING ABROAD

.FIGHTING ABROAD.

49

3 Some black people argued that blackmen should not join the army. Whatreasons might they have given for thisopinion? Do you agree?

Homework Many black servicemen felt a loyalty to America, but at the same time feltangry about the way they were being treated as ‘second class citizens’. Write a letter froma black serviceman describing what it is like to be in the American army and how he feelsabout it.

1 List the ways the recruitment postershown below tries to persuade black peopleto join the services. How well would ithave worked?

2 Many people felt that segregation in thearmy was wrong. Using the informationabove and your own ideas, write an articlefor a Black American magazine in July1940, explaining why segregation in thearmy is wrong.

Black soldiers were not allowedto use the same leisure facilities as white soldiers.

Black soldiers faced segregation and

discrimination in the army. They fought in

separate units until nearly the end of the war.

During the Second World War therewere over 800,000 black people inthe American forces.

Many blacksoldiers

found thatthey were

better treatedby the

European andAsian people

they metoverseas than bywhite Americans.

Black Americans were aware that they were

fighting Hitler and his racist policies, whilst

still facing discrimination themselves at home.

50

Aims

ClassroomManagement

Differentiation

Assessment

This page highlights the extent of discrimination faced by black peoplein the South in the 1950s. Students find out about the events at LittleRock in 1954 and reflect on the importance of this campaign.

Students may find it hard to appreciate the significance of the events atLittle Rock, and it will be worthwhile discussing the cartoon in somedepth before they write their interviews. Point out that the Stategovernor actually used troops to prevent the nine teenagers fromgetting in, even though segregated schools had been ruledunconstitutional. Students could also talk about how it must have feltto be one of a handful of teenagers faced by a huge, hostile crowd ofadults. You may need to explain that Federal troops are controlled bycentral government, not the State. The final question will give studentsthe opportunity to think about how the US government acted tocontrol individual states.

Students could write their interview questions and then roleplay theinterviews, before or instead of writing them. In this case it will help ifthe role of the Little Rock student is played by a more able student.


Teachers’ NotesGETTING INTO SCHOOL

.GETTING INTO SCHOOL.

51

3 Why do you think it was important thatthe President sent troops to protect thechildren?

Homework Imagine you had watched the events as they happened on the news. Write aletter to the children telling them how you feel.

In 1954 an American court ruled that thereshould not be separate schools for blackand white children. Many states in thesouth of the US ignored this ruling.

1 Read the cartoon. Why was this event soimportant?

2 Imagine you have been asked tointerview one of the black children, 20years after this event. Write down thequestions you will ask.

Now write the interview.

1 In September 1957 an angry crowd threatenednine black teenagers who tried to enter the HighSchool in Little Rock, Arkansas.

2 Governor Fabus put State troops outside theschool to stop the black children from entering.

3 The events were filmed and shown onnews programmes around the world. Manypeople were shocked at what they saw.

4 After 18 days, President Eisenhower sentFederal troops to protect the nine children.

5 The students continued to go to school. Apaper said, ‘They risked their lives for theright to attend an integrated high school.’

52

Aims

ClassroomManagement


Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page looks at one non-violent protests against discrimination.Students learn about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, andconsider why this non-violent approach succeeded.

You could read through the cartoon with the class and discuss thesignificance of the events. Students could also discuss the concept ofnon-violent protest.

Segregation on buses had already been ruled unconstitutional by theSupreme court in 1954, but Southern States had continued to ignorethis ruling. Rosa Parks, a member of the Montgomery NAACP, workedwith Martin Luther King to organise the Montgomery Bus Boycottwhich brought mass media attention to the situation.


Rosa Parks lost her job as a result of the boycott, but continued to beactive in civil rights. Students could find out about her life after theboycott.

Teachers’ NotesROSA PARKS

.ROSA PARKS.

53

3 The boycott was a non-violent protest,meaning that the protesters did not try toharm anybody or any property. Do youthink this way of protesting helped thecampaign?

Homework Design a monument to stand at the bus stop used by Rosa Parks, to remindpeople of the fight against segregation on the buses. Your monument should include aninscription (piece of writing) telling people about the boycott.

1 Who would you give up your seat for ona crowded bus? Why would you do this?

2 Read the story in the illustration anddesign a poster urging people to boycott thebuses, explaining why they should do this.

2 One day in 1955, in Montgomery,Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give upher seat to a white man.

1 In the 1950s in Southern USA, buses were segregated. Black people had to sit at the back.If the white seats were full, black people had tostand to let white people sit, or they would face a fine.

4 A Federal court case ruled that segregation was wrong, and the bus company lost large amounts of money.Eventually, the bus company was forcedto end segregation on their buses.

3 Her arrest led to a 13 month boycott of thebuses. The protest was led by Martin LutherKing, and continued despite attacks on manyof the black people involved.

54

Aims

ClassroomManagement


Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page looks at the campaign of sit-ins and Freedom Rides in the1960s. Students consider the tactics and effectiveness of these protests.

Students will need to have a clear understanding of how the FreedomRides worked before planning their radio programme. Students couldwork in groups to produce their radio programmes, which could bewritten or performed. Students could discuss the influence of themedia for the final activity.

The Freedom Rides were initiated by CORE (the Congress of RacialEquality) and protesters were given training in non-violent techniques.Estimates suggest that over 1,000 people were involved in thesecampaigns by the end of 1961.


Students could find out about some of the groups who believed inmore militant methods of protesting, such as the Black Panthers.

Teachers’ NotesJOURNEYING SOUTH

.JOURNEYING SOUTH.

55

3 The Freedom Rides and sit-ins werereported on news programmes all over theworld. How might this have helped thecampaigners?

Homework Design three stamps to commemorate the civil rights campaigns, and explainin writing why you chose the designs you have used.

Martin Luther King, and many other blackactivists, urged people to campaign in non-violent ways.

1 How are the people in each of thepictures below trying to fight againstsegregation and discrimination?

2 Produce a radio programme about thesit-ins and Freedom Rides. You couldinclude interviews, reports of events andcomments about the situations.

Groups of black and white people, many of them students, travelledinto Southern states where segregation still existed. They sat togetheron public transport, and went into ‘white-only’ areas together. Theseprotests became known as ‘sit-ins’ and ‘Freedom Rides’. Theprotesters were non-violent, but often faced violence. Three freedomriders were murdered and many others were beaten.

Black and white students entering ahotel doorway labelled ‘whites only’.

Black and white students sitting together inthe ‘whites only’ section of a bus.

Black and white students sitting at a lunch counter together; all the other customers are white.

56

Aims

Preparation


ClassroomManagement

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

This page looks at extracts from Martin Luther King’s Birmingham CityJail letter. Students analyse what motivated King and how he expressedhis ideas.

Students will need a basic knowledge of Martin Luther King beforedoing the work on this page.

The extracts on the page include the words ‘colored’ and ‘nigger’. Youmay need to include a discussion on the implications of these wordsduring the 1960s.

The extract is taken from the letter written from Birmingham City Jail.Students may find it quite challenging. You could read the extractsthrough with the class initially to ensure they understand the basicmessage. Students could then work in groups to write their lists anddiscuss words and phrases, before comparing and discussing them as a class again. For the third activity students should talk about theconsequences of breaking laws and when it might be morally right todo so.


Students could find out about the influence of Gandhi on MartinLuther King’s beliefs.

Teachers’ NotesYOU WILL UNDERSTAND

.YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.

57

3 Later in the letter, King writes thatpeople should be prepared to break unjustlaws ‘openly, lovingly and with awillingness to accept the penalty.’ What didhe mean by this? Do you agree?

Homework Write a reply to King, giving your opinions and reactions to his comments.

In 1963, Martin Luther King wrote a letterfrom prison to a group of clergymen whodid not agree with the way he campaigned.

1 Read the extracts below and discuss thepoints King makes.

2 Make a list of the most important pointsthat King makes and highlight the words orphrases which help to get his messageacross clearly. Choose one word or phrasewhich stands out and say why you think itis effective.

…when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as youseek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the publicamusement park, and see tears welling up in her eyes… and see ominous clouds ofinferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her … developing anunconscious bitterness towards white people……when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, ‘Daddy,why do white people treat colored people so mean?’……when you… sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobilebecause no motel will accept you……when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading ‘white’ and‘colored’……when your first name becomes ‘nigger’ and your middle name becomes ‘boy’ (howeverold you are)……then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

58

Aims

ClassroomManagement

Differentiation

Assessment

ExtensionActivities

Homework

This page looks at the life of Malcolm X. Students focus on the turningpoints in his life.

Students could discuss the turning points in groups before sharingideas as a class. Encourage students to think about all the changes inhis life. Many people regard Malcolm X as a militant anti-whitecampaigner, and his changes of opinion towards the end of his life areoften overlooked. The film scripts and directions could be writtenindividually or in pairs, while less able students could be instructed todesign the poster.

The film scenes could be written as storyboards, scripts or simpledialogue.


Students could say what advice they would give the actors playingtheir film scenes. They should describe what the actors should do andhow they should say the lines.

Alternatively, students could compare the message of the BlackMuslims with that of pacifist campaigners such as Martin Luther King.

You will need to ensure that students understand what an obituary is.

Teachers’ NotesMALCOLM X

.MALCOLM X.

59

Homework Imagine the year is 1965 and Malcolm X has just been killed. Write anobituary (article about his life and death) for a newspaper.

1 People sometimes describe events thatchange their lives as ‘turning points’. Readthe biography of Malcolm X below andmake a list of the turning points in his life.

2 You have been asked to make a filmabout Malcolm X. Choose one of theturning points and write a script for a sceneabout it, or design a poster advertising thefilm.

3 Which were the most important turningpoints in Malcom X’s life?

1925 – Malcolm Little was born.

1931 – Malcolm’s father was murdered by racists.

1936 – Malcolm’s mother became ill. The children were taken into care.

1942 – Malcolm moved to New York. He had several jobs but alsobecame involved in crime.

1946 – Malcolm was sent to prison for burglary. He became interestedin the ‘Black Muslims’ also known as ‘The Nation of Islam’. Theirleader, Elijah Mohammed, taught that black people were better thanwhite people and would eventually overthrow them.

1949 – Malcolm came out of prison and began working for the Black Muslim Brotherhood.

1952 – Malcolm changed his surname to X as a signthat his African surname had been lost with slavery. Hespoke against campaigners like Martin Luther Kingbecause they worked with white people.

1964 – Malcolm split from the Black Muslims tobegin the Organisation of Afro-American Unity. Hewent on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and travelled inAfrica and Europe. This changed his view of whitepeople – he no longer believed they were all evil.

1965 – Malcolm X was assassinated.

60

Aims

ClassroomManagement

Assessment

Answers

ExtensionActivities

This page helps students recognise some of the achievements of blackpeople past and present, and could be used as the starting point for aclass display on ‘Black people of achievement’.

The quiz will challenge most students, and could be done as acompetition with students working in teams. Names include those ofblack achievers in the past and present. You could ask students to relyon memory alone, or allow them to use reference material to find theanswers. If students are going to produce a classroom display of blackpeople of achievement then it will be useful to agree on a definition,which could be the statement most students agree with, or anamalgamation of several. You may also want to brainstorm other blackpeople who have made significant achievements in a variety of areas.


1 Jackson, 2 Alice Walker, 3 Rosa Parks, 4 Marcus Garvey, 5 SpikeLee, 6 Oprah Winfrey, 7 Martin Luther King, 8 Nanny, 9 Arthur Ashe,10 Sojourner Truth, 11 Bob Marley, 12 Derek Walcott.

Students could produce a classroom display of black people ofachievement, with pairs or small groups focusing on one person.

Alternatively, students could make up word searches or crosswordsbased on the people in the quiz.

Teachers’ NotesWHO IS IT?

.WHO IS IT?.

61

3 If you were going to produce a displayabout five ‘black people of achievement’,which five would you include and why?

Homework If you could meet one of the people from the quiz, who would you chooseto meet? Why would you choose this person? What questions would you ask, and whatelse would you say?

1 How many of the following people canyou name? The numbers in brackets tellyou how many letters are in the name.Work with a partner to find the answers.

2 All of the people in this quiz could bedescribed as ‘black people of achievement’.Write a paragraph explaining what thisphrase means.

1 Surname of singer Michael and politician Jesse (7)

2 Author of ‘The Color Purple’ (5,6)

3 She began the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up herseat (4,5)

4 He started the ‘back to Africa’ campaign (6,6)

5 Film Director. One of his films was ‘Malcolm X’ (5,3)

6 Hosts her own talk show, owns a TV company and has alsoappeared in films (5, 7)

7 A famous civil rights leader in America who ‘had a dream’ (6,6,4)

8 A runaway slave in Jamaica who led the Maroons (5)

9 First black tennis player to win Wimbledon (6,4)

10 A 19th Century campaigner who spoke out for black people andwomen (9,5)

11 World famous reggae singer (3,6)

12 Prize winning Caribbean poet (5,7)

.APPENDIX 1.

62

Neil, please draw a map ofcolonies (*SY to provide).

The Raw Materials – page 15

Spain took over a huge area, from Mexico, right through Central America and including parts ofVenezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. They also owned Cuba, the Dominican Republic andPuerto Rico.

Britain’s colonies included 13 colonies grouped along the East coast of the USA, the Bahamas,Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica and Belize.

France held colonies in Haiti and French Guiana.

Portugal ruled Brazil.

The Dutch ruled Suriname, Guyana and Curaçao.

.APPENDIX 2.

63

Why did it end? – page 31

Long history of slave rebellion and

resistance

Slave revolution in StDomingue (Haiti)

Slaves deliberatelyworked slowly

The Montego Bayrebellion in Jamaicain 1831 cost plantersover £1.15 million in

damages

Cheaper sugar wasbeing produced inBrazil and Cuba

Sugar beet was being produced

in Europe

Plantations wereexpensive to run,

everything was doneby hand, and much

of the soil wasexhausted

Paid labourers wereprepared to workharder than slaves

It was cheaper to pay wages than to

provide housing andfood for slaves

Campaigners argued that slavery

was wrong

Ex-slaves wrote andtalked about the

conditions of slaves

People beganattending public

meetings and refusingto buy sugar

The anti-slaverysociety, formed in1821, campaigned

against slavery

More people inBritain began to feel

that decent livingconditions were aright for everyone

Many religiousgroups argued thatslavery was wrong

Nam

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.DATA RECORD PAGE.

64

homework slaves mistress

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