Curated OER
Fugitive Slave Act and Western Expansion
In this U.S. history worksheet, students read articles about the Fugitive Slave Act and Western expansion. Students then respond to 14 short answer questions regarding the articles.
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad as an Act of Civil Disobedience
Students write an essay from rough draft to final copy about the Underground Railroad. Civil disobedience is researched from a variety of sources. There is a prewriting exercise that is included in the lesson. The whole writing process...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Fourth graders read about Harriet Tubman and develop vocabulary lists. For this Underground Railroad lesson, 4th graders find similarities and differences in primary and secondary sources, create a timeline and recognize important...
US National Archives
Documented Rights Educational Lesson Plan
How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research...
Curated OER
1850s: Road to Secession
Detailing the political and social events leading up to the Civil War, this presentation provides students with maps, political cartoons, and photographs to put this time period into historical context. The Presidential Elections of...
University of Groningen
American History: Documents: Excerpts From "The Fugitive Slave Act"
This site titled, "From Revolution to Reconstruction," provides excerpts from the text of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of the Compromise of 1850.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Margaret Garner: Defying the Fugitive Slave Act
A learning module that begins with "Margaret Garner: Defying the Fugitive Slave Act" by Levi Coffin, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
A learning module that begins with "Fugitive Slave Act of 1793" by The United States Congress, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...
Digital History
Digital History: The Fugitive Slave Law
See why the Fugitive Slave Act was such a contentious, divisive law that exacerbated tensions between North and South.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Anthony Burns (Fugitive Slave) Trial of 1854
The extradition of Anthony Burns as a fugitive slave was the most memorable case of the kind that has occurred since the adoption of the Federal Constitution. It was memorable for the place and for the time of its occurrence; the place...
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Compromise of 1850
From a chapter on " Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850s," this section explains the contested issues that led to the Compromise of 1850 and describes and analyzes the reactions to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.
US National Archives
Docsteach: Twelve Years a Slave
Learners will examine several documents related to the life of Solomon Northup, whose life story is told in his autobiography Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841...
Other
Mission Us: Mission 2: Flight to Freedom
[Free Registration/Login Required] Players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky. As they navigate her escape and journey to Ohio, they discover that life in the "free" North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the...
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Odyssey: Free Blacks in Antebellum Period
A site that chronicles through documents the accomplishments of African-Americans, both slave and free, from colonial times through the Civil War.
Other
Mission Us: Mission 2: Flight to Freedom
[Free Registration/Login Required] An interactive game where students navigate the escape of a 14-year-old slave into Ohio.
University of Maryland
Morality in Manufacturing: The Case of Bowen and Mc Namee [Pdf]
Using primary source documents as evidence, students will create an annotated illustration depicting the situation among textile merchants in New York City while deciding in what ways do personal values influence business decisions.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Harriet Beecher Stowe: Author and Abolitionist
Through two primary source activities and a short biographical video, students will examine the content and impact of Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Library of Congress
Loc: The Civil War: The Nation Moves Toward War
Examine the causes of the Civil War using primary source documents. This lesson plan gives background on the Civil War, includes a timeline, and a bibliography for further reading. Primary source documents include music, newspapers,...
White Pine Pictures
White Pine Pictures: Breaking the Ice: The Mary Ann Shadd Story
Mary Ann Shadd was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1823. She emigrated to Windsor, Upper Canada and was a leader in advocating for integrated schools at a time when most Canadians believed segregated schools should predominate. This web...