British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: The Rise of Consumerism
With the increasing variety in clothes, food, and household items, shopping became an important cultural activity in the 18th century. This article describes buying and selling during this period and explains the connection between many...
PBS
Africans in America: Missouri Compromise
This PBS site offers information about the compromise that settled the question of whether slavery would be allowed in the vast area acquired from France in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
Understanding Slavery Initiative
Understanding Slavery Initiative: Trade and Commerce
The transatlantic slave trade lay at the heart of a complex global commerce system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Learn about the clash over possessions, and the disputes over each others' presence in the seas.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: The Slave Experience: Living Conditions
This PBS series site reveals the diverse circumstances and living conditions experienced by slaves and indentured servants in America by reading documents dating to the Colonial, Antebellum, and Reconstruction periods.
Virginia Historical Society
Virginia Historical Society: An American Turning Point: Civil War in Virginia
An exhibition that commemorated the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. While slavery caused the war, the war was not begun to free the slaves, but to determine whether the Confederate States of America would be allowed to break...
The History Cat
The History Cat: Slavery in America
Discusses the growth of the slave trade to America, the experiences of slaves, the difference between indentured service and slavery, and how slaves were bought and sold at auction. Describes the lives of slaves, their homes, the...
Other
Virtual Jamestown: Laws on Slavery
This site provides the original text of Virginia colonial laws concerning different aspects of slavery for Africans, Native Americans, and indentured servants.
Auburn University
Auburn University: The Alabama Supreme Court on Slaves
This historical summary covers information on slaves during the mid-19th century in the following areas: Who were Slaves?, Rights and Powers of Ownership, Transfers of Slaves, Hiring of Slaves, Fugitive Slaves, Regulation of Slaves,...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Slavery & Making of America: The Slave Experience: Men, Women & Gender
Learn about issues related to slave gender roles at this PBS series site that features illustrations and documents dating back to the Colonial, Antebellum, and Reconstruction periods in American history.
Digital History
Digital History: Slavery and Spanish Colonization
Read about the slave trade and use of slaves in agriculture and mining in Spanish America in the New World. Find out why it was expedient to use African slaves.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America
In this Curriculum Unit, students will consider "The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America: A House Dividing" in 4 Lessons. The unit also includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Life in North & South 1847 1861: Before Brother Fought Brother
The five lessons in this unit are designed to help students develop a foundation on which to understand the basic disagreements between North and South through the investigation of primary source documents, photographs, and census...
PBS
Africans in America: Africans in Court (In Colonial Virginia)
In this section of the PBS series, Africans in America, you can find four case summaries decided by colonial Virginia's courts concerning slaves petitioning for freedom.
PBS
Pbs: Cet: Africans in America: The Stono Rebellion
The Stono Rebellion and its impact is described in this informative essay. Hyperlinks to more discussion of this event. Teacher's Guide offers teacher resources.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Colonial Williamsburg: The Two Williamsburgs
This lesson plan on daily life in Colonial Williamsburg challenges students to compare and contrast the lives of the African and European populations.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Race and Identity in Antebellum America
This unit features authors of Antebellum America and how they portray the American identity through their literature. Click on the tabs to explore the various resources available to enhance this unit.
Curated OER
Slave Images: Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas
This site has thousand of photos, drawings and prints dealing with slavery, most of them dating from the period of Atlantic slave trade and slavery in the Americas.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: A Pro Slavery Argument, 1857
A lesson plan that explores the argumments made by pro-slavery proponents in the United States prior to abolition.
OpenStax
Open Stax: West Africa and the Role of Slavery
This section of a chapter on "The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492" takes a look at the major West African empires and discusses the roles of Islam and Europe in the slave trade.
OpenStax
Open Stax: English Settlements in America
Read about the first English settlements in America, the differences between the Chesapeake Bay colonies and the New England colonies, the wars between native inhabitants and English colonists, and the role of Bacon's Rebellion in the...
Henry J. Sage
Sage American History: Colonial Life: Faith, Family, Work
Article illustrating colonial life in North America. The author discusses religion and religious movements, women and the colonial family, and work, including slavery, during the 17th and 18th Century. Photographs and links to primary...
PBS
Africans in America: Runaways 1740 1783
This website gives a rough idea of how many slaves were present in the South and what happened to many who ran away.
PBS
Africans in America: Map of the British Colonies
Map of British Colonies and information from PBS on slavery from about 1600 to 1750. Some timelining of African American's lives in the New World.
Curated OER
Etc: Maps Etc: Freedom and Slavery in the Early United States, 1790
A map of the United States and territories east of the Mississippi River in 1790, showing the areas of freedom and slavery at the time, including the territory of the Northwest, free by the Ordinance of 1787.