Student Lesson

This primary source set, "Slavery in the United States, 1790-1865," relates to slavery in the United States before the Civil War. Your teacher will assign you several primary sources. Analyze the primary source documents and make judgments about the quality and reliability of the different primary sources you study. Answer Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources as you examine these materials. Be prepared to discuss your primary source analysis with the class.

For more primary source materials on your subject, use the Internet Resources listed below.

Cumberland Landing, Va. Group of "contrabands" at Foller's house

4. Slavery in the United States, 1790-1865 4a. Photographs of Slaves and Slave Life (ca. 1862-1907) 4b. Excerpt from "Report of the Board of Education for Freedmen" (1864) 4c. Excerpt from "What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?" (1859) 4d. Excerpt from "My Ups and Downs," an interview with Kert Shorrow" (1939) 4e. Excerpt from "Mrs. Lulu Bowers II," an interview with Mrs. Lulu Bowers (1938) 4f. Excerpt from "E.W. Evans, Brick Layer & Plasterer," an interview with E.W. Evans (undated)

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Internet Resources

The following Internet links will help you find additional primary sources relating to slavery in the United States.

African American Perspectives: Pamphlets from the Daniel A.P. Murray Collection, 1818-1907, Library of Congress
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aaphome.html)

American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940, Library of Congress.
Look especially for documents in the Southern region within the collection.
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpahome.html)

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy (from Civnet)
(http://civnet.org/resources/teach/basic/content.htm)

Internet Resources for Educators, Learning Page of the Library of Congress.
Begin with the section on U.S. History Resources: Primary Source Collections.
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/start/inres/index.html)
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/start/inres/ushist/primary.html)

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