Teaching Enslavement in American History

“Timely, insightful, and researched by leading experts in the field, Teaching Enslavement in American History: Lesson Plans and Primary Sources offers social studies teachers the necessary resources to critically engage a history that has been mistaught for over 150 years. In an era that demands careful analysis in every classroom, Teaching Enslavement in American History provides us a path forward with clear analysis, exciting sources, and an innovative teaching approach to address the most pressing issues of our time.”—Jon N. Hale, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Author of The Choice We Face: How Segregation, Race, and Power Have Shaped America’s Most Controversial Education Reform Movement
“According to a 2019 Washington Post poll of over 1700 educators, almost half indicate they do not feel competent to teach about slavery and claim the available resources are woefully inadequate. Historians argue most Americans know little about the three-hundred-year history of slavery in America with respect to peoples of African descent and almost nothing about the effect of slavery on the majority of white Americans. Filling this cavernous void in curriculum and knowledge, Dr. Chara Bohan, Dr. H. Robert Baker, and Dr. LaGarrett King have assembled an unprecedented resource for teaching the complex and honest history of American enslavement that centers the voices and experiences of Black Americans in Teaching Enslavement in American History. Their extensive research brings to the forefront the lives of enslaved people and the deliberate actions of the oppressors to maintain power. They challenge teachers and students to grapple with critical questions, such as ‘When are the free really free?’, using primary sources which cultivate healthy skepticism, empathy, and transformative historical inquiry. The plethora of sources and counternarratives found in each chapter should be a cornerstone of teaching American history and a professional learning tool for all social studies educators. This enlightened and justice-oriented resource uplifts Black resistance, agency, perseverance, dignity, joy, and cultural contributions which richly shaped the Western Hemisphere and the USA while also inspiring oppressed people across the globe. Drawing upon a collection of inquiry-oriented lessons using both the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) and Document Based Questions (DBQs), readers are empowered to courageously confront and deconstruct the institution of slavery and dismantle its legacy of injustice and inequality. The struggle of Black Americans to force the USA to honor its professed, democratic ideals serves as an inspiration to all richly told within the pages of this text. For far too long social studies curricula have either silenced or distorted the history of race, racism, and enslavement. Drs. Bohan, Baker, and King’s book models the art of truth liberation and Black enlightenment through navigating ambiguity and paradoxes of the history of enslavement in American History.”—Tina Heafner, Professor, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Author of Targeted Vocabulary Strategies for Secondary Social Studies
“The institution of slavery is arguably one of the most important and misunderstood institutions that shaped the United States. Slavery had a profound impact on the nation’s economics, politics, and culture. However, the scope, scale, and lasting impact of slavery is minimally taught in schools and generally misunderstood. Through Teaching Enslavement in American History: Lesson Plans and Primary Sources, H. Robert Baker, Chara Bohan, and LaGarrett King offer an invaluable resource for educators and other interested in effective instruction about slavery in the United States. Each chapter presents essential historical context, primary source materials, and engaging lesson plans aligned with a number of standards, including Advanced Placement United States History standards. This text provides a clear roadmap for educators to not only develop their own understanding of slavery but also clear, easy to follow lesson plans for students. Considering the challenges around race the nation faces today, this is an essential text and tool for learning.”—Joseph E. Flynn, Jr., Associate Professor, Northern Illinois University; Author of White Fatigue: Rethinking Resistance for Social Justice
“Teaching Enslavement in American History engages the reader with well-researched content and thoughtful commentary that are often missing from standard texts, yet central to understanding the role of enslavement in American cultural, economic and political life, both past and present. In each chapter, the authors move beyond simple teaching strategies and activities to create evidenced-based lessons that challenge students to develop problem solving and reasoning skills. An essential resource for teachers!”—Patrice Preston-Grimes, University of Virginia, Emeritus Professor; Author of Fear and Schooling: Understanding the Troubled History of Progressive Education