Public learning track
Slavery, the Middle Passage, and Colonial Labor
11 lessons
Goal
Examine the origins, expansion, and institutionalization of slavery across the colonies, the transatlantic slave trade, and forms of Black resistance.
11 lessons
0 of 11 done
- Origins of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in West AfricaUp next
- Mapping the Triangular Trade: Routes and CommoditiesNot started yet
- The Middle Passage: The Atlantic Voyage of Enslaved AfricansNot started yet
- The Legal Codification of Chattel Slavery in Colonial LawNot started yet
- Slavery in Northern and Middle ColoniesNot started yet
- Slavery on Southern Plantations: Labor and FamilyNot started yet
- Slave Ownership Among Early American LeadersNot started yet
- Daily Life and Restrictions for Free African Americans in Colonial TownsNot started yet
- Covert and Overt Resistance to EnslavementNot started yet
- Venture Smith: Labor, Self-Purchase, and Economic SovereigntyNot started yet
- Freedom Petitions and Legal Challenges in Colonial CourtsNot started yet
Standards Covered
- 5.T1.5Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Describe the origins of slavery, its legal status in all the colonies through the 18th century, and the prevalence of slave ownership, including by many of the country’s early leaders (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason).
- 5.T1.6Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Describe the Triangular Trade and the harsh conditions of trans-Atlantic voyages (called the Middle Passage) for enslaved Africans.
- 5.T1.7.aMassachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Enslaved African Americans were property that could be bought, sold, and separated from their families by their owners; they were generally not taught to read or write, and generally owned no property; they suffered many kinds of abuse and could be
- 5.T1.7Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Compare and contrast the living and working conditions of enslaved and free Africans in the colonies in the 18th century, and explain how some enslaved people sought their freedom.
Curriculum Framework
4th Grade · Social Studies · US-MA-SS
1
10 lessons
Geography and Map Skills of North America
Apply geographic tools, spatial thinking, and regional analysis to understand North America's physical and political landscape.
2
10 lessons
Indigenous Nations and Early European Encounters
Analyze the diverse cultures of Indigenous nations and evaluate the multifaceted impacts of European contact and colonization.
3
7 lessons
Founding the Thirteen Colonies: Leaders and Settlements
Examine the establishment, key leaders, and motives behind the founding of early English settlements across North America.
4
5 lessons
Colonial Life: Regional Economies and Labor Systems
Compare the geographic environments, economic systems, and forms of labor across the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
5
11 lessons
Slavery, the Middle Passage, and Colonial Labor
Examine the origins, expansion, and institutionalization of slavery across the colonies, the transatlantic slave trade, and forms of Black resistance.
6
11 lessons
The Road to Revolution and the Declaration of Independence
Explain the ideological, economic, and political causes of the American Revolution and analyze the core arguments of the Declaration of Independence.
7
7 lessons
The Revolutionary War: Battles, Campaigns, and Victory
Analyze key military leadership, turning-point battles, the French alliance, and the path to victory culminating in the Treaty of Paris.
8
5 lessons
Perspectives of the American Revolution: Diverse Voices and Divided Loyalties
Examine the diverse roles, motivations, and viewpoints of Loyalists, Patriots, African Americans, Native nations, women, and British leaders during the Revolutionary War.
9
11 lessons
Creating a New Government: Articles of Confederation and Constitution
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the significance of Shays' Rebellion, and the foundational compromises of the U.S. Constitution.
10
11 lessons
Westward Growth: The Louisiana Purchase and Corps of Discovery
Evaluate the geopolitical importance of the Louisiana Purchase and trace the scientific, geographic, and diplomatic journey of the Corps of Discovery.
11
10 lessons
The War of 1812 and American Nationalism
Analyze the causes, naval conflicts, major land battles, and nationalistic aftermath of the War of 1812.
12
8 lessons
Early American Industry and Global Commerce
Analyze New England's early industrial revolution, maritime trade networks, and the economic links between northern mills and southern slavery.
13
5 lessons
Native American Resistance and the Indian Removal Act
Examine 19th-century Indigenous resistance movements, legal battles for sovereignty, and the impact of federal Indian removal policies.
14
8 lessons
Indigenous Sovereignty: Mashpee Resistance and the Trail of Tears
Explain how Indigenous nations fought for self-government and resisted forced removal, focusing on the Mashpee Revolt in Massachusetts and the Trail of Tears in the Southeast.
15
10 lessons
Northern Abolition, Western Expansion, and the Domestic Slave Trade
Analyze the state-by-state abolition of slavery in the North, the ban on transatlantic slave importation in 1808, and the expansion of the domestic slave trade into the western states.