Students will investigate through primary and secondary sources the dynamics of the development of race relations in early colonial Virginia from court cases between 1640 to 1656. The story and cases of John Punch (1640), John Casor (1655), and Elizabeth Key Grinstead (1656) are known to be some of the first freedom suits in the Virginia colony. Students will then investigate slave codes from 1705 to determine how colonial officials justified the treatment of enslaved people.

Students will analyze a document that shows the challenges African Americans faced in receiving the freedom they were guaranteed with the 13th Amendment. The Indenture of Apprenticeship between John Foster and Jeff, a four-year-old African American, shows how Southerners found unique ways to keep African Americans in servitude. This activity is designed to engage students in an analysis of the success of the 13th Amendment. Students should have background knowledge in the Civil War and the goals of Reconstruction.

Students will review the purpose of an amendment, analyze the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, and consider the reasons for the date of approval. Students should have some background knowledge in the Civil War, including the causes of the war and the views of the Union and Confederacy. 

The decades between the banning of the international slave trade in 1808 and the abolition of slavery during the Civil War saw the massive and harrowing relocation of approximately 850,000 enslaved men, women, and children. While some enslaved people were moved when their owners relocated to the western frontier, about two-thirds were bought and sold in America’s slave market. They were forcibly uprooted from their homes, separated from their loved ones, and marched and shipped across the South on railroads and steamships.

How the Monuments Came Down explores the complex history of Richmond, Virginia through the lens of Confederate monuments, supported by an extensive visual record never before presented in a single work.

Through personal stories from descendants and history-makers, the film uncovers how Confederate monuments came to shape Richmond’s landscape and why protestors demanded they come down.

In this collection, you will find film clips and learning resources designed to engage students with primary sources found in the film. These curriculum resources were written by Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year and a 20-year veteran of Richmond Public Schools. For a PDF version of the guide, with extension activities, visit vpm.org/monuments.

How the Monuments Came Down is a production of Field Studio, in association with VPM.

How the Monuments Came Down explores the complex history of Richmond, Virginia through the lens of Confederate monuments, supported by an extensive visual record never before presented in a single work.

Through personal stories from descendants and history-makers, the film uncovers how Confederate monuments came to shape Richmond’s landscape and why protestors demanded they come down.

In this collection, you will find film clips and learning resources designed to engage students with primary sources found in the film. These curriculum resources were written by Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year and a 20-year veteran of Richmond Public Schools. For a PDF version of the guide, with extension activities, visit vpm.org/monuments.

How the Monuments Came Down is a production of Field Studio, in association with VPM.

Students are asked to use the provided source material to answer the central historical question: Why did African Americans join the Union Army during the Civil War?

Author: Katie Frazier, Museums at W&LStudents will examine a ceramic object made by David Drake (about 1800-about 1870), an enslaved person who lived on a plantation in Edgefield, South Carolina. As an enslaved individual, Drake was denied the basic rights of learning how to read and write. Despite writing being illegal for enslaved people, David Drake was known for writing his name and poetry on the ceramics he made. He wanted to express his feelings about life, religion and his own identity as an enslaved person.  

This Learning Resource is based on the Bunk excerpt of The Nib's"Harriet Tubman"

The road to Emancipation was indeed stony! Enslaved people struggled to free themselves and loved ones, one person at a time.

This activity includes primary sources from the official records of the U.S. District Court at Boston that tell the story of William and Ellen Craft, a young couple from Macon, GA, who escaped to freedom in Boston in 1848. The two traveled together, Ellen as a White gentleman (she was the daughter of an African-American woman and a White master and passed as White), and William as her slave valet. They made their way to Boston, and lived in the home of Lewis Hayden, a former fugitive and abolition activist.

With the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in September, 1850, the Crafts' respective owners employed the legal system to regain their escaped property. A U.S. Marshal was sent to the home of Lewis Hayden. Hayden refused to let the marshal in and threatened to ignite kegs of gunpowder; the Marshal left. Ellen and William fled to Britain, where they remained for 20 years. They eventually returned to the United States and settled back in Georgia.

In this activity, students will examine historic documents about these fugitives from slavery. Then, using the documents, they will construct historical narratives to tell their story. They can explore perspective and use standard elements of writing (plot, character, setting, conflict, impact). Thinking about essential questions/topics, they will begin their writing with a topic/opening sentence that sets out the main idea.

Students will read the excerpt from Olaudah Equiano's slave narrative and first analyze the primary source using the SOAPSTone method. Students will further analyze the source to identify the conditions of the Middle Passage from the point of view of an enslaved African. Students should pay particular attention to the purpose of the narrative and be able to identify the way in which Equiano attempts to convince the reader of the injustice of slavery.

Authored by Jasmine Dunbar (Virginia Beach History Museums)Students will examine the daily lives of enslaved individuals and the institution of slavery in early Virginian history and understand its connections to current societal issues of predjudice, racism, and white supremacy.

Students will examine the Three-Fifths Compromise. They will look at how the Constitutional Convention decided to handle the issue of enslavement in legislation. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to learn more about the development and lasting impact of this compromise.

This Story Map Journal explores the issue of slavery from the early days of the republic through John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, a prelude to the war between the states. Key questions: Why was slavery not legitimately dealt with during the founding period of the nation? How did the cotton gin help change the economy, culture, and demographics of the country? What correlations can be made between slavery and cotton? What issues arose between the northern and southern states as new territories were acquired in the west? What role did John Brown play in the lead-up to civil war? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

Students will explore the enduring legacy of the cultures of enslaved people in Virginia by examining primary sources, engaging the research of Black historians, and connecting to their own experiences, interests, and cultures. Students document their thinking in a graphic organizer for formative assessment.