Lesson Summary and objectives: Students will use primary source documents and various other sources to understand the reasons for and reactions to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the Underground Railroad.  Students will understand that pro-slavery and abolitionist views clashed for many years.  Students will analyze how the Underground Railroad was used in many ways by abolitionists as a tool not only to free enslaved people, but to resist slavery, to educate others and as propaganda to publicize their cause.

 

Materials:

 

Main Questions:

  1. What were the roles of abolitionists in from about 1831-1861?  How did those roles change over time?
  2. How did the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act emphasize issues of States’ rights in both the north and the south?
  3. How did Frederick influence the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad?
  4. How did John Brown influence the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad?
  5. By studying the Fugitive Slave Act and the Underground Railroad, how can you explain the ways slavery created tensions that eventually led to the Civil War?

 

 

Objectives:

  1. Students will be able to analyze and explain why slavery, abolitionism and the Underground Railroad conflicted with pro-slavery ideals so much so that they led to the Civil War.
  2. Students will be able to explain how the issue of States’ rights was used in both the north and south and eventually led to the Civil War.
  3. Students will be able to demonstrate and understanding of the roles of Frederick Douglass and John Brown during the time of the Underground Railroad and leading up to the beginning of the Civil War.

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio Standards Connection: Grade 9

 

Ohio Standard:  History

Benchmark G

Analyze the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.

Indicator 9

Explain causes of the Civil War with emphasis on:

a.       Slavery;

b.      States’ rights;

e. The abolitionist movement and the roles of Frederick Douglass and John Brown;

 

Ohio Standard:  Social Studies Skills and Methods

Benchmark A

Evaluate the reliability and credibility of sources.

Indicator 2

Evaluate the credibility of sources for:

a.       Logical fallacies;

b.      Consistency of arguments;

c.       Unstated assumptions;

d.      Bias.

 

Ohio Standard:  People in Societies

Benchmark B

Analyze examples of interactions between cultural groups and explain the factors that contribute to cooperation and conflict.

Indicator 2

Describe and explain the social, economic and political effects of:

a.       Stereotyping and prejudice;

b.      Racism and discrimination;

c.       Institutionalized racism and institutionalized discrimination.

 

 

Ohio Standard:  Social Studies Skills and Methods

Benchmark C

Present a position and support it with evidence and citation of sources.

Indicator 3

Write a position paper or give an oral presentation that includes citation of sources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outline of lesson/unit

Day 1

  1. Pass out and go over Unit Outline
  2. Review slavery concepts students have already learned including living and working condition by reading from text and discussion.
  3. Define Underground Railroad from various sources and discuss its history.

Day 2

  1. Discuss individuals important to the Underground Railroad that the students already are familiar with and introduce some they don’t know about.
  2. Read some UGRR stories from various sources and show images – concentrate on early years (1830-1850)

Day 3

  1. Read & discuss How UGRR influenced slave owners and other pro-slavery people and groups.
  2. Read and discuss the Fugitive Slave Law. Questions: How did northerners react to the Fugitive slave Act?  What were the roles of abolitionists in from about 1831-1861?  How did those roles change over time?

Day 4

  1. Read and discuss the Christiana documents  & stories and show images  Question: How did the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act emphasize issues of States’ rights in both the north and the south?

Day 5

  1. Read & discuss further UGRR stories from 1851-1861.
  2. Read & discuss about Frederick Douglass. Question: How did Frederick influence the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad?

Day 6

  1. Use video guide and video about John Brown’s Harper’s Ferry Raid.

Day 7

  1. Read and discuss more about John Brown’s life and death.
  2. Discuss influence of John Brown’s death on the beginnings of the Civil War.  Question: How did John Brown influence the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad?

Day 8

  1. Test/Assessment

Assessments:

 

 

 

FRESHMAN U.S. & WORLD STUDIES 1815-1919

UNIT – Slavery, Abolitionism & the Underground Railroad

Length = 7 class meetings

Chapter/section  pages                     Topic

1.1                                          8                              “The Southern colonies”

1.2                                          13                           “The Constitutional Convention”

1.3                                          22                           “The Missouri Compromise”

24-25                                “The Cotton Kingdom” & “THE SLAVE SYSTEM”

26-27                                “THE FIGHT TO END SLAVERY”

1.4                                          31-33                     “SLAVERY’S EXPANSION”

3.1                                          105-106 “THE BLACK CODES” (+ Thirteenth Amendment)

Various other sources provided in class and through individual research

 

DAY 1 =                In Class: Read chap. 1.1 (page 8), 1.2 (p. 13)

                                Define key terms, people, places in notebooks:

Jamestown, Virginia; indentured servants; Middle Passage; Constitutional Convention; federalism;

3/5 Compromise

Homework = Read chapter 1.3

Define key terms, people, places in notebooks:

Missouri Compromise; Eli Whitney; cotton gin; Nat Turner; Underground Railroad; Harriet Tubman; Abolitionists; Liberia; Frederick Douglass; Soujourner Truth; Sarah & Angeline Grimke;

 

DAY 2 =                Discuss Underground Railroad and individuals involved 1830s to 1850

                                Read escape stories from various sources provided in class.

 

DAY 3 =                Read & Discuss from chapter 1.4 (p. 31-33)

                                Read & Discuss Fugitive Slave Act document             

Begin to Define key terms, people, places in notebooks:

Popular sovereignty; Zachary Taylor; Free-Soil Party; Henry Clay; Compromise of 1850; Fugitive Slave Act;

Franklin Pierce; Harriet Beecher Stowe; Stephen Douglas; Kansas-Nebraska Act; Pottawatomie Massacre; John Brown; Republican Party; James Buchanan; Dred Scott decision; Abraham Lincoln; Confederate States of America; Jefferson Davis.

Homework = Begin to complete all key terms from above list in notebooks

 

DAY 4 =                Read & discuss about Christiana Riot/Resistance

Homework = Complete all key terms from above list in notebooks

 

DAY 5 =                Discuss Underground Railroad and individuals involved 1850 - 1861

                                Read escape stories from various sources provided in class.

                                Read and discuss about the life of Frederick Douglass and his role as an abolitionist leading up to

                             the beginnings of the Civil War.

 

DAY 6 =                VIDEO & video guide: John Brown’s Raid: To Do Battle in the Land.

 

DAY 7 =                Read and discuss more about John Brown’s life and death.

Discuss influence of John Brown’s death on the beginnings of the Civil War.

Read & discuss chapter 3.1 (p. 105-106)

                                Homework = Define key terms, people, places in notebooks: Andrew Johnson; Black Codes.

 

DAY 8 =                TEST

 

 

 

Document:  Christiana, 1851

 

 

William Padgett to Edward Gorsuch, Lancaster County, PA, 28 August 1851.

 

 

 

I have the required information of four men that is within two miles of each other. Now, the best is for you to come as a hunter, disguised about two days ahead of your son and let him come by way of Philadelphia and get the deputy marshal, John Nagle I think is his name. Tell him the situation and he can get force of the right kind. It will take about twelve so that they can divide and take them all within half an hour. Now, if you can come on the 2nd or 3rd of September come on & I will meet you at the gap when you get there. Inquire for Benjamin Clay’s tavern. Let your son and the marshal get out [at?] Kinyer’s [sic] hotel. Now, if you cannot come at the time spoken of, write very soon and let me know when you can. I wish you to come as soon as you possibly can.

 

Very respectfully thy friend

 

William M.P.

 

 

 

http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/hist/NEHworkshops/NEH/resource/christianaDocs.htm#padgett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Document:  Christiana, 1851

 

 

Elizabeth Pownall to “My Dear Aunt,” Christiana, PA, 1851. Christiana Resistance Collection, Moores Memorial Library, Christiana, PA.

 

 

 

Second-day morn

 

My Dear Aunt

 

                I hardly know how to begin to write to thee we have passed through so much since I last sent my note to thee over the mountains I expect thee has read in the papers of the sorrowful tragedy that has happened at Parkers it took place 5th day morn before day I never experienced such feelings we were almost frantic I feared [illegible] for mother thinking it was enough to kill her and after the fighting was over Levi went over but soon returned bringing us word of the death of the old man and that his son was badly if not mortally wounded and proposed bringing him to our house which we consented to We dispatched a person for the Dr. and had him brought over in a carriage his life was despaired of until yesterday the Dr. think now he may recover with careful nursing. It has caused much distress in this neighborhood as there are many of our white neighbors arrested and sent to jail on account of their thoughtlessly running to the scene of battle fortunately not one of our family left the house but remained at home. The county is one scene of confusion. The Marshals and police are here from Lancaster and Philadelphia and 50 Marines with the United States troops are stationed in Christiana I expect there was a hundred police with commissions and officers around our house that day making [illegible] our house seems more like a public one than anything else we can count and ten carriages [illegible] in front of our house at a time [illegible] horseback company—last evening our house was completely filled partly with Southerners There never has been such an excitement in our county they being one of the first families of Maryland We do feel deeply interested in the young gentleman who is here he seems as mild and gentle as out Levi we all feel much attached to him Oh [illegible] I wish Levi(?) was here indeed we feel so sad in can hardly keep up it almost seems wrong for the sun to shine on such misery as there is in this neighborhood Ella and I went out on the balcony last night it was one of the most beautiful moonlight nights I ever hazed on we felt better we trusted one who cause the moon to shine so peacefully would in his time cause light to shine on our path.

                This is a sad letter dear aunt but I cannot write different give my love to John and Martha Joseph and Jane and accept a large portion for thyself

 

thy sincerely attached,

 

Lizzi

 

 

http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/hist/NEHworkshops/NEH/resource/christianaDocs.htm#pownall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Document:  1850 fugitive Slave Act

 

1850 Fugitive Slave Act

Section 1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the persons who have been, or may hereafter be, appointed commissioners, in virtue of any act of Congress, by the Circuit Courts of the United States, and Who, in consequence of such appointment, are authorized to exercise the powers that any justice of the peace, or other magistrate of any of the United States, may exercise in respect to offenders for any crime or offense against the United States, by arresting, imprisoning, or bailing the same under and by the virtue of the thirty-third section of the act of the twenty-fourth of September seventeen hundred and eighty-nine, entitled "An Act to establish the judicial courts of the United States" shall be, and are hereby, authorized and required to exercise and discharge all the powers and duties conferred by this act.

Section 2

And be it further enacted, That the Superior Court of each organized Territory of the United States shall have the same power to appoint commissioners to take acknowledgments of bail and affidavits, and to take depositions of witnesses in civil causes, which is now possessed by the Circuit Court of the United States; and all commissioners who shall hereafter be appointed for such purposes by the Superior Court of any organized Territory of the United States, shall possess all the powers, and exercise all the duties, conferred by law upon the commissioners appointed by the Circuit Courts of the United States for similar purposes, and shall moreover exercise and discharge all the powers and duties conferred by this act.

Section 3

And be it further enacted, That the Circuit Courts of the United States shall from time to time enlarge the number of the commissioners, with a view to afford reasonable facilities to reclaim fugitives from labor, and to the prompt discharge of the duties imposed by this act.

Section 4

And be it further enacted, That the commissioners above named shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the judges of the Circuit and District Courts of the United States, in their respective circuits and districts within the several States, and the judges of the Superior Courts of the Territories, severally and collectively, in term-time and vacation; shall grant certificates to such claimants, upon satisfactory proof being made, with authority to take and remove such fugitives from service or labor, under the restrictions herein contained, to the State or Territory from which such persons may have escaped or fled.

 

Section 5

And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of all marshals and deputy marshals to obey and execute all warrants and precepts issued under the provisions of this act, when to them directed; and should any marshal or deputy marshal refuse to receive such warrant, or other process, when tendered, or to use all proper means diligently to execute the same, he shall, on conviction thereof, be fined in the sum of one thousand dollars, to the use of such claimant, on the motion of such claimant, by the Circuit or District Court for the district of such marshal; and after arrest of such fugitive, by such marshal or his deputy, or whilst at any time in his custody under the provisions of this act, should such fugitive escape, whether with or without the assent of such marshal or his deputy, such marshal shall be liable, on his official bond, to be prosecuted for the benefit of such claimant, for the full value of the service or labor of said fugitive in the State, Territory, or District whence he escaped: and the better to enable the said commissioners, when thus appointed, to execute their duties faithfully and efficiently, in conformity with the requirements of the Constitution of the United States and of this act, they are hereby authorized and empowered, within their counties respectively, to appoint, in writing under their hands, any one or more suitable persons, from time to time, to execute all such warrants and other process as may be issued by them in the lawful performance of their respective duties; with authority to such commissioners, or the persons to be appointed by them, to execute process as aforesaid, to summon and call to their aid the bystanders, or posse comitatus of the proper county, when necessary to ensure a faithful observance of the clause of the Constitution referred to, in conformity with the provisions of this act; and all good citizens are hereby commanded to aid and assist in the prompt and efficient execution of this law, whenever their services may be required, as aforesaid, for that purpose; and said warrants shall run, and be executed by said officers, any where in the State within which they are issued.

Section 6

And be it further enacted, That when a person held to service or labor in any State or Territory of the United States, has heretofore or shall hereafter escape into another State or Territory of the United States, the person or persons to whom such service or labor may be due, or his, her, or their agent or attorney, duly authorized, by power of attorney, in writing, acknowledged and certified under the seal of some legal officer or court of the State or Territory in which the same may be executed, may pursue and reclaim such fugitive person, either by procuring a warrant from some one of the courts, judges, or commissioners aforesaid, of the proper circuit, district, or county, for the apprehension of such fugitive from service or labor, or by seizing and arresting such fugitive, where the same can be done without process, and by taking, or causing such person to be taken, forthwith before such court, judge, or commissioner, whose duty it shall be to hear and determine the case of such claimant in a summary manner; and upon satisfactory proof being made, by deposition or affidavit, in writing, to be taken and certified by such court, judge, or commissioner, or by other satisfactory testimony, duly taken and certified by some court, magistrate, justice of the peace, or other legal officer authorized to administer an oath and take depositions under the laws of the State or Territory from which such person owing service or labor may have escaped, with a certificate of such magistracy or other authority, as aforesaid,

 

with the seal of the proper court or officer thereto attached, which seal shall be sufficient to establish the competency of the proof, and with proof, also by affidavit, of the identity of the person whose service or labor is claimed to be due as aforesaid, that the person so arrested does in fact owe service or labor to the person or persons claiming him or her, in the State or Territory from which such fugitive may have escaped as aforesaid, and that said person escaped, to make out and deliver to such claimant, his or her agent or attorney, a certificate setting forth the substantial facts as to the service or labor due from such fugitive to the claimant, and of his or her escape from the State or Territory in which he or she was arrested, with authority to such claimant, or his or her agent or attorney, to use such reasonable force and restraint as may be necessary, under the circumstances of the case, to take and remove such fugitive person back to the State or Territory whence he or she may have escaped as aforesaid. In no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted in evidence; and the certificates in this and the first [fourth] section mentioned, shall be conclusive of the right of the person or persons in whose favor granted, to remove such fugitive to the State or Territory from which he escaped, and shall prevent all molestation of such person or persons by any process issued by any court, judge, magistrate, or other person whomsoever.

 

 

 

Section 7

And be it further enacted, That any person who shall knowingly and willingly obstruct, hinder, or prevent such claimant, his agent or attorney, or any person or persons lawfully assisting him, her, or them, from arresting such a fugitive from service or labor, either with or without process as aforesaid, or shall rescue, or attempt to rescue, such fugitive from service or labor, from the custody of such claimant, his or her agent or attorney, or other person or persons lawfully assisting as aforesaid, when so arrested, pursuant to the authority herein given and declared; or shall aid, abet, or assist such person so owing service or labor as aforesaid, directly or indirectly, to escape from such claimant, his agent or attorney, or other person or persons legally authorized as aforesaid; or shall harbor or conceal such fugitive, so as to prevent the discovery and arrest of such person, after notice or knowledge of the fact that such person was a fugitive from service or labor as aforesaid, shall, for either of said offences, be subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding six months, by indictment and conviction before the District Court of the United States for the district in which such offence may have been committed, or before the proper court of criminal jurisdiction, if committed within any one of the organized Territories of the United States; and shall moreover forfeit and pay, by way of civil damages to the party injured by such illegal conduct, the sum of one thousand dollars for each fugitive so lost as aforesaid, to be recovered by action of debt, in any of the District or Territorial Courts aforesaid, within whose jurisdiction the said offence may have been committed.

 

 

 

Section 8

And be it further enacted, That the marshals, their deputies, and the clerks of the said District and Territorial Courts, shall be paid, for their services, the like fees as may be allowed for similar services in other cases; and where such services are rendered exclusively in the arrest, custody, and delivery of the fugitive to the claimant, his or her agent or attorney, or where such supposed fugitive may be discharged out of custody for the want of sufficient proof as aforesaid, then such fees are to be paid in whole by such claimant, his or her agent or attorney; and in all cases where the proceedings are before a commissioner, he shall be entitled to a fee of ten dollars in full for his services in each case, upon the delivery of the said certificate to the claimant, his agent or attorney; or a fee of five dollars in cases where the proof shall not, in the opinion of such commissioner, warrant such certificate and delivery, inclusive of all services incident to such arrest and examination, to be paid, in either case, by the claimant, his or her agent or attorney. The person or persons authorized to execute the process to be issued by such commissioner for the arrest and detention of fugitives from service or labor as aforesaid, shall also be entitled to a fee of five dollars each for each person he or they may arrest, and take before any commissioner as aforesaid, at the instance and request of such claimant, with such other fees as may be deemed reasonable by such commissioner for such other additional services as may be necessarily performed by him or them; such as attending at the examination, keeping the fugitive in custody, and providing him with food and lodging during his detention, and until the final determination of such commissioners; and, in general, for performing such other duties as may be required by such claimant, his or her attorney or agent, or commissioner in the premises, such fees to be made up in conformity with the fees usually charged by the officers of the courts of justice within the proper district or county, as near as may be practicable, and paid by such claimants, their agents or attorneys, whether such supposed fugitives from service or labor be ordered to be delivered to such claimant by the final determination of such commissioner or not.

Section 9

And be it further enacted, That, upon affidavit made by the claimant of such fugitive, his agent or attorney, after such certificate has been issued, that he has reason to apprehend that such fugitive will he rescued by force from his or their possession before he can be taken beyond the limits of the State in which the arrest is made, it shall be the duty of the officer making the arrest to retain such fugitive in his custody, and to remove him to the State whence he fled, and there to deliver him to said claimant, his agent, or attorney. And to this end, the officer aforesaid is hereby authorized and required to employ so many persons as he may deem necessary to overcome such force, and to retain them in his service so long as circumstances may require. The said officer and his assistants, while so employed, to receive the same compensation, and to be allowed the same expenses, as are now allowed by law for transportation of criminals, to be certified by the judge of the district within which the arrest is made, and paid out of the treasury of the United States.

 

Section 10

And be it further enacted, That when any person held to service or labor in any State or Territory, or in the District of Columbia, shall escape therefrom, the party to whom such service or labor shall be due, his, her, or their agent or attorney, may apply to any court of record therein, or judge thereof in vacation, and make satisfactory proof to such court, or judge in vacation, of the escape aforesaid, and that the person escaping owed service or labor to such party. Whereupon the court shall cause a record to be made of the matters so proved, and also a general description of the person so escaping, with such convenient certainty as may be; and a transcript of such record, authenticated by the attestation of the clerk and of the seal of the said court, being produced in any other State, Territory, or district in which the person so escaping may be found, and being exhibited to any judge, commissioner, or other office, authorized by the law of the United States to cause persons escaping from service or labor to be delivered up, shall be held and taken to be full and conclusive evidence of the fact of escape, and that the service or labor of the person escaping is due to the party in such record mentioned. And upon the production by the said party of other and further evidence if necessary, either oral or by affidavit, in addition to what is contained in the said record of the identity of the person escaping, he or she shall be delivered up to the claimant, And the said court, commissioner, judge, or other person authorized by this act to grant certificates to claimants or fugitives, shall, upon the production of the record and other evidences aforesaid, grant to such claimant a certificate of his right to take any such person identified and proved to be owing service or labor as aforesaid, which certificate shall authorize such claimant to seize or arrest and transport such person to the State or Territory from which he escaped: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed as requiring the production of a transcript of such record as evidence as aforesaid. But in its absence the claim shall be heard and determined upon other satisfactory proofs, competent in law.

Approved, September 18, 1850.

 

 

 

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/fugitive.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video Guide

John Brown’s Raid: To Do Battle in the Land

 

Pre-viewing Activity:

Look at the photos provided in class of John Brown.

What words come to mind describing John Brown?

 

 

  1. List several reasons why John Brown attacked Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.

 

 

 

  1. List several reasons why John Brown’s Raid failed.

 

 

 

  1. How did Brown become an abolitionist?  Why?

 

 

 

  1. How did the raid end?  Who led the military assault on the arsenal firehouse?

 

 

 

  1. What happened to John Brown?

 

 

 

  1. Complete this statement that is alleged to be John Brown’s last words:  “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will not be purged away with but by….”

 

 

 

  1. List some adjectives that Northern abolitionists used to refer to Brown after December 2, 1859.

 

 

 

  1. What did Southerners and supporters of slavery call John Brown?

 

 

 

  1. After watching this film and listening to other people’s opinions, explain your opinion of John Brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christiana Images: (for Power Point display)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harper’s Ferry images: (for Power Point display)