“Cincinnati 28” The true story of 28 slaves whose strength, struggles, and sacrifices lead them on a journey through the Ohio River valley and beyond to freedom.

Teacher Resource Guide

Produced by Cincinnati Museum Center Directed by Dennis Murphy Written by Lynn and Kristin Elzey © 2002 “CINCINNATI 28”

SYNOPSIS

“Cincinnati 28” is an interdisciplinary drama experience. The play is based on the true story of a group of twenty-eight fugitive slaves that hired a conductor to lead them on a journey through the Ohio River valley and finally to Canada. Through the dialogue of the professional cast, the audience will learn the dangers awaiting a fugitive slave, the life of a slave, the pain of separation from family and friends, and the courageous roles of the conductors and stationmasters of the Underground Railroad.

The drama promotes personalized learning and reinforces proficiency goals. It was created to enable the audience to connect their own emotions to those enslaved, as well as to investigate the themes of courage and change through learning, dialogue, and reflection.

It is not only important for us to tell the stories of the past, but even more important that the stories make a difference in the lives we touch. The play “Cincinnati 28” emphasizes the importance of a compassionate voice, the touch of a helping hand, and exemplifies the strength and unselfish sacrifices of those who gave their lives so that others can achieve their dreams and the freedom to share their gifts.

CAST MEMBERS

Mother and Baby – A young black woman who was sold as a child on the auction block and taken away from her parents. She now has a baby and finds slavery so oppressive that she is willing to risk her life and the life of her child in order to seek freedom and follow her dreams.

Plantation Cook – An older black woman who has lived as a slave on the plantation since birth. She has survived many hardships, knows the pain and torture of fugitive slaves, and feels a loyalty to her master and his family. Or does she?

Old Joe – An older black man who picked cotton on a plantation for 40 years. He was freed when his master died, but was then kidnapped by a slave catcher and sold back into slavery. His spirit yearns for freedom again, but he is afraid that the journey would be too difficult.

Henry – A spirited, young black man who has been raised on the plantation. He has worked as a house servant since he was 5 years old and is determined to seek freedom for a better life, even if he has to desert others in the group.

John Fairfield – A white man hired by the fugitives as their conductor and guide to Canada. Although raised a southerner, he is against slavery. Some people say that he is lacking in moral principles, but he is a faithful friend to escaping slaves.

Plantation Overseer – A white man, hired by the Plantation Master. It is his job to manage and control the slaves working in the fields. His paycheck and reputation rely on his success at increasing production and profits, no matter what affect it has on the slaves’ well-being. He considers slaves as human machines with no feelings or emotions.

Slave Catcher – A white man who makes it his business to catch and return fugitive slaves. He is ruthless and considers a slave the property of his owner. He is only interested in the monetary rewards of his efforts, whether the slave is sold on the auction block or returned to his owner.

Mr. John Hatfield – A free black man who is a Deacon at the nearby Baptist church. He and his wife risk their lives to assist escaping slaves and organize their friends to provide food and clothing. Together with Levi Coffin, he is dedicated to the efforts of the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Levi Coffin – A Quaker man who as a child saw the unjust treatment of slaves. He was often referred to as the “President of the Underground Railroad.” THE CINCINNATI CONNECTION TO SLAVERY

The play, “Cincinnati 28,” is a true story of a group of twenty-eight fugitive slaves that crossed the Ohio River at Lawrenceburg, Indiana from Kentucky. They hired John Fairfield, a white man, to help them cross the Ohio River. Fairfield was a Virginian by birth, was raised on a plantation that had slaves, but hated slavery. He guided the group to the mouth of the big Miami River, where he knew several rafts were tied to a tree on the bank.

Several of the men had their wives with them, and one woman had a baby with her. Crossing the river, the boats were so overloaded that many of the escaping slaves got wet and some lost their shoes on the muddy riverbank. Cold, hungry and exhausted, the slaves reached the Cincinnati riverbank below the Mill Creek at daybreak. Fairfield hid them in the ravines and went to find John Hatfield to ask for help. Together, John Hatfield, a black man and Deacon at the Baptist church, and Levi Coffin, a white man who assisted fugitives, developed a plan of escape. The twenty-eight fugitive slaves were placed in buggies and disguised as a funeral procession. They traveled on Colerain Pike to College Hill.

Unfortunately, the fictitious funeral procession became a reality with the death of the baby from the cold, wet conditions. After the burial, the group traveled to Hamilton, West Elkton, Eaton, and Newport, Indiana on their journey to freedom. They traveled from station to station through Indiana and Michigan to Detroit. It was reported that they safely arrived in Canada.

“CINCINNATI 28” CONNECTIONS TO YOUR CLASSROOM

The following questions will help you and your students connect “Cincinnati 28” to your classroom curriculum.

1. After viewing the play, instruct your students to answer these questions in one word or one phrase: A. What did you hear? B. What did you see? C. How did you feel?

2. Would you have the courage to be a fugitive slave? Explain.

3. Which cast member did you relate to the most? Why?

4. What did you learn about slavery from the play, “Cincinnati 28”?

5. Do you think slavery continues today? Where? Why? “CINCINNATI 28” CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

It is the goal of the play “Cincinnati 28” to interweave different learning styles and engage students in a participatory educational experience. The following curriculum connections have been designed to promote personalized learning and to reinforce classroom curriculum through the multiple intelligences and Bloom’s Taxonomy. The activities can apply to various grade levels and proficiency standards in the subject areas of social studies, science, language arts, reading, math and the arts.

1. Research and create a timeline of the history of slavery in the United States. Select several significant events and describe their affect on slavery. What would have been their affect on the life of a slave. Describe as a journal or diary entry.

2. Use primary and secondary documents, such as diaries and speeches to research, to understand slavery in America. Explain how politics (how a society was governed), sociology (what groups formed the society), economics (how people worked and what they produced), religion and philosophy (what was valued and believed at the time) influenced this time period. Write a monologue, short story, or create a visual presentation relating your research.

3. Research the viewpoints of a plantation owner, overseer, slave catcher, conductor and slave regarding their different feelings towards slavery. Create a newspaper article or interview to record and better understand their reactions to this time period.

4. Research and explain how the African American community not only asserted itself in the freedom of slaves, but has also asserted itself with the civil rights movement and given power to the human rights movement that is important today.

5. Organize two debate teams. Team 1 will represent pro-slavery issues and Team 2 will represent anti- slavery issues. Each debate team should research and present their viewpoints with a clear focus and show their understanding of the topic. The teams should be able to debate the issue and understand the difference between fact and opinion.

6. Compare and contrast the rights and responsibilities of a slave with the rights and responsibilities of a person living in Ohio in 1847. Create a Venn diagram with your research.

7. Read a story about a slave. Be prepared to summarize and sequence the main ideas and events. Write your own short story, poem or song about being a slave. Include historical information, personal details and your feelings about slavery.

8. Learn about the songs of the slaves and their messages. Investigate how the words of the songs recorded their answers to many questions, gave directions and described their feelings. Use this information to create your own song or poem about slavery.

9. Research the life of a slave and the dangers of escaping from a plantation. Create a monologue or story that answers questions about who you are, where you live, when and how you are going to escape. Include your personal feelings. Use descriptive details and vivid language to develop your character.

10. Choose a topic about slavery. Create your own questions for research and develop a plan for gathering information. Collect information from a variety of resources including books, computers, songs, poems and documents. Present your information to an audience. Make sure you distinguish between fact and opinion, give the ideas and events in sequential order and show an understanding of the topic. Include a concise introduction, body and conclusion in your presentation. Use correct communication skills by speaking clearly and using proper pace and volume.

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 4 “CINCINNATI 28” CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS CONTINUED

11. Use a pictograph, bar graph, line graph or tables to record the number of African Americans living in Cincinnati from 1830-1840. Read and interpret your information. Compare this information with a timeline of slavery in America. What conclusions can you make? Write your research findings in a brief paragraph.

Residential Pattern

1830 African Americans = 1090 1840 African Americans = 2129

12. Identify and describe the common subjects, ideas and themes that artists have recorded in their artwork about slavery. Create your own visual interpretation of slavery. Explain your artwork.

13. Investigate how fugitive slaves used celestial navigation to locate and travel north. Research the constellations that would have appeared in a winter or spring sky in the Northern Hemisphere. These are the times of year slaves were most likely to escape. Record your findings as you locate the North Star. How does the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” relate to your research?

14. Explain one of the following important events in American history. What caused the event and how did the event affect slavery in the U.S.? Use your written or oral presentation skills to convey your information.

1. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 2. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 3. The Dred Scott Decision of 1857 4. The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 5. Black Codes of Ohio 6. 15th Amendment 7. U.S. Civil War

15. Write a letter to a person (real or fictional) that you consider a hero of this time period. In your letter, explain why you chose this person and what attributes they possess that you would like to develop in yourself.

1. Conductor 2. Harriet Beecher Stowe 3. President Abraham Lincoln 4. Harriet Tubman 5. Sojourner Truth 6. John Rankin 7. Josiah Henson 8. Levi Coffin 9. Susan B. Anthony

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 5

“CINCINNATI 28” CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS CONTINUED

16. Select a quote from those listed below. Research the author of the quote, to whom they were speaking, and the historical significance of the quote. Present your research as if you were a reporter for a local newspaper or as the author giving a speech or monologue.

1. “I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other, for no man should take me alive…” -Harriet Tubman

2. “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free…” - Abraham Lincoln

3. “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.” - Abraham Lincoln

4. “The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was the sea and a slave ship...These filled me with astonishment which was soon converted into terror.” -Olaudah Equiano

5. “The only true remedy for the extension of slavery, is the immediate abolition of slavery.” - Frederick Douglass

6. “I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free. There was such a glory over everything…I felt like I was in heaven.” - Harriet Tubman

7. “The cause of the slave brought together the friendship, diverse origin, training, habits of life, temperament, disposition and other personal characteristics.” - Levi Coffin

8. “I thought upon coming to a free State like Ohio, that I would find every door thrown open to receive me, but from the treatment I received from the people generally, I found it little better than in Virginia.” - John Malvin, 1840

9. “It has now become absolutely necessary, that slavery should cease in order that freedom may be preserved in any part of our land.” - James Birney

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 6 ACTIVITY 1: FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

In many African villages, a song leader or Griot was also a historian, reporter and communicator. People of the village would join in the songs and listen to their message. Many slaves continued this tradition and used music as a means of communication. Fugitive slaves shared the directions given in “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to help others find the Big Dipper, a star constellation shaped like a gourd. The star, Polaris, or North Star, guided slaves towards the North and to freedom in Canada.

Learn about the songs of the slaves and their messages. Investigate how the words of the songs recorded their answers to many questions, gave directions and described their feelings. Use this information to create your own song or poem about slavery.

When the sun comes back (Repeat Chorus)

And the first quail calls The river ends between two hills Follow the drinking gourd Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom There’s another river on the other side If you follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd.

(Repeat Chorus) (Repeat Chorus)

The riverbank makes a very good road. When the great big river meets the little river The dead trees will show you the way. Follow the drinking gourd. Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd. If you follow the drinking gourd.

ACTIVITY 1: FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD CONTINUED

“Follow the Drinking Gourd” is a coded song that gives the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi. Of all the routes out of the Deep South, this is the only one for which the details survived. The route instructions were given to slaves by an old man named PEG LEG JOE. Working as an itinerant carpenter, he spent winters in the South, moving from plantation to plantation, teaching slaves this escape route. Unfortunately, we know nothing more about PEG LEG JOE.

The song and its translations are as follows:

When the sun comes back And the first quail calls Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

“When the sun comes back” means winter and spring when the angle of the sun above the horizon at noon is getting higher each day. Quail are migratory birds, which winter in the South. The Drinking Gourd is the Big Dipper. The old man is PEG LEG JOE. The verse tells slaves to leave in the winter and walk towards the Drinking Gourd. Eventually they will meet a guide who will escort them for the remainder of the trip.

Most escapees had to cross the Ohio River, which is too wide and too swift to swim. The Railroad struggled with the problems of how to get escapees across, and with experience, came to believe the best crossing time was winter. The river was frozen, and escapees could walk across the ice. Since it took most escapees a year to travel from the South to Ohio, the Railroad urged slaves to start their trip in winter in order to be at the Ohio River the next winter.

The riverbank makes a very good road. The dead trees will show you the way. Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, Follow the drinking gourd.

This verse taught slaves to follow the bank of the Tombigbee River north looking for dead trees that were marked with drawings of a left foot and a peg foot. The markings distinguished the Tombigbee from other north-south rivers that flowed into it.

The river ends between two hills Follow the drinking gourd. There’s another river on the other side Follow the drinking gourd.

These words told the slaves that when they reached the headwaters of the Tombigbee, they were to continue north over the hills until they met another river. Then they were to travel north along a new river, which is the Tennessee River. A number of the southern escape routes converged on the Tennessee.

When the great big river meets the little river Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

This verse told the slaves that the Tennessee River joined another river. They were to cross that river (which is the Ohio River) and on the north bank, meet a guide from the Underground Railroad.

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 8 ACTIVITY 2: UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ROUTES

http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/Map.htm Activity 2

1. List all of the free states in 1860.

2. List all of the slave states in 1860. “Cincinnati 28” 3. What states would a fugitive slave travel through to reach a free state? Teacher

Resource Guide 4. Which rivers would a fugitive slave travel to escape from Louisiana to get to Pennsylvania? 9 5. Why were there so many railroad routes running from the Ohio River Valley to the north in 1860? “CINCINNATI 28” GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Abolitionism A movement in which participants refuse to accept the existence of slavery in the United States and actively worked to end it.

Abolitionist A person who believed in or worked for the end of slavery.

Black Codes First enacted in Ohio in 1803, these laws made it illegal for African Americans to vote, to hold civil or military office, and to participate in public institutions such as schools and hospitals. The code also charged employers 50 cents a day for hiring a runaway slave and charged each Ohio resident a $500 bond (to be used in support of the person if he/she could not support him/herself).

Conductor One of the people working on the Underground Railroad who helped transport people from station to station.

Fugitive An escaping slave.

Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 A law requiring everyone to help in the recapture of fugitive slaves that was strongly resisted in many northern states.

Freedom Train A term used to describe the Underground Railroad.

Heaven A code word for Canada, where escaped slaves could be safe.

Northwest Ordinance A document created in 1787 which prohibited slavery from existing in the Northwest Territory.

Northwest Territory An area of the United States that makes up Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin (called this before they became states).

Slave Catcher A person who made a living by tracking down fugitive slaves.

Station A stop on the Underground Railroad, frequently the house of one of the Conductors.

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 10

TIMELINE OF SLAVERY

1565 African slaves arrive in North America at Spanish colony of St. Augustine 1619 First Africans arrive in Jamestown, Virginia initially identified as Indentured Servants 1755 All 13 colonies legally recognize “chattel” (slavery) 1770s Slave labor becomes vital to Southern economy because of growth of rice, tobacco, sugar and indigo plantations. Northern economy increases because of the development of small farms and industry 1793 Invention of cotton gin, a machine that separates the fibers of cotton from the seed, increases the importance of slavery to the Southern economy. 1793 Canada’s only anti-slavery law passed. 1793 First Fugitive Slave Law passed 1803 First Black Codes (Black Laws) enacted 1804 Free blacks must register certificate of freedom and pay 12 ½ cents for each family member 1805 African Slave Trade supposedly forbidden 1808 Cincinnati passes local laws to reinforce Black Codes 1829 Isabella Van Wagener changes her name to Sojourner Truth and begins preaching her abolitionist beliefs in the North 1829-1830 First petition campaign against Black Codes 1830 Use of the train as a means of transportation increases, and the term “Underground Railroad” is first used to describe the movement of runaway slaves 1833 British Parliament passes Emancipation Act, which frees all slaves and outlaws slave trade 1835 James G. Birney, future owner of the The Philanthropist, an abolitionist newspaper, arrives in Cincinnati 1836 The Philanthropist becomes the official newspaper of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society 1836 Angry mobs attack the printing press of The Philanthropist 1838 Blacks banned from public schools 1839 Ohio passes state Fugitive Slave Act 1847-1863 Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and escaped slave, publishes newspaper, The North Star 1849 Black Codes repealed 1849 Harriet Tubman, escaped slave, begins to help over 300 slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad 1850 Second Fugitive Slave Law passed 1851 Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Toms Cabin 1857 Dred Scott case 1858 Slave ship Wanderer arrives; she delivers probably last cargo of slaves to America 1861 Civil War begins 1863 Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation 1865 Civil War ends

th “Cincinnati 28” 1865 13 Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits slavery in America Teacher th Resource Guide 1866 14 Amendment gave citizenship to African-Americans (men only) 11 1870 15th Amendment gave the right to vote to African-Americans (men only) ACADEMIC BENCHMARK STANDARDS 4-8: Social Studies

Citizenship People in Skills Grade Rights and History Geography Government Societies and Methods Responsibilities Obtain information about state issues from a variety of sources

Describe the cultural Use primary and practices and products secondary sources to of various groups who answer questions about have settled in Ohio Ohio history 4 over time Identify main ideas Explain the reasons and supporting details people came to Ohio from factual information

Distinguish between fact and fiction Describe the cultural practices and products of various groups who Explain the significance have settled in Ohio Obtain information of the rights that are over time about state issues from 5 protected by the First a variety of sources Describe the Amendment experiences of African Americans under the institution of slavery

Analyze information Explain reasons for from primary and the creation of secondary sources in governments such 6 order to summarize, as protecting lives, make generalizations liberty and property and draw conclusions Describe historical events and issues from the perspectives of people living at the time in order to avoid evaluating the past in 7 terms of today’s norms and values

Compare multiple viewpoints and frames of reference relating to important events in world history Show the relationship Describe and explain between participating in the social, economic civil and political life and political effect of and the attainment of Compare accuracy and stereotyping and individual and public point of view of fiction prejudice, racism and goals including the and nonfiction sources Explain causes of the discrimination Civil War with Underground Railroad, about a particular era Analyze the economic, the abolitionists or event emphasis on slavery, 8 geographic, religious movement/abolition of states rights, and Construct a historical and political factors slavery different economies of narrative using that contributed to the the north and south Evaluate the role of primary and secondary enslavement of historical figures and sources Africans in North political bodies in America and furthering and restricting resistance to slavery the rights of individuals

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 12 ACADEMIC BENCHMARK STANDARDS 9-12: Social Studies Citizenship People in Skills Grade Rights and History Geography Government Societies and Methods Responsibilities Explain how political and economic Analyze the results of conditions, political, economic resources, 9 and social oppression geographic and the violation of locations and human rights cultures have contributed to cooperation and conflict Describe how the perspectives of cultural groups helped to create political action groups such as NAACP Analyze historical and Analyze one or more contemporary examples Analyze the issues and present a of citizen movements to 10 perspectives that are persuasive argument to bring about political evident in African defend a position American art, music, change literature and media and how these contributions reflect and shape culture in the United States Identify causes of prejudice and demonstrate ways in which legal protections (including constitutional amendments and civil rights legislation) 11 prevent and reduce discrimination

Explain how the U.S. has been affected politically, economically and socially by its multicultural diversity Challenge arguments of historical Identify the inevitability by giving perspectives of diverse examples of how cultural groups when different choices could analyzing current have led to different issues Identify and consequences (choices 12 Analyze ways made during the Civil analyze an issue countries and War) related to domestic organizations respond policy in the U.S. Analyze primary to conflicts between source material to see forces of unity, and if a historical forces of diversity interpretation is

supported

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 13

KENTUCKY STUDENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 4-12

Goal 1: Communication Skills

• 1.3 Students make sense of the various things they observe. • 1.4 Students make sense of the various messages to which they listen. • 1.14 Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music. • 1.15 Students make sense of and communicate ideas with movement.

Goal 2: Apply Core Concepts and Principles

Social Studies • 2.14 Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom and apply them to real-life. • 2.15 Students can accurately describe various forms of government and analyze issues that relate to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. • 2.16 Students observe, analyze, and interpret human behaviors, social groupings, and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups. • 2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.

Arts and Humanities • 2.22 Students create works of art and make presentations to convey a point of view. • 2.26 Through the arts and humanities, students recognize that although people are different, they share some common experiences and attitudes.

Goal 5: Think and Solve Problems • 5.1 Students use critical thinking skills such as analyzing, prioritizing, categorizing, evaluating, and comparing to solve a variety of problems in real-life situations. • 5.3 Students organize information to develop or change their understanding of a concept. • 5.4 Students use a decision-making process to make informed decisions among options. • 5.5 Students use problem-solving processes to develop solutions to relatively complex problems.

Goal 6: Connect and Integrate Knowledge • 6.1 Students connect knowledge and experiences from different subject areas. • 6.2 Students use what they already know to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, or interpret new experiences. • 6.3 Students expand their understanding of existing knowledge by making connections with new knowledge, skills, and experiences.

“Cincinnati 28” Teacher Resource Guide 14