“Journey on the Underground Railroad” Teacher Resource Packet Program Overview. Location The Jackson Homestead & Museum, 527 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458 Audience Students in 1st through 12th grades Run time 1 hour Essential Question How do you respond to injustice? Objectives After completing this program, students will be better able to… 1. Use evidence to articulate multiple perspectives within the discussed historical period. 2. Discuss the complexities of the institution of slavery and the variety of ways people battled against it. 3. Define slavery and the experience of enslaved people. 4. Identify the Underground Railroad as a loose network of people of all races. 5. Identify the Jackson Homestead a stop on the Underground Railroad & Jackson family in the 19thcentury as abolitionists. 6. Express the direct and indirect consequences the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act created for people who assisted freedom seekers, and distinguish the risks for freedom seekers were much greater than the risks for white abolitionists Overview After taking part in this program, students will appreciate the complexity of the institution of slavery and the variety of ways people battled against it. Students will explore the topic of slavery in the United States (with a specific focus on Newton and Massachusetts) and the roles of both blacks and whites in the struggle for freedom and equality. Students will hear and consider three stories of enslaved people and then learn about the Jackson family’s role in the Underground Railroad. Students will then discuss direct and indirect consequences of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. Through primary documents and cooperative learning approaches, they will draw connections between local and national historical events to consider how individuals respond to injustice. About your visit Parking is available on Washington Street and Jackson Road. Groups arriving in buses may be dropped off at the museum’s driveway, but please do not park there. The “Journey on the Underground Railroad” program is held in the original kitchen and in the Confronting Our Legacy gallery of the museum. If you wish to conclude your program with a snack, please notify the staff in advance and plan for an additional 15 minutes. You must bring all snack supplies. In order to preserve the artifacts and documents on display, flash photography is not allowed in the museum. 1 ©Historic Newton, February 2018 527 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458 617-796-1450 ● historicnewton.org Contents. 1 . Program overview. 2 . Contents. 3 . Notes for Educators. 4 . Suggested Pre-visit Vocabulary and Activities. 5 . Suggested Post-visit Activities. 6 . Suggested reading list by grade level, Early Learners. 8 . Suggested reading list by grade level, Elementary Students. 12 . Suggested reading list by grade level, Middle School Students. 14 . Suggested reading list by grade level, High School Students. 15 . Background Information for educators. The Jackson family and the Jackson Homestead. The Jacksons as Abolitionists. Northern Slavery, Abolition, and the Underground Railroad. Studying Primary Sources and the Underground Railroad. 17 . MA History & Social Studies Curriculum Framework supported by the Journey on the Underground Railroad program. 21 . Selected Bibliography. 2 ©Historic Newton, February 2018 527 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458 617-796-1450 ● historicnewton.org Notes for Educators. Slavery, race and systems of oppression are difficult, and even uncomfortable, topics to teach. Use these tips to feel comfortable leading students in discussion about these tough topics. Be aware of your privilege and responsibility to be more knowledgeable and have professional preparation for students so they feel supported in their learning. 1. Model for students that slavery an upsetting topic. Express that it is hard for you as an adult to understand how people did this to one-another, and validate student’s responses and/or feelings of discomfort. While you normalize that it is okay to be upset about this topic, also set a serious tone. 2. Communicate that horrible things happened to people only because of the color of their skin, but that some of them overcame extreme obstacles to free themselves. Slavery is a sign of resilience for African- American communities, not shame. 3. Model for students that we cannot expect any one individual to be a spokesperson for their entire group; this is especially important if white students look to black students in the discussion to speak on behalf of all of those of African descent. Would you expect to be able to speak on behalf of all of those of from whom you are descended? 4. Make sure students understand that slavery is all of our history, and is thus important for everyone to learn. “I also own this history and therefore have to own responsibility for the past.” 5. Get away from simplifications; encourage students to think about the complex nature of relationships. 6. Be empathic and respectful to students. Treat their questions with respect, students are trying to understand how these systems worked, and may genuinely not have received education on these topics. Think about the point of view of the student- what experiences and/or background are they bringing to the discussion? 3 ©Historic Newton, February 2018 527 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458 617-796-1450 ● historicnewton.org Suggested pre-visit vocabulary. Abolitionist- a person who advocates or supports the end of slavery Slavery- the practice and systems of owning people Enslaved person- one who has been forced into slavery and, as a result, lost their freedom and choice Fugitive- a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution Underground Railroad- a loose network of black and white people that assisted those freeing themselves from slavery, neither underground nor a railroad Evidence- the available facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true Suggested pre-visit activities. 1. Learn about the work enslaved people did as craftspeople, house servants, sailors, as well as in the fields. Research the many aspects of the life of enslaved people including work, recreation, family life, religion, punishment, food, clothes, and housing. Use the bibliography for some suggested resources. Write essays that emphasize both the differences and the similarities in the lives of enslaved people throughout the United States. 2. To help students understand the concept of “the past” have them create a timeline to share with the class. This exercise will also help students to understand the existence of slavery during the founding of our nation, and the persistence of discriminatory practices in our nation’s history. 3. Use the internet to search for primary document accounts of enslaved life and abolitionist activity. Read them and discuss the value each has for the historical study of this period of American history. Have students record what they know from the documents, what the documents do not tell them and what they can infer from the documents. Suggested sites: • http://digital.nypl.org/schomburg/images_aa19/ New York Public Library database of images of African Americans in the 19th century • http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/ University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill Libraries Documenting the American South project; includes a searchable collection of e-texts of the narratives of enslaved people • http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/aohome.html The Library of Congress African American Odyssey; has links to related Library of Congress web sites and digitized collections • http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html University of Virginia American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html PBS Africans in America site, with a Resource Bank of annotated historical documents and images 4 ©Historic Newton, February 2018 527 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458 617-796-1450 ● historicnewton.org Suggested post-visit activities. 1. Most abolitionists did not record their activities because it was against the law to help people freeing themselves from slavery. Students can discuss what injustices today they might be willing to protest in order to create change. Have students then try out their social-justice skills- research who your local, states and national representatives are and write them letters, draft protest signs, or work to draft new laws as a class. 2. Have your students test their knowledge with Historic Newton’s online quiz: https://c5b79c92fd8faba266ee62f17ee66af27982e3cf.googledrive.com/host/0B56ubSyCOiAtelNXOVU5Y nI5WVU/index.html 3. After his escape, Henry “Box” Brown wrote a memoir titled The Narrative of the Life of Henry “Box” Brown, Written by Himself. A man named Samuel Smith helped Henry Brown get to freedom. Students can write letter as either Brown or Smith as they planned the escape. What might they have planned? What risks did each of them face? How did they avoid getting caught? Unfortunately Smith was later convicted of helping to free two enslaved people and was sentenced to six and a half years in jail. Students can also read passages from this primary source. Download the full book here: https://books.google.com/books?id=630IAAAAQAAJ&dq=the%20narrative%20of%20henry%20box%20b rown&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false 4. When Captain Jonathan Walker was caught sailing freedom seekers in his boat his hand was branded. Students can present the facts as well as their opinions from an abolitionist point of view in a New York newspaper and from a slave owner’s point of view in a Florida newspaper. Older students may write a poem after reading and discussing The Branded Hand by John Greenleaf Whittier. Students may tell a narrative or explore broader themes. Information about Captain John Walker: • Berger, Martin. "White Suffering and the Branded Hand." Mirror of Race. Accessed January 26, 2016. http://mirrorofrace.org/show_interp.php?photo_id=18. • "The Branded Hand of Captain Jonathan Walker." Massachusetts Historical Society. Accessed January 26, 2016.