Classroom Materials developed by the New-YYork Historical Society as a companion to the exhibit Generous support provided by THE NEW-YYORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY Since its founding in 1804, the New-York Historical Society (N-YHS) has been a mainstay of cultural life in New York City and a center of historical scholarship and education. For generations, students and teachers have been able to benefit directly from the N-YHS’s mission to collect, preserve and interpret materials relevant to the history of our city, state and nation. N-YHS consistently creates opportunities to experience the nation’s history through the prism of New York. Our uniquely integrated collection of documents and objects are par- ticularly well-suited for educational purposes, not only for scholars but also for school children, teachers and the larger public. The story of New York’s rootedness in the enslavement of Africans is largely unknown to the general public. Over the next two years, the New-York Historical Society, together with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, will stage two major exhibitions, with walking tours, educational materials and programs for learners of all ages. The first of these exhibits, entitled “Slavery in New York,” explores the vital roles enslaved labor and the slave trade played in making New York one of the wealthiest cities in the world. In bringing this compelling and dramatic story to the forefront of historical inquiry, “Slavery in New York” will transform col- lective understanding of this great city’s past, present and future. The enclosed resources have been devel- oped to facilitate pre- and post-visit lessons in the classroom and provide learning experiences beyond the duration of the exhibit. 170 Central Park West New York, NY 10024 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org Louise Mirrer President and C.E.O. Nancy Newcomb Chairman, Board of Trustees Slavery in New York: Classroom Materials Developer and Writer Educational Advisory Group Marjorie Waters Rafael Alvarez, PS 94, Brooklyn, NY Illustrator Goldie R. Baldwin, IS 292, Brooklyn, NY Christopher Zaccone Stanlee Brimberg, Bank Street School for Children, New York, NY Ansley Erickson, Ph.D. Candidate, US History, Columbia University Producer Paul Fontana, All Hallows High School, Bronx, NY The New-York Historical Society Education Department Nancy Henry, PS 29, Brooklyn, NY Adrienne J. Kupper, Director of Education Tricia Mayers, MS 210, Ozone Park, NY Stephen Aleman, Professional Development Specialist and Harold Small, IS 364, Brooklyn, NY Manager of the American Musicals Project Elizabeth Grant, Ph.D., Professional Development Specialist Scholars/Reviewers Mikal Muharrar, Coordinator of Teaching History Initiative Richard Rabinowitz, Ph.D. Stacy Gilinson, Supervisor of Family Programs James Oliver Horton, Ph.D. Todd Muller, Manager of School Programs Lois E. Horton, Ph.D. Mary Ann Furman, School Programs Associate Slavery in New York Exhibition Team American History Workshop, Brooklyn, NY DVDs produced and donated by Richard Rabinowitz, Ph.D., Curator and Writer Lynda Kaplan, Curatorial Director Peter P. Hinks, Ph.D., Senior Historian Anne Elizabeth Parsons, Researcher Generous education program support provided by James Oliver Horton, Ph.D., Chief Historian Additional funds provided by The Educational Foundation of America. Cover Caesar Daguerreotype, 1851 New-York Historical Society Collection Born in 1737, Caesar spent all his long life on the Rensselaer Nicoll estate near Albany, where he served several generations of masters. Enslaved until the age of 80, he was then allowed to retire. He remained with the Nicoll family until his death in 1852 at the age of 115 years. He was never informed that slavery was abolished in New York in 1827. Caesar was persuaded by the family to sit for this daguerreotype shortly before his death. It is one of the first photographic images of a black American. © Copyright 2005 New-York Historical Society Teacher’s Guide Contents Slavery in New York: The Exhibit ............................................................................................................................1 Pre-Visit Activities in the Classroom ..........................................................................................................1 A Guide to the Classroom Materials for Students ....................................................................................................2 Buried Stories: Lessons from the African Burial Ground ............................................................................2 White New Yorkers in Slave Times................................................................................................................3 Laws Affecting Blacks in Manhattan ..........................................................................................................3 Fact Sheet......................................................................................................................................................3 Looking at Slavery in New York....................................................................................................................3 Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................3 Photo Cards ..................................................................................................................................................3 Life Stories: Profiles of Black New Yorkers During Slavery and Emancipation..........................................4 Facsimile of The New-York Gazette..............................................................................................................4 Story Maps ..................................................................................................................................................4 Summaries of Life Stories ..........................................................................................................................................5 Lesson Plans ..............................................................................................................................................................9 One: Memories of Africa ............................................................................................................................9 Two: Work and Everyday Life ..................................................................................................................10 Three: Resistance ......................................................................................................................................12 Four: Freedom ............................................................................................................................................14 Five: Naming Rights ..................................................................................................................................15 Six: Writing Lives ......................................................................................................................................17 Seven: Reading The Gazette ......................................................................................................................18 The History of Slavery in New York City ..............................................................................................................20 Select Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................23 Classroom Resources ..............................................................................................................................................24 Books for Children......................................................................................................................................24 Websites ......................................................................................................................................................24 New York State Standards for Social Studies ..........................................................................................................26 Teacher’s Guide Slavery in New York: The Exhibit Slavery in New York will be open at the New-York Historical Society from October 2005 through March of 2006. It will examine the history of slavery in this city from the 1620s through July 4, 1827, the date when New York slaves were finally freed. The exhibit and the classroom materials provide you and your students with an unprecedented opportunity to study a major, and mostly unfamiliar, story. This Teacher’s Guide will help you plan and follow up on a visit to the exhibit, and it will also continue to serve as a stand-alone classroom resource well after the exhibit closes. For an overview of the content, see “The History of Slavery in New York City” in this Guide, and the Fact Sheet included with the student materials. Pre-VVisit Activities in the Classroom There are a number of different ways you might prepare your students to come to the New-York Historical Society to see Slavery in New York. Introduce Africa, or build on what students already know. Use maps to orient them to the continent and to the coastal areas of Central and West Africa, the homeland of many enslaved New Yorkers. Use a KWL chart to help them organize what they know about Africa, and what they would like to know. This will prepare them for their first stop