Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Title: Life on a Southern Plantation for the African-American Slave
Target Audience: Lesson is geared toward a middle school Social Studies class (6-8)
Big Idea: Slavery
Enduring Understandings: 1. The students will understand the workings of a slave
auction.
2. The students will compare and contrast a domestic and a
field slave.
3. The students will identify traditions of a plantation slave.
4. The students will understand reasons compelling slaves
to plan escape.
Essential Questions:
1. What are the consequences of selling humans as
property?
2. How do circumstances of chance separate people?
3. How do social and cultural traditions play a role in the
lives of oppressed people?
4. Under what conditions do people feel the need to escape
their current situation?
Knowledge: 1. Students will know:
a. Slaves were bought and sold at slave auctions
b. African-American families were divided and members
separated at auctions
c. Slaves were examined like animals at auctions
d. Slaves had different monetary worth depending on age, sex,
skin tone, and physical strength
e. Life was different for a slave in the city as well as on a
plantation growing tobacco, sugar, rice, or cotton
f. Slaves serving the family in the plantation house (domestic
slaves) were responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, and
child rearing and had quarters close to the house
g. Slaves serving in the fields (field slaves) were responsible for
planting, tending, weeding, and harvesting the cash crops and
had quarters at a distance from the house
h. All slaves had to receive permission from the master to marry
or to move about outside the plantation grounds
i. Slaves created a sense of community through music, stories,
religion, and cultural tradition
i. Spirituals
ii. Jumping the Broom
iii. Communal gardens
iv. Communal living quarters
j. Overseers were hired to maximize slave production
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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k. Slavery destroyed self-esteem and willpower
l. Enslaved African-Americans longed to be reunited with family
m. Slaves created elaborate means of escape
2. The students will be able to:
a. Explain the process of a slave auction
b. Compare and contrast domestic and field slaves
c. Explain the meanings behind slave spirituals
d. Create a profile of a fictional slave
e. Identify reasons compelling slaves to escape
f. Create and use an accurate map distance scale
Performance Tasks:
1. As an introduction to the lesson, students will be given paintings scenes from
a slave auction. In small groups, they will brainstorm ideas of what is going
on in the paintings and write their ideas on a piece of paper. They will also
brainstorm what they think is going on in the minds of the various people
depicted in the paintings. The teacher will select several students to share their
ideas generated in their groups.
2. The teacher will discuss what aspects of the brainstorming are accurate and
which are inaccurate as he/she presents to the students information about slave
auctions. After highlighting the economic workings of an auction, the teacher
will prompt students to explore the emotional consequences of selling humans
as property. This should include the breaking up of families. Students will
then reenact a traditional slave auction by reading a skit adapted by the
teacher from the DiscoverySchool.com website “Witness A Slave Auction”
< http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/slavery/witness.html>.
3. Given quotations attributed to 19th Century slaves and slave owners, students
will individually access prior knowledge about slavery and try to identify
whether the quote refers to domestic slaves, field slaves, or both. Students will
tape these laminated quote cards under the column (Domestic Slave, Field
Slave, Both) written on a large sheet of paper that identifies with their
thought. This will be set aside and revisited at the end of the lesson.
4. The teacher will deliver a mini-lecture describing a traditional plantation
including the locations of the manor house, domestic slave quarters, field
slave quarters, stables, fields, and assorted outbuildings. Content for the minilecture may be derived from approved school textbook series, supplemental
materials collected by the teacher, and from the teacher’s personal knowledge.
The teacher should prompt students to think critically about why buildings
were placed where they were (ex. Why kitchens were usually not in the manor
house, why domestic slave quarters were close to the manor house, why field
slaves had their own gardens, why did some plantations have smiths?). The
teacher will then discuss the climatological, geographical, and economical
differences between a tobacco, sugar, rice, and cotton plantation. The students
will be given a large piece of white paper and asked to design and draw a
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
5.
6.
7.
8.
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plantation. They will need to decide what type of cash crop will be grown as
this may dictate where their plantation will be located. The students will need
to use a common map scale throughout the class so all plantations will be in
the correct perspective. The teacher will collect the “plantations” and create a
“county” by placing plantations side-by-side on the wall for everyone to
enjoy.
To prepare the students for information about domestic and field slaves, create
a Consensogram by creating two columns on large paper – Domestic Slave,
Field Slave. Give each student a colored dot sticker. The students will identify
which slave they would prefer to be if they were sold at a slave auction by
placing their sticker under the appropriate column. After allowing students to
see the class’ choice, set this paper aside for later.
Dividing the class into several groups so that an even number of groups exists,
assign two groups to partner together. One group will be learning about
domestic slaves and the other will be learning about field slaves. The teacher
will give the domestic slave group an information sheet describing domestic
slaves. The other group will receive a sheet about field slaves. Each group will
learn about their enslaved peoples’ position on the plantation through first
person and textbook accounts of their duties (the teacher may want to use the
quotes of the slaves or find other primary sources). The teacher will move
from group to group prompting higher level thinking through questioning
about the roles of the slaves as well as checking for understanding. Once
students have completed their packets, they will identify the important aspects
that make up the domestic or field slave. They will then create a mini-skit to
act out for their partner group. The skit will visually depict a “Day in the Life”
of their slave group. The group will reinforce their new content knowledge
with their partner group by summarizing their various points of their slave
group.
To teach the concept of slave traditions across both domestic and field slaves,
the teacher will introduce the idea and purpose of spirituals by playing a song
familiar to students which may be used for various purposes or have different
meanings depending on perspective (ex. “Ring Around The Rosey” both as a
popular children’s song and as a song about the Black Plague). Ask students
to reflect on a note card what they think the song is about and in what context
it might played. Ask several students to read their note cards. Discuss as a
class why there are a variety of song descriptions and perspectives. Relate this
to the fact that spirituals were sung by slaves for entertainment purposes and
also as coded messages. Give students the lyrics to “Follow the Drinking
Gourd,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “Wade in the Water.” Play the
songs for the students and then ask them to identify reasons why the southern
white population may not have realized that the songs were in fact coded
messages. Then explain to the students what the songs meant to slaves.
Another slave community tradition was marriage. To show how religion and
African traditions played roles in slave communities, recreate a “Jumping the
Broom” wedding ceremony in the class. Select two students to play the role of
the wedding couple. Brainstorm with the class the reasons why slaves might
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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want to be married and why the plantation owner may or may not want his
slaves to marry. Using a +/- Chart, students will identify the pros and cons of
marriage among slaves on a plantation. Students should realize that while
slaves married for love, there were many risks of getting married including the
possibility of the marriage ending through the sale of one in the couple. Allow
the students to recreate a slave marriage with the teacher describing the
purpose of jumping over a broom.
9. Using letters, stories, pictures and paintings from the 19th Century of items
used to keep slaves in line on the plantation, ask students to look at these
sources and to draw on information they have so far learned in the lesson to
formulate a theory as to why slaves would want to escape from the plantation.
Have students write these on a transparency so they may be shown to all
students in the class. As students display their theory, have a volunteer student
write on the board a list of words and phrases that are common to many of the
theories. Using this list, evaluate with the students whether these reasons are
valid enough to brave the risks and attempt to escape. Ask the students to
orally generate some modern examples of instances where people may take
extraordinary risks to escape their own situations.
10. As a review of all material in the lesson, the teacher will read a picture book
about slavery to the class (sample readings: Erickson, Paul. Daily Life on a
Southern Plantation 1863. Bound to Stay Bound, 2001.; McKissack, Patricia.
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters. Illustrated by John
Thompson. Scholastic, 1994.). If enough copies can be obtained for all
students in the class, this would be ideal.
11. As a culminating evaluation, the students will create a slave persona and write
a series of journal entries describing the slave’s experience at an auction,
introduction to the plantation, life on the plantation, work experience,
recreational experience, and their decision to escape or remain on the
plantation. Students should be sure to include accurate historical facts and
emotional attitudes of an enslaved African-American to support their journal
writings. They should consider the age, sex, and work experience of the slave
they are creating.
Note: Be sure to explain to the students that most slaves were illiterate and
that it was illegal in most places to teach slaves reading and writing. The class
will have to pretend that they were a slave that at some point was lucky
enough to have learned some writing and reading through their experiences.
After the students have completed their journals, they will be graded using a
rubric evaluating their knowledge and understanding of the historical impact
of slavery on the lives of African-Americans preceding and during the Civil
War in the South.
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Reflection:
1. Return to the large sheet papers created earlier and ask students to reevaluate
their positions on the Domestic versus Field Slave. Would any students now
move their note cards to a different category? For the Consensogram, give
students another sticker. Create a new chart and ask the students to put their
sticker again under the heading they would prefer to be in if sold at an auction.
Discuss the results with the class about why the views have changed or stayed
the same.
2. In small groups, ask students to reflect and discuss the essential questions:
1) What are the consequences of selling human as property? 2) How do
circumstances of chance separate people? 3) How do social and cultural
traditions play a role in the lives of oppressed people? 4) Under what
circumstances do people feel the need to escape their current situations?
In small groups, ask students to reflect and discuss the questions meant to lead
them into a future unit about state secession and the causes of the Civil War:
1) How can a nation remain together when one half believes slavery is
immoral and the other feels it is economically necessary? 2) What happens to
the enslaved voiceless people in such a society?
Evidence of Learning:
1. The teacher will continually use questioning and observation to ascertain the
extent of his/her students’ understanding of the material being covered.
2. Other forms of evidence will include:
a. Creation of a plantation map
b. Active participation in group and class activities
c. Accurate use of historical information to create a slave persona and
express their experiences in a creatively written journal
Future Lessons:
1. This lesson serves as an introduction into the Underground Railroad and
abolitionism, as well as a lesson on the causes of the Civil War.
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Jumping the Broom: Plantation Slave Marriages
+
-
Reasons slaves should marry
Reasons slaves should not marry
Pros
Cons
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Web Resources
"Follow the Drinking Gourd"
Source: "NASA Quest." "Explanation of Follow the Drinking Gourd". NASA. 1 Aug 2006
<http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd2.html>.
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Source: "Spirituals as Coded Communication." Sweet Chariot: the story of the spirituals. 2004. The
Spirituals Project at the University of Denver. 1 Aug 2006
<http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/Freedom/coded.cfm>.
“Wade in the Water”
Source: "Spirituals as Coded Communication." Sweet Chariot: the story of the spirituals. 2004. The
Spirituals Project at the University of Denver. 1 Aug 2006
<http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/Freedom/coded.cfm>.
Jumping the Broom (Popular African Wedding Tradition)
Source: "Jumping the Broom." 1 Aug 2006 <http://www.africanweddingguide.com/history/jumping.html>.
Slave Auction (Image)
Source: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/reform/jb_reform_slaveauc_2_e.jpg
Largest Slave Auction (Image)
Source: www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/reform/jb_reform_s...
The Slave Family (Image)
Source: http://www.bowdoin.edu/~prael/projects/gsonnen/slave%20auction.jpg
A Slave Auction in Richmond (Image)
Source: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/july/slave-auction.jpg
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Quotations from Slaves: Domestic, Field, or Both
“Us always quit work ‘fore de sun went down an’ never work at night.” - Prince
Johnson, Clarksdale, MS “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’
Project, 1936-1938” (Field)
“[I] … just … wait on de mistress, and de chillun.” - Adeline Johnson, Winnsboro, SC
“Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1938”
(Domestic)
“Slavery people cut canal and dig ditch and cut down woods and dig ditch through the
raw woods.” – Uncle Gabe Lance, “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal
Writers’ Project, 1936-1938” (Field)
“We went to work at sunrise, had two hours for dinner, and stopped work at sundown.” Margaret Hughes, “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project,
1936-1938” (Field)
“I was born on a plantation near Fayetteville, North Carolina, and I belonged to J.C.
Smith. He owned about 30 slaves.” - Sarah Louise Augustus, “Out of the Mouths of
Slaves: African American Oral History” (Both)
“My job was lookin’ a’ter de corner table whar nothin’ but de desserts sat. Jo and Jerry
were de table boys, and dey ne’ber touched nothin’ wid dere hans’, dey used de waiter to
pass things wid.” - “Aunt” Charity Anderson, “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from
the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1938” (Domestic)
“Gabe…hard at work preparing the garden, setting out lettuce, planting peas, &c.” Susan L. Blackford, “Memoirs of Life in and Out of the Army in Virginia During the War
Between the States, Vol. II” (Both)
“Sometimes they will sing all day long with great spirit; at other times you will not hear a
single note.” “Letters of a Traveller” (Field)
“When a slave was no good, he was put up on the auction block in Fayetteville and sold.”
- Sarah Louis Augustus, “Out of the Mouths of Slaves: African American Oral History.”
(Both)
“I was better fed, better clothed, and not obliged to rise at the ringing of the bell.” William Wells Brown, “Narrative of William W. Brown, an American Slave. Written by
Himself.” (Domestic)
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Characteristics of a Domestic Slave
Usually women
Wore nicer clothing and shoes
Hair well groomed
Duties included: house cleaning, cooking and serving meals, arranging gardens, childcare
Lived close to the house in which they worked – usually in a basement, attic, back room,
or close by separate building
Maintained a close relationship with the master
Were often at the beck and call of the master and his family day or night
Sometimes had an opportunity to go into town
Could worship as he or she chose, often with the other slaves
Had a possible chance to learn reading and writing
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Characteristics of a Field Slave
Often men, but women were also field slaves
Clothes were functional for working in the field and were often made by the slaves from
left over rags
Duties were to tend to the crops grown on the plantation including planting, weeding, and
harvesting
Usually lived in a small cabin far away from the manor house
Likely did not have a close relationship with the master
There was not much opportunity to leave the plantation grounds
Worked from sunrise to sunset, but were often given Sundays off
Formed communities among the slaves to foster kinship
Had virtually no chance to learn reading and writing
Prepared by: B.A. Britts – Parkway C-2 School District, Chesterfield, MO
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Journal Rubric
Historical Content
Creativity and
Ideas
Organization and
Direction
3
Information in the
writing is
historically accurate
having minor, if
any, errors.
Writing shows
evidence of the
student’s creative
use ideas and effort.
Writing shows
evidence of
organization,
planning, and
follows the
directions of the
assignment.
2
Information in the
writing is mostly
historically accurate
having several
errors.
Writing shows some
evidence of the
student’s creative
use ideas and effort.
Writing shows some
evidence of
organization,
planning, and
follows some of the
directions of the
assignment.
1
Information in the
writing contains
many historically
inaccurate facts.
Writing shows little
evidence of the
student’s creative
use ideas and effort.
Writing shows a
lack of
organization,
planning, and does
not follows the
directions of the
assignment.