GLOBAL STUDIES MODULE FORMAT
Ivy Tech Community College North Central - Global Studies Program
Name: Laura Bergstrom
School: Ivy Tech Community College
Course Number and Title: HIST 210: African-American History
Module Title: Internationalizing the Atlantic Slave Trade
Description of the Module: This module seeks to show the complexities of the
slave trade beginning with its origins in Africa. Students often share the misnomer
that all slaves from Africa came to British North America and what later became the
United States. But the larger picture of the slave trade is much more complicated
than the over-simplified narrative. The primary goal of this module is to put the slave
trade into global context.
Educational Objectives of the Module (should constitute a minimum of 12% of
the course):
1. Evaluate the domestic and global ramifications of the slave trade and the system
of slavery in the United States.
2. Develop an understanding of the interconnected peoples who made America.
3. Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of African-Americans on United States
history, from colonization to the modern era.
4. Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Outline of Lectures/Discussions:
1. Lecture/Discussion: Provide background on African kingdoms prior to the
introduction of the Atlantic slave trade. Discuss Ancient Egypt & Nubia, the Bantu,
the Kingdoms in West Africa, Ethiopia/Axum, African political structures, in addition
to African resources and trade networks.
2. Lecture/Discussion: This lecture will deal with the slave trade within Africa as
well as the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. Using PowerPoint to display drawings, the
instructor will walk students through the enslavement process--beginning with the
initial approach of Europeans on the West African coast and ending with arrival on
the plantation. Facilitate a discussion on African ethnicities and rivalries between
clanships and kingdoms and evaluate the problems with assigning victim
status. After lecturing on the Middle Passage, show the first 15 minutes or so of the
movie Amistad and critique the portrayal of the slave trade, having students compare
it to the accounts of Olaudah Equiano and Alexander Falconbridge. After this, the
instructor will discuss the slave auction and play the Oscar Brown Jr. song.
3. Lecture/Discussion: Discuss the progression and major players involved in the
international slave trade during the 19th century. Provide background on the
Amistad case and divide students into groups for the Amistad mock trial.
Listing of Resources Used to Support the Module (readings, videos, podcasts,
documentaries, etc.):
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Readings:
“Is it Not Enough that We Are Torn From Our Country and
Friends?”: Olaudah Equiano Describes the Horrors of the Middle Passage
(1780s): http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6372
Alexander Falconbridge, “An Account of the Slave Trade on the Coast of
Africa” (1788): http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-colonial/1904
National Archives, “Teaching With Documents: The Amistad
Case”: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad/
University of Missouri-Kansas City, “Famous American Trials: Amistad Trials,
18391440,” http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMISTD.HTM
Videos & Documentaries:
Amistad (1997)
PBS, Slavery and the Making of America (2005)
Visual Aids & Media Required for Lectures
Map: “Slave Trade From Africa to the Americas: 1650-1860,”
http://www.unc.edu/wrc/maps/08-Map.png
Charts: National Park Service Ethnography Program, “African American
Heritage and Ethnography” contains charts and statistics on the Atlantic slave
trade. http://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/histContextsD.htm
Music: Oscar Brown Jr., “Bid Em In”
Description of Possible Assignments Used to Facilitate an Understanding of
the Module Objectives (writings, interviews, reflections, experiential projects
or field work):
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“Bid Em In” song by Oscar Brown Jr. Have them listen to it twice. Write
down words that stood out to them after. Then write an informal response to
what they heard and discuss as a class.
Primary document comparison--Short paper. Compare and contrast
Alexander Falconbridge’s account as an English doctor aboard a slave ship
to Olaudah Equiano’s.
In-Class Activity: Compare Equiano and Falconbridge’s account of the
Middle Passage to first 15 minutes of the movie Amistad. Discuss the
accuracy of the movie’s portrayal.
The Amistad Case--Mock Trial/Debate. Divide class into 3 groups and have
them review the Amistad case through UMKC website. One group
represents John Q. Adams defense of the Africans, one group represents
pro-slavers in the U.S., and one group represents the interests of the
Spanish. Each group submits a paper copy of their argument and
evidence. There is also a verbal component as students have a debate either
in class or in a mock courtroom. Perhaps have students write a reflection
piece after the activity.
Evaluation/Testing Used to Assess the Comprehension of the Module:
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Students will be evaluated based on their preparation and participation in the
Amistad mock trial/debate
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Students’ participation involving in-class activities will be assessed via
informal responses and two minute essays to ensure they understand the
concepts.
Essay questions on the exam related to the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Resources (Bibliography) used to Develop/implement the Module:
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Byrd, Alexander. Presentation at the National Endowment for the
Humanities, Landmarks in History Summer Institute, “African American
History and Culture in the Georgia Lowcountry: Savannah and the Coastal
Islands, 1750-1950.”
Hine, Darlene Clark et. al. African Americans: A Concise History, 4th edition,
combined volume: Pearson, 2012. Textbook PowerPoints contain depictions
of the Atlantic slave trade as well as maps and statistics. Though many can
also be found on Google Images.