Unit: Division and Reunion
Social Studies Lesson Plan
Mr. Harold Small
I.S. 364 Gateway Intermediate
August 18, 2011
Learning Objective: Students will be able to explain the response of those that opposed ending
slavery and the Underground Railroad
New York State Social Studies Standards: SS1 United States History, SS2 World History, SS3
Geography, SS4 Economics and SS5 Government
Motivation: After reading and analyzing the handbill, write a paragraph describing the purpose
behind its distribution
Read Aloud: Students will listen to a passage from the Biography of Anthony Burns
Mini-lesson: Regulations regarding Escaped Slaves
Overhead showing summaries of
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Fugitive Slave Laws of 1820 and 1850
Seaman Acts of South Carolina in 1822
Louisiana State Seaman Act of 1842
Individual/Group Activity: Students will be given the following documents and reading with
attached worksheets having questions to answer on the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 [example of document attached]
Dred Scott Case
Newspaper Advertisement for Runaway Slaves [example of documents attached]
Fugitive Slave Act Poster [example of documents attached]
South Carolina Negro Seaman Act of 1822
Summary: What did the primary sources reveal about those favoring the “peculiar institution?”
Document 4
Document 3
Document 5
The Negro-Seamen Act of 1822 was a South Carolina state law
that required free seamen of African descent working aboard
foreign or domestic ships jailed and held prisoner when the ship
entered any of South Carolina's harbors. Under the law, the
person remained captive until the ship prepared to leave harbor,
at which time a vessel's Captain could redeem the sailors'
freedom by paying a $1,000 fine for each, or by agreeing to two
months imprisonment. Unclaimed seamen were sold into
slavery, even if they were foreign nationals.
This law arose in part from South Carolina's fear of an imminent
slave rebellion, which it believed was partially instigated by free
seamen who encouraged slaves to fight for their freedom.
1. Why was the Negro Seamen Act of 1822 directed towards free
African-American seamen?
2. Do you think free African-American seamen were apprehensive or
fearful about sailing on ships that went into the port or harbors of
South Carolina?
3. How do you think the ship captains felt about the Seamen Act
especially having a number of African-Americans in their crew?
Document 1
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 required all citizens to help catch runaway slaves.
People who let slaves escape could be fined $1000 and jailed for six months.
The new law setup special courts to handle the cases of runaways. Judges
received $10 for sending an accused runaway to the South and only $5 for setting
someone free. Fearful that they would be kidnapped and enslaved under the new
law, thousands of free African-Americans fled to Canada.
The Fugitive Slave Law enraged Northerners. By forcing them to catch runaways
the law made northerners feel they were part of the slave system.
The American Nation…Prentice Hall, pp.434-435
1. Why could northerners not ignore the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850?
2. How did Northerners feel about the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law?
3. What did many free African-Americans living in the North do after the passing of the
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and why?
Handbill