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u.s. slavery not civil war or underground railroad


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I would like to do a short unit next year on slavery (an area older DD has expressed interest in learning more about) --  I've been searching around a bit, but so far it seems like many books are focused on either the Civil War or the Underground Railroad (especially escapes of specific people).     To add complexity, it needs to be aimed at logic stage but not an advanced reader logic stage (interest= late middle school, ability=closer to 5th grade)

 

Sugar Changed the World would seem to be in the right type of book -- but I need something a couple steps down in reading level/complexity.     

 

Note: in a perfect world, I'd even like the unit to go from the beginnings of slavery in the US through civil rights -- so I'm not adverse to all books regarding slavery and the Civil War or the Underground Railroad; I just don't want those to be the focus of the unit

 

I am down to paging through gobs of dry/boring books from the library hoping to find some winners --so I thought I'd ask if the Hive has any suggestions?

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I don't have any suggestions for nonfiction, but there are some good historical fiction books that depict life as a slave (in the 5th grade reading range):

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (life as a slave in Colonial America)

My Name is not Angelica by Scott O'Dell (depicts the St.John's slave revolt of 1733)

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The Slave Trade (Sadler) -- brief overview of worldwide African slave trade, 1500s-1800s

Bound for America: The Forced Migration of Africans to the New World (Haskins) -- start of US African slavery

Slavery (DK Publishing) -- overview of world history of slavery, with special focus on African American slavery

 

If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America (Kamma) -- late elementary, but a good overview

Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom (Hamilton) -- picture book for late elementary; overview

Lest We Forget: The Passage From Africa to Slavery and Emancipation (Thomas) -- adult "picture book"

 

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road (Lester & Brown) -- picture book for late elementary/middle school; emotive paintings and text

To Be A Slave (Lester), or, When I Was a Slave (Yetman) -- first person narratives, ex-slave memoirs

Edited by Lori D.
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Don't know if it is true, but the "Lies my teacher taught me" book talks about the first slave owner in what later became the U.S. was a black guy.  He had an indentured servant.  When they ran away or did some crime time got added onto their sentence.  One guy eventually got his servitude extended to Life.  

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Not a book, but this you tube video is fantastic. It was produced by HBO

 

"Unchained Memories is a riveting compilation of more than forty narratives drawn from interviews with former slaves conducted in the 1930s by the government's Works Progress Administration. The book is an adaptation of HBO's documentary special for 2003, also titled Unchained Memories . From slave auctions to emancipation, the narratives trace the extraordinary experiences of lives spent in slavery."

 

I had to heavily edit it for a class I was teaching to a group of 3rd - 5th graders, but it was powerful.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfusLVvOlRM

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We listened to Elijah of Buxton as an audiobook this last year - really enjoyed it.  I think it would be about a 5th grade reading level.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Elijah-Buxton-Christopher-Paul-Curtis/dp/0439023459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435039058&sr=8-1&keywords=elijah+of+buxton&pebp=1435039063973&perid=1A6HKB2RFHGW8TQT2BZE

 

Different perspective (the first child born free in a settlement of runaway slaves just inside of Canada).  

 

There are lots of resources for it on Pinterest too, if you want.

 

The same author has other books that address civil rights from a child's perspective - I haven't read the others, but they get even better reviews than the one we really enjoyed.

 

ETA: I suppose this is obvious, but I feel I should mention that there is violence and racism and the author paints some pretty vivid pictures with words. 

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  • 1 year later...

I know older post, but here are some books

 

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northop

Incident of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Frederick Douglas Talked and Wrote about his experience as a slave.

The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame    

Before the Mayflower  Lerone Bennett (of course not all about slavery, but a great book)

The Half Has Never Been Told:  Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist (it's controversial)

Author of pretty well received George Washington Imperfect God wrote Master of the Mountain:  Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves by Henry Wiencek ( When I say that The Half Has Never been told is controversial it has nothing on how controversial this book was and still is when it came out is an understatement.) 

 

 

 

Edited by happybeachbum
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Slavery is as old as the Earth. Look for books on slavery that are not based on US history. Look for a time period different from the 1800's and/or a location different from the US. Slavery still exists today in parts of the world. You could even look for information on slavery in the world today.

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While I don't know the books, to follow-up there is a documentary called "African Americans: Many River to Cross," by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  He went to Africa and looked at the origins there and how it changed people there and in the U.S.  I was only able to watch the first portion before it went off Netflix, but I hope they bring it back this next year. I would like to finish it as it follows the same time frame you are studying.  It came out in 2013, so maybe the library will have a copy if youtube isn't an option.

 

I would recommend pre-screening because slavery was/is ugly and I don't know your family's boundaries.  

 

Edited because I found full episodes on PBS.

Edited by Elizabeth 2
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