History of Slavery | Slave Narratives | Slave Revolts | Primary Sources
Videos | Books | Teacher Resources

History of Slavery

Africans in America PBS's series has the narrative history, resource bank, and teacher's guide of the history of slavery in the United States in four parts:

1450-1750
1750-1805
1791-1831
1831-1865

The Southern States A short overview of slavery in the South in 1860 with links to further information. From PBS's "The American Experience."

Slavery in America Links to many resources on slavery.

Encyclopedia of Slavery A huge amount of information on slavery in the United States. Includes slave narratives and articles on the slave system, slave life, events and issues, campaigners against slavery, and much more. From Spartacus Schoolnet.

Slavery Good explanation with 25 slides. From a House Divided by the Chicago Historical Society.

The African American Experience at Stratford

Slave Narratives

Solomon Northup: Twelve Years a Slave The text of Solomon Northup's book. (Primary source document)

Documenting the American South A collection of slave narratives. From University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries. (Primary source documents)

American Slave Narratives A collection of oral histories of slaves. From the University of Virginia. (Primary sources)

Slave Revolts

Liberation Strategies Brief explanations and links to primary documents on various slave revolts. From Library of Congress.

The Confessions of Nat Turner Detailed confession made by Turner after his capture. (Primary source document)

Southampton Slave Revolt Story of the Nat Turner revolt.

Other Primary Sources

Digital Images of 19th Century African Americans From the New York Public Library.

African American Voices A collection of primary documents with introductory material. From Gilder Lehrman.

Videos

Solomon Northup's Odyssey A 1984 film based on Northup's book.

Books

Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War: 1831-1861 (Drama of American History) by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier

The Strength of These Arms: Life in the Slave Quarters by Raymond Bial

Daily Life on a Southern Plantation 1853 by Paul Erickson

Life on a Plantation by Bobbie Kalman

To Be a Slave by Julius Lester

I Was Born a Slave: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Jennifer Fleischner

Growing Up in Slavery by Sylviane A. Diouf

Letters From a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary Lyons

Freedom Calls: Journey of a Slave Girl by Kem Knapp Sawyer

Slavery Time When I Was Chillun by Belinda Hurmence

Before Freedom, When I Just Can Remember: Twenty-Seven Oral Histories of Former South Carolina Slaves edited by Belinda Hurmence

Nat Turner: Slave Revolt Leader by Terry Bisson

Nat Turner: Rebel Slave by Ann-Marie Hendrickson

Teacher Resources

Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin From the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration.

Create an Abolitionist Poster A lesson for use in the classroom. From MacMillan McGraw-Hill.