Seizing Freedom: The Deleted Passage
Make a copy of these slides for you to use to complete these learning experiences.
How do you describe freedom in America ?
Responses:
Responses:
Let’s Explore the Descendants of the Founders:
What do you notice about the image ?
Who is missing from the image?
What do you notice about the people?
Name something we missed
Ancestry.com recreated an iconic painting by John Trumbull. Declaration of Independence, the
artist’s interpretation of the founders’ presentation of the draft of the Declaration to Congress, has been reimagined with the signers' descendants 241 years later.
Image courtesy of “An Atlas of Virgiania”, Virginia Geographic Alliance
In 1641 Massachusetts Colony passed the first law legalizing slavery. King George III was born June 4, 1738. How much responsibility did he have for the growth of slavery in America?
Look at this map. By 1770 how many slaves were in the colonies? What pattern do you notice about the enslaved population in the Thirteen Colonies?
Enslaved populations in the Thirteen Colonies in 1770
Map courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
This Library of Congress image of a former slave turned Union Soldier “Gordon” was reproduced and published in newspapers across the US. His scars were discovered during his military entrance exam. He was whipped for running away; after healing he left again. This time evading capture and joining the Union Army.
Do his scars judge the humanity of men?
Analyze the Chart
How many presidents are on the list that owned slaves?
List those presidents who did not own slaves.
Which president owned the highest number of slaves on the list?
By the Numbers
Do you think that these men were interested in dismantling slavery?
How do you view freedom in America?
What do you think about the title?
Compare the words of Douglass to the phrase, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?”
What am I wondering about?
What new ideas did I learn?
Analyze the Speech: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? On July 5, 1852 in an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was held at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. It was a scathing speech in which Douglass stated, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine, You may rejoice, I must mourn.” Douglass acknowledged the work of the Founding Fathers of America, as the architects of the Declaration of Independence, for their commitment to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness:” However, those words did not include all Americans.
Analyze the Images
This shipping method is called packing.
Do you see standing room?
Can you imagine the sanitary conditions on this vessel?
On the left: An enslaved cargo ship, image from the National Gallery of Art, Above: Image, Voices of the Middle Passage, from The National Park Service.
How can we define freedom for all?